BEIJING: Astronaut Nie Haisheng, who served China’s Shenzhou 10 mission as commander, has expressed his desire to go to the International Space Station (ISS). The U.S. has been working with more than a dozen countries on the ISS program, but China has been barred due to national security fears.
ISS, built and operated by the US, has welcomed aboard astronauts from 15 different countries, including South Africa, Brazil, The Netherlands and Malaysia.
However, China has not been allowed on the space station. In 2011, Congress passed an act to bar NASA from having any bilateral contact with individuals of the Chinese space program because of national security fears.
CNN conducted an interview with the three Chinese astronauts who flew China’s Shenzhou 10 mission in 2013. The interview will premiere on Friday, May 29 at 11:30 pm ET.
The network visited China’s usually closed Space City which will reveal how the astronauts are doing serious work with mission planners.
Nie Haisheng, the Shenzhou 10 commander, said, “As an astronaut, I have a strong desire to fly with astronauts from other countries. I also look forward to going to the ISS. Space is a family affair; many countries are developing their space programs and China, as a big country, should make our own contributions in this field”.
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