Foreign Astronauts ‘Welcome to Work on China’s Space Station'

Chinese taikonaut Wang Yaping has said that foreign astronauts are welcome to work on China’s space station.

Wang said that she is looking forward to “entering the Chinese space station with foreign counterparts to explore the vast universe together,” as quoted by the Global Times.

There are currently no quarantine requirements for international arrivals on China’s space station, but we advise astronauts double check local policies and conduct a 24-hour nucleic acid test before blast off.

The visor on spacesuits also doubles up as a handy facemask, but hand sanitizer is notoriously difficult to use in zero gravity. 

Meanwhile, we advise Wang to keep her spacesuit on at all times to avoid skin-to-skin contact with her potential new colleagues. 

READ MORE: China Modifies 'Don’t Touch Foreigner' Advice After Backlash

Wang is famously known as the first female taikonaut (Chinese astronaut) to live in China’s space station and make spacewalks. 

On October 15, 2021, she was one of three crewmembers that arrived at the Tianhe space station module hours after launch, therefore making her one of few people to leave China during the COVID-19 epidemic. 

It is not known whether she had to quarantine upon her return to Earth. 

[Cover image via Flickr]