BEIJING - A Chinese proverb says women hold up half the sky. In the future, they'll be doing it from space.
The Chinese space program's first two women astronauts have been selected and may take part in missions to China's planned space station, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.
To be considered, the women had to be married, Xinhua said, quoting Zhang Jianqi, a former deputy commander of the country's manned space program.
"In the selection, we had almost the same requirements on women candidates as those for men, but the only difference was that they must be married, as we believe married women would be more physically and psychologically mature," Zhang said.
The two, who were not identified by name or age, are transport pilots for the air force, Xinhua said.
China launched its first manned flight in 2003, joining Russia and the United States as the only countries to launch humans into orbit, and in 2008 carried out its first spacewalk.
Along with a space station, work on which is scheduled to begin next year, other Chinese plans include launching a second lunar probe in October in preparation for an unmanned moon landing by the end of 2012.
A possible manned lunar mission has also been proposed - with a target date of 2017 - putting China in the forefront of a tightening Asian space race involving India, Japan and South Korea.
