BEIJING, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- China is considering using female astronauts when it conducts its first space docking mission in 2012, an official with the country's astronaut program said.
Two female astronauts have been selected for possible flights when two spacecraft are scheduled to dock with the space lab module Tiangong-1, Chen Shanguang, director of the Astronaut Center of China, said Monday.
"We must assess both male and female astronauts to verify if human beings can live in space as there are huge differences between men and women in spite of their common generalities," Chen told China's state-run news agency Xinhua.
"Space exploration activities would be incomplete without the participation of female astronauts."
Chen did not disclose the names of the two astronauts, but said both are married and about 30 years old.
The two, both air cargo pilots before their enrollment, are from the second batch of Chinese astronauts selected in late 2009 and early 2010, Chen said.
