Looking Forward to Shenzhou 10

China seems prepared to fly astronauts more than once, as the repeat mission of Shenzhou 9 commander Jing Haipeng demonstrates. But Liu Yang is probably a special case. Like China's first man in space and China's first spacewalker, she is probably considered too valuable to risk on another flight.

China's first expedition to a space laboratory was an outstanding success. The mission of the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft to the Tiangong 1 module has made headlines around the world and further cemented China's status as a major space power.
So much progress was made with Shenzhou 9 that the mission to follow, Shenzhou 10, could be seen as a poor sequel to this historic flight. While China's next human spaceflight won't gain the same level of kudos as Shenzhou 9, the upcoming mission of Shenzhou 10 should still have plenty to offer.
In some ways, viewing Shenzhou 10 as simply the next Chinese astronaut launch could be a good sign. It demonstrates that human spaceflight is becoming increasingly regular and routine for the Chinese.

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