¡¡¡¡BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhuanet) -- China launched its third unmanned spacecraft "Shenzhou III" Monday night at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province.

¡¡¡¡The first experimental spacecraft "Shenzhou" was launched by "Long March" carrier rocket at 6:30 a.m. on November 20, 1999, at the same launch center, and touched down in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 3:41 a.m. the next day.

¡¡¡¡Chinese technologists for the first time assembled and tested the rocket and spaceship in a vertical way. Meanwhile, they used anewly-established network, covering land and sea, to control and monitor the spacecraft.

¡¡¡¡The launch of "Shenzhou" has been regarded as a milestone in China's space science and technology.

¡¡¡¡On January 10, 2001, China launched the second unmanned spaceship "Shenzhou II" which was basically identical to a manned craft.

¡¡¡¡Scientists designed space life sciences, space materials, space astronomy and space physics experiments under conditions of microgravity in outer space.

¡¡¡¡"Shenzhou II" performed well in orbiting the earth and broughtback much important scientific data after its return. Enditem

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