The Chinese people "are expected to realize their dream of space travel in 20 years," said a senior official with China's space industry at a symposium Tuesday.

Yuan Jiajun, chief commander of China's space program and president of the China Academy of Space Technology, said China will "establish a sound mechanism to commercialize its space technology," which may spur China's manned space flights.

He stressed that two fundamental problems should be addressed to bring "a booming space tourism". Currently China's research in the space industry mainly serves its national economy and national defense, said Yuan, expressing his belief that in the near future, space technology will be extensively used for civil service and bring more benefits to common people.

The development of manned spacecraft in the world may also propel China's space tourism, Yuan added.

As an example, Yuan said the successful launch of the first private rocket plane, Space Ship One, designed by Burt Rutan, has reaped some US$10 million for his company.

Space Ship One's success is a landmark for the commercialization of manned mission. Space Ship One's journey was simpler than that of spacecrafts in orbit in terms of technology, as it only climbed to a height of 62 miles (100 kilometers), the periphery of outer space, Yuan said.

China is scheduled to launch its second manned spacecraft, Shenzhou VI, in 2005, with two Chinese astronauts.

The Chinese government also announced its plan to launch a satellite to orbit the moon by 2007 as part of the country's three- stage lunar project. It will be followed by the landing of an unmanned vehicle on the Moon by 2010 and collecting samples of lunar soil with an unmanned vehicle by 2020.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2004)