Space lab Tiangong-1 prioritizes female astronauts

Beijing (CNS) -- China's first space lab module Tiangong-1 is ready for rendezvous and docking maneuvers with the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-9, and is set to welcome aboard a crew of astronauts , said Niu Hongguang, deputy commander in chief of the country's manned space program.

During an interview on Tuesday, Niu Hongguang updated the media on the Tiangong-1 journey; it has now been in orbit for 160 days with all systems operating normally.

China will launch the spacecraft Shenzhou-9 between June and August this year. Presently the crew, including two women astronauts, is receiving mission-specific training, said Niu.

The space docking mission will be conducted manually by astronauts, thus the crew is the decisive factor in mission success, said Qi Faren, former chief designer of the Shenzhou spaceships series.

If the female astronauts pass the flight-readiness tests, they will be considered in priority, said Qi.

"China will have its own space station before 2020," said Qi, "and the station will not just serve Chinese science but also host foreign researchers and support their work."