China selects astronauts for space station program

BEIJING -- The crewmembers who will participate in the construction of China's space station have been selected and are being trained for their missions, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The construction of the space station has entered a crucial stage, said the CMSA, noting that this year will see several space missions including the launch of the station's core module, cargo replenishment, and a manned flight, which will be carried out one after another.

China aims to complete the construction of its space station by around 2022. During the construction, China plans to launch four Shenzhou manned spaceships and four Tianzhou cargo spacecraft to transport astronauts and supplement materials.

The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, which will launch the core module, has been safely transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan province. The core module is scheduled to be launched in the first half of this year.