China airs patriotic space program videos

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- China plans to build a space station by 2022, according to state-sanctioned films that have been met with patriotic responses from the Chinese public.

The two films -- released in Chinese and English on Tuesday -- aired on state-owned television network CCTV, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

The Chinese-language video shows excerpts from previous missions to space, where astronauts take turns talking about their experienced, according to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

"At that moment, the mission is more important than life," Liu Boming says in the film.

Liu flew on the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, the third human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program.

Other footage shows astronaut Jing Haipeng in a weightless state or training in a swimming pool.

The English-language version of the film focused less on patriotism and more on the astronaut training process, according to the Post.

On social media platforms Weibo and Twitter, Chinese commenters wrote the film was moving.

"This is the first time I've seen the training of astronauts," said one Chinese micro-blogger.

"Their dedication and sacrifice is touching."

Another commenter said, "The happiest thing is that all of you come back safely."

In late 2017, Chinese state media promoted the country's space program, and said it is on track to develop nuclear-powered space shuttles by 2040.

The shuttles will be able to mine resources from asteroids and build solar power plants, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

The Post previously reported Beijing seeks to overtake the United States in the space race.