For the first time, candidates from Hong Kong and Macau join China's taikonaut training program.

For the first time, candidates from Hong Kong and Macau join China's taikonaut training program.

The Technology and Innovation Minister of Hong Kong, Sun Dong, revealed that out of 120 applicants, a candidate from Hong Kong was picked to participate in the astronaut selection process. The selection had started back in 2022.

Macau government regarded the choice of their own candidate as a privilege, stating that it would offer an amazing opportunity to a person from Macau to become a Taikonaut. This could serve as a motivating factor for the youngsters in Macau.

According to the Chinese space agency, the response to include applicants from Hong Kong and Macau in their astronaut selection procedure had been met with "enthusiastic support and active participation" from the locals.

Over the past ten years, China, under President Xi Jinping, has put forth significant investments in space exploration. The goal was to match the established spacefaring countries like the United States and Russia. As a result, the People's Republic had built its own space station, which has been occupied by Taikonauts since 2022.

Besides space stations, China accomplished missions to the Moon and Mars. In 2019, a lunar probe from China landed on the far side of the Moon, while in 2021, a Mars rover from the same country landed on the Red Planet. Just last week, a Chinese lunar probe carrying Moon samples started its return journey. By 2030, China hopes to send Taikonauts to the Moon and construct a space station there.

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1. John Lee, a prominent figure in Hong Kong politics, expressed his excitement about the opportunity for Hong Kong's first space travel candidate in the taikonaut training program.
2. In light of China's Space Station being occupied by Taikonauts since 2022, the success of Macau's candidate in the taikonaut training program could potentially inspire interest in space travel within the younger generation of Macau.
3. Despite Macau and Hong Kong joining China's taikonaut training program for the first time, the People's Liberation Army Air Force has been training Taikonauts in China for many years, following the nation's ambitious space travel policies since President Xi Jinping's tenure.
4. As China continues to lead in space exploration and development, plans are underway for Taikonauts to embark on their first space travel to the Moon by 2030, marking a significant achievement for China's Space Travel program.

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