China’s manned space agency announced Tuesday that 10 new astronauts have been selected to bolster spaceflight capabilities for future missions, including the potential for crewed moon landings.

The China Manned Space Administration (CMSEO) announced 10 astronauts for the fourth astronaut group on June 11. 10 consists of eight pilots and two payload specialists. The second pair are China’s first astronauts from the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions.

Those selected will undergo systematic training at the China Astronaut Center (ACC). After two years of basic training, they will be eligible to fly to the Tiangong space station.

China began recruiting its fourth batch of astronauts in October 2022. Candidates went through a preliminary elimination, re-elimination and final elimination process. These phases included a comprehensive and in-depth clinical medical examination, physiological and psychological tests, as well as endurance and adaptation tests to the space environment.

In 1998, CMSEO selected 14 astronauts from the Air Force pilots for their first space missions. Yang Liwei became the first Chinese citizen to go into orbit in 2023. Seven more astronauts were selected in the second round in 2010, including China’s first female astronauts. China selected 18 new astronauts in the third round of 2020. These included space pilots and, for the first time, flight engineers and payload specialists.

Candidates in the third round are now added to Tiangong flights. Tang Shenji and Jiang Xinlin, who are currently in Tiangong as part of the Shenzhou-18 mission, made it to the third round of the election.

CMSEO, which operates under the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army, did not disclose the identities of the astronauts or the gender ratio of the group. In 2020, only one woman was on the list of 18 astronauts selected. According to the South China Morning Post, a woman from Hong Kong is one of the freight handling experts of the fourth batch.

China’s human spaceflight activities are relatively secret. CMSEO only discloses the identities of crew members on the Shenzhou-Tiangong missions at press conferences the day before launch.

International astronauts plan to train on the moon

CMSEO also confirmed that it plans to send international astronauts to Tianjin.

“The selection and training system of cosmonauts has become more mature and complete. In its statement, CMSEO stated that with the deepening of international cooperation in the field of human spaceflight, foreign astronauts will also participate in selection and training and perform flight missions to Chinese space stations.

The agency has made several announcements about foreign astronauts flying on missions to China but has not yet specified a time frame or countries where potential astronauts might come. The European Space Agency is no longer considering sending its astronauts to Tiangong, despite previous joint training.

China also has tourist attractions located far away. The country plans to send several astronauts to the moon by 2030. It’s part of the country’s growing ambitions for human spaceflight, including the expansion of Tiangong and a permanent presence on the moon.

Huang Weifeng, chief designer of the astronaut system of China’s human spaceflight program, told CCTV that ACC is focusing on the core missions of the space station and future lunar missions.

Huang said that geology-related courses have been opened and field training and field research will be carried out. In 2016, Chinese astronaut Ye Guangfu attended ESA’s underground CAVES astronaut training course. A training simulator is being developed that will allow proper training for the Moon landing.

China’s initial plan to land a crew on the moon is a short-term mission. However, the country plans to establish the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) for a more permanent presence. It also plans to expand Tiangong with additional modules that will provide additional spaceflight capabilities.