CHINA'S FIRST SPACEWALK A SUCCESS

China's first spacewalk team returns to Earth

By GILLIAN WONG

BEIJING (AP) — Three Chinese astronauts emerged from their
capsule Sunday after a milestone mission to carry out the
country's first spacewalk, showing off China's
technological know-how and cementing its status as a space
power and future competitor to the United States.

A senior space official said the mission — China's most
ambitious yet — took the country one step closer in its
plan to build a space station and then to land a man on the
moon.

Wang Zhaoyao, deputy director of manned space flight, said
the program is looking to launch a new orbiting vehicle and
set up a simple space lab by 2011. There are also hopes of
sending unmanned and manned space vehicles to perform
docking activities with the target vehicle.

By 2020, China wants to launch a manned mission to
experiment with technologies that will enable astronauts to
take care of spacecraft for longer periods of time, Wang
told reporters at a briefing in Beijing after a parachute
brought the astronauts' capsule back to ground.

"After we have successfully completed these three steps, we
will go to even more remote areas," Wang said. "We believe
that as long as we can make further progress on the road of
science and technology, China will achieve the target of
putting a manned spacecraft on the moon in the near
future."

The United States is the only country to have accomplished
that feat, putting its first astronaut team on the moon in
1969. But its last human landing was in 1972, and it has
since concentrated on unmanned probes.

China's communist leaders, riding a wave of pride and
patriotism after hosting the Olympics, face few of the
public doubts or budgetary pressures that have constrained
space programs elsewhere. Saturday's spacewalk was watched
by cheering crowds on huge outdoor TV screens.

State broadcaster CCTV showed the astronauts' return Sunday
after their Shenzhou 7 ship's re-entry vehicle burst
through the Earth's atmosphere to make a landing under
clear skies in the grasslands of China's northern Inner
Mongolia region.

The vessel touched ground at 5:37 p.m. after floating down
gently while attached to a giant red-and-white striped
parachute, marking the end of the 68-hour endeavor.

"It was a glorious mission, full of challenges with a
successful end," said mission commander Zhai Zhigang, a
41-year-old fighter pilot. "We feel proud of the
motherland."

Zhai, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng stayed inside the capsule
after landing for about 46 minutes to adapt to Earth's
gravity before slowly crawling out the narrow entrance.

Outside, the trio cheerily waved to cameras and reporters
from Chinese state media before sitting down in blue
fold-out chairs. They saluted as they were presented with
bouquets of flowers.

Premier Wen Jiabao applauded at mission control in Beijing
and shook hands with staff.

"This mission's success is a milestone; a stride forward,"
Wen said. "I would like to extend my congratulations to the
heroic astronauts who successfully completed this mission."

The premier also reiterated Beijing's longtime stance that
it is the Chinese people's "persistent aspiration" to
develop space technologies for peaceful exploration.

The spacewalk was a key step in mastering techniques for
docking two orbiters to create China's first orbiting space
station. Tethered to handles attached to the Shenzhou 7
ship's orbital module, Zhai remained outside for about 13
minutes before climbing back inside.

China has relied heavily on homegrown technology, partly
out of necessity. It has trouble obtaining such technology
abroad due to U.S. and European bans and is not a
participant in the International Space Station.

The Chinese program is backed by the secretive military.
While Beijing insists it is committed to a peaceful
program, analysts point to numerous potential applications
for its technology, such as when it used a land-based
missile to blast apart an old satellite last January.

China conducted its first manned space mission, Shenzhou 5,
in 2003, becoming only the third country after Russia and
the United States to launch a man into space. That was
followed by a two-man mission in 2005.

CHINA, ONE OF ONLY THREE COUNTRIES SENDING ASTRONAUTS FOR SPACE WALK TONIGHT

Shenzhou VII taikonauts (from left) Jing Haipeng,
Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming wave to people at
a press conference in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, September 24, 2008. [Xinhua]


Shenzhou VII lifts off tonight
By Hu Yinan (China Daily)
2008-09-25

JIUQUAN, Gansu -- Shenzhou VII will lift off between 9:07
pm and 10:27 pm Thursday, carrying three astronauts, one of
who will become the first Chinese to walk in space, senior
space program officials said Wednesday.

One of the astronauts, Zhai Zhigang will walk in space
around 4:30 pm on Saturday, media reports said.

The spacecraft will carry astronauts Liu Boming and Jing
Haipeng, too.

One of the major tasks of the three-day mission is
extra-vehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk in this case,
mission spokesman Wang Zhaoyao said at a news conference
Wednesday. The success of the task will mark a remarkable
step forward for China.

The other tasks include releasing a small monitoring
satellite and satellite data relay trials, said Wang, who
is also deputy director of China's manned space program
office.

"The Shenzhou VII mission marks a historic breakthrough in
China's manned space program. It is a great honor for all
three of us to be part of the mission, and we are fully
prepared for the challenge," Zhai Zhigang said when he and
the other two astronauts met the media Wednesday.

Tonight's mission will be the second stage of China's
three-stage manned space program, which eventually is aimed
at building a space lab and a space station by 2020.

Engineers began loading fuel in the carrier rocket at 4 pm
Wednesday, a process that would take seven hours and meant
the launch was "irreversible", Jiuquan Satellite Launch
Center officials said.

Shenzhou VII will be launched from atop the Long-March II-F
carrier rocket into orbit 343 km from Earth.

Two of the astronauts will enter the orbital module, put on
EVA spacesuits and prepare for the spacewalk. One of them
will put on a China-made "Feitian" EVA suit and the other,
a Russian Orlan-M "Haiying" suit.

And "one of the two will get out of the cabin and retrieve
the test samples loaded outside the module," Wang said.

Compared with the previous two manned space flights, the
Shenzhou VII mission faces unprecedented technical
difficulties, he said, even though China has achieved a
series of technical breakthroughs, including making an EVA
suit and airlock module.

During the mission, the astronauts will have to assemble
and test the 120-kg EVA suits, depressurize and
re-pressurize the cabin, and exit and re-enter the orbital
module.

"The process of EVAs cannot be simulated completely on the
ground and some of the newly developed products have to be
tested in flight for the first time," Wang said.

Thirteen Orlan-M spacesuits, three for actual EVAs, were
received from Russia under a contract signed in April 2004,
he said. Moscow developed the spacesuits, while Beijing
gave the power supply and communication systems.

"Russian experts have provided technical assistance
throughout the mission," he said.

Thanks to the collaboration, China took only three and half
years to design the EVA spacesuit. Or else it would have
taken eight years to do so, Chen Shanguang, head and chief
designer of the project's astronaut suits and other
accessories, said.

Russia helped train the astronauts and develop the Shenzhou
spacecraft, too.

But soon China could train foreign astronauts, Xinhua
quoted Chen as having said. "China's two successful manned
space missions have showed it has the technical ability to
independently train astronauts in future."

In 2003, China became the first country after the US and
Russia to send a man into space. It followed it with a
two-man mission in 2005.