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China officially launched the selection of its third batch of astronauts on Monday, and is expected to select about 17 to 18 trainees, including women, an official closely related to manned space announced.

"The selection consists of three periods, and we will select not only males but also female candidates for the third batch of astronauts," said Yang Liwei, head of the China Manned Space Agency and the nation's first astronaut.

"The total number of candidates will be about 17 to 18. The types of astronauts covered are pilots, maintenance engineers and payload scientists," he said.

The work backgrounds and types of people eligible for recruitment will also be different from previous selections.

"The scope will cover not only pilots from the People's Liberation Army Air Force, but also flight engineers and scientists from related industries, universities and institutions," Yang said.

In the previous two rounds, only pilots from the PLA Air Force were selected.