Comparing Space Programs

What... no clever Dr. Suess quote to start off the blog? No, just a few comparisons I found interesting when noting the requirements to be a Chinese spaceman (versus a US astronaut.)

Chinese Requirements (a few out of the 100 stipulations):

• no scars
• no history of serious illness in the last three generations of your family
• no tooth cavities
• no runny noses
• no ringworm
• no drug allergies
• no bad breath

"These are amongst the 100 health requirements for would-be astronauts vying to be part of China's next space team, the Yangtse Evening Paper reported on Saturday.

The selection process, which the paper said is for the second batch of Chinese astronauts, will disqualify those who have runny noses, ringworm, drug allergies or bad breath.

"The bad smell would affect their fellow colleagues in a narrow space," said Shi Bing Bing, an official with the 454th hospital of People's Liberation Army air force based in Nanjin, one of the six astronaut health screening hospitals.

Aside from the physical requirements of the job, the candidate must also possess a pleasant and adaptable disposition, the paper said.

"These astronauts could be regarded as super human beings," Shi said.

to see the full article... click here

By contrast here are some requirements to join the US team in space:

• U.S. citizenship (for pilots and mission specialists)
• Bachelor's degree (engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics) from an accredited college or university
• Three years of related experience after obtaining the bachelor's degree - A master's degree equals one year of experience, and a doctorate equals three years.
• Passing a NASA space physical examination - Pilots need to pass a Class I physical; mission/payload specialists must pass Class II. Both are similar to civilian and military flight examinations.
• More than 1,000 hours experience as pilot-in-command of a jet aircraft (pilots only)
• Height of 64 to 76 inches (162.5 cm to 193 cm) for pilots, 58.5 to 76 inches (148.5 cm to 193 cm) for mission/payload specialists

This info was gleaned from here.