China’s top space official said a commercial spaceflight industry is two decades away

By Tariq Malik, Space.com: China’s top space official said a commercial spaceflight industry is two decades away for private citizens seeking a taste of space.

China will “establish a sound mechanism to commercialize its space technology,” said Yuan Jiajun, chief commander of China’s space program, during a recent symposium in Shanghai, according to Xinhuanet.

Citing the recent successful – and private – flights of SpaceShipOne in the U.S., Yuan said the development of manned spacecraft around the world could propel China’s space tourism.

Cheng said, while there are cultural obstacles for China to overcome to commercialize space, there is a waiting audience that could pay for space trips.

“The Chinese space program is not only government run, it is partly military run, so you’re first problem is a fundamental cultural clash with the military,” Cheng said. “But are there Chinese who would be interested…absolutely.”