China will groom a new generation of astronauts for its future space programs, Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po newspaper reported Thursday.

New blood will be needed in four to five years' time, as the present generation of astronauts, including China's first, Yang Liwei, are all in their 40s, it said.

Yang, who is also deputy director of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told the newspaper about 14 people will be recruited.

They must be in excellent physical and psychological health, and be able to endure extreme environments, a source said.

The candidates will most likely be selected from air force pilots who have impeccable flight records, the source said.

The average age will be 30, although those younger with the right qualifications will also be considered, the source said.

They will be expected to handle more complex tasks than their predecessors, as China in the future plans spacecraft rendezvous and dockings, the launching of space laboratories, and a space station.

In another development, a search-and-rescue drill was held near the mouth of the Yangtze River on Wednesday to prepare for any emergencies or the unexpected fall of Shenzhou VII's re-entry capsule during launch.

Using a mock capsule, maritime search-and-rescue teams found it within an hour, the China Central Television Station reported.

A fixed-wing aircraft was sent to locate the capsule. A helicopter was then sent to the location, where it released an orange smoke cloud and landed rescuers to free the astronauts. The astronauts were then transported to a ship for a medical checkup.

Zhang Jianqi, deputy commander of the Shenzhou VII mission, said rescuers must be able to save the astronauts within 48 hours of the capsule's fall.

The manned Shenzhou VII spacecraft is expected to be launched at an appropriate time between Sept 25 and 30 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province.

(China Daily September 12, 2008)