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Ex-space chief against China's first astronaut going on next mission
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  • BEIJING (AFP) Jul 04, 2005
    A retired top space chief said he is against China's first astronaut going on the country's next manned mission in two months, state press reported Monday.

    Astronaut Yang Liwei, a national hero after he became China's first man in space, should not be considered for the next flight in the country's Shenzhou series of missions, said Huang Chunping, formerly the head of rocket systems for China's manned space program.

    "The experience of Yang Liwei is experience that China should cherish, but China's space program should send up another astronaut," Huang told the Chongqing Evening News in an overnight report.

    "Our nation has trained 14 astronauts that have expertise in all areas, we shouldn't waste such resources," Huang said.

    Huang said in December before his retirement that the Shenzhou VI would fly in September in a five-day flight that will include two astronauts.

    The mission will differ markedly from the Shenzhou V that was a solo flight that lasted only 21 hours.

    China's space program is still shrouded in secrecy with little known about the flights until days before a launch. But authorities have shown signs of more transparency since the success of its first manned space flight in late

    According to the Chongqing Evening News, the final candidates for the next flight has been whittled down to three pairs of two, but Huang refused to reveal if Yang was included among the final six.

    "At this momment, it is not convenient to say (it publicly)," Huang said.




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