Patriotic Astronauts Need Only Apply

People from Hong Kong and Macau can apply for a space job

It's very intriguing that only now is the Chinese government inviting people from Hong Kong and Macau to apply for a position in the national space program -- and yes being a patriot is a requirement.

The job is for a payload expert, a scientist or engineer who manages highly complex or classified onboard equipment and carries out scientific activities, such as astronautical measurements.

A key requirement is to be a "patriot"

Male or female candidates must be between the ages of 30 and 45, be 1.62-1.75 metres tall for men, and 1.6-1.75 metres tall for women. The Hospital Authority will also confirm their physical fitness.

Applicants must have a doctoral degree and at least three years of relevant work experience, such as life sciences, material sciences, physics, chemistry, psychology, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering or astronomy.

But perhaps more importantly, the candidates must be Chinese nationals who are permanent residents, and are patriots -- along with their family members who adhere to the "one country, two systems" policy, as well as uphold state and local constitutions.

When asked what would happen if someone was a British National (Overseas) visa holder would be eligible, Hong Kong's technology minister Sun Dong replied screening would be done according to established procedures, without defining the patriot requirement.

"For applicants who want to give up their foreign identities and participate in the program, I think I will leave it to the vetting committee to handle," Sun said.

Sun isn't sure if BNO holders qualify for the job

Perhaps it was not a question they had anticipated...

Does anyone in Hong Kong and Macau fulfil all those requirements? It's possible but probably very slim pickings. The height requirement alone will eliminate a number of people! 

It's interesting China picked this time to recruit people from Hong Kong and Macau -- why not earlier? This would have been an excellent opportunity to not only discover new talent, but also bring them into the fold and give the next generation a possible path into the space industry.

But maybe better now than never?