Fluency In Chinese Required

Remember that routine by Bill Dana, "My name Jose Jimenez. I want to be an astronaut"? How might you say that in Chinese?

The People's Republic plans to search for female astronauts starting next year. The Xinhua news agency reports Chinese space officials will search high schools nationwide for candidates who want to be the country's first woman in space.

An official at the Chinese National Space Administration says the women would first be trained to fly aircraft.

He also confirms the communist government's plans to launch China's second manned spaceflight sometime late next year. The mission will send two astronauts into space for a five-day journey. A third flight is also on the drawing board. On that mission, Beijing hopes a "taikonaut" will make the country's first spacewalk.

In October, China became the third nation to ever put a man in space. That's when astronaut Yang Liwei circled the globe 14 times during his 21-hour mission. A team of 14 astronauts, including Yang, are training for the next mission.

FMI: www.cnsa.gov.cn