China is hoping to pique public interest in space tourism by making its soon-to-be-completed space station accessible to the general public.

Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut, told Chinese media earlier this month that people without official astronaut training could soon visit the Tiangong space station. Yang Liwei made history in 2003 when he became the country's first astronaut in space.

When asked if the general public would be able to explore Tiangong, Yang stated, "It is not an issue of technology, but demand." "And if there is enough demand, it can be realized within a decade."

Yang was speaking on behalf of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which is now meeting in Beijing for China's annual political sessions. Zhou Jianping, the main designer of China's human spaceflight program, later claimed the country's Shenzhou crew spacecraft might be used for space tourism, lending credence to the remarks. Taken together, the remarks suggest that China is attempting to develop a space tourism business.

But first, China must finish and fully operationalize the three-module T-shaped space station. This year, China wants to launch six missions to complete Tiangong. Shenzhou 14 and Shenzhou 15 will be launched, with two new modules, two cargo supply missions, and two crewed missions. The two three-person missions will also be responsible for the first crew handover, which will see six astronauts temporarily stationed on the space station.

However, the Shenzhou spacecraft, which will launch from Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert on a proven Long March 2F rocket, will not be the only way for visitors to travel to space. According to Space.com, China is developing a reusable rocket for human spaceflight that would be capable of launching a new, larger, and largely reusable crew spacecraft to the International Space Station. The new method would allow more individuals to travel to space at the same time.

Last year, Huang Kewu, a human spaceflight official with China's main space contractor, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said that while the Shenzhou spacecraft can only transport three astronauts, the new generation of crewed space vehicles will be able to transport six to seven astronauts.

Additionally, commercial possibilities are being developed. CAS Space, a commercial spinoff of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), plans to offer tourist journeys to space as early as 2025, citing Blue Origin as inspiration. Meanwhile, Space Transportation is working on a "rocket with wings" for space tourism and point-to-point travel, with a first suborbital flight planned for 2025. Orbital flights are expected to begin in 2030.

Last year, Wu Ji, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Space Science Center, told the Beijing Review that he thought Chinese enterprises will be able to compete in the global space tourism market. "Commercial programs can assist cut costs and increase the efficiency of space activities, which would benefit both traditional players and newcomers to the field," Wu added.

Although China's first space tourism flights aren't expected to take off for a few years, the country is committed to providing several routes for people to get to spa