(SCMP) Hong Kong’s astronaut hopefuls prepare for another round of screening in Beijing as Chinese spacecraft launches

Professor Quentin Parker from the University of Hong Kong emphasized the importance of the screening process for Chinese payload specialists to pick candidates with the right mentality, apart from qualifications and the right physiques. 

Parker said he believed that the screening process was extremely rigorous, and it requires a certain mindset and mental toughness to survive in space. He added that mental endurance and capacity are also important for survival, apart from intelligence or physical prowess. 

Parker explained that being in space requires a certain kind of mentality because you have limited space to move around and are sharing it with two other humans for five months, which can be challenging.

This article was published on 31 May on SCMP: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3222345/hong-kongs-astronaut-hopefuls-prepare-another-round-screening-beijing-chinese-spacecraft-launches