Astronaut training official explains Nie's weight gap

A Chinese astronaut research and training official Wednesday clarified suspicions over weight in outerspace of Nie Haisheng, commander of the three-member crew aboard the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft.

A physical examination on the launch day, June 11, showed Nie's net weight was 72 kg, Deng Yibing, director of China Astronaut Research and Training Center, told a press briefing in Beijing.

During the country's first "space class", he wore about 1.89 kg of clothes and shoes, said Deng in response to questioning over Deng's weight of 74 kg measured in a test in the class.

After the class, there were suspicions over Nie's weight as earlier data showed he weighted 67 kg.

Deng said the figure was Nie's weight in 2005 when he took part in the Shenzhou 6 manned space mission. After eight years, he put on some weight, the official said.

Nie and two other astronauts who completed China's longest manned space mission returned to Earth safely Wednesday morning, marking another step forward towards the country's goal of building a permanent manned space station by 2020.