China plans to launch its first space station in 2020, which will allow its astronauts to stay in space for at least 180 days and will make it possible for wealthy members of the public to experience space travel, said Chen Shanguang, chief designer at China Manned Space Engineering.
China invented key technology and established a fundamental system for manning spacecraft through 11 rocket launchers over a period of 21 years, Chen stated at the Beijing's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
He further said that China's manned space missions have turned from middle and short-range space travel to long-term residence in space.
2013 saw the launch of Shenzhou 10, in which Chinese astronauts stayed in space for a fortnight, the longest in the history of China's space exploration. When China completes the construction of its space station in 2020, astronauts will be able to stay in space for more than three months.
Chen pointed out that the progress indicates the advancement of China's spaceflight program and breakthroughs achieved in medical science and flying materials. Even though China has achieved many milestones in aerospace science and technology, it still has technical problems to solve if it wants to ensure that its astronauts can live and work safely in space.
In addition, the general public will get a chance to experience space travel and stay in the space station for up to ten or more days. Anyone at any age or of any gender can travel to space as long as they do not have any cardiovascular problems.
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