Special Report:
Third Manned Space
Mission
Commentary: Taikonaut
Zhai's small step historical leap for China
China's first
spacewalker
Backgrounder: Chinese
footprints in outer space
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-7 space module carrying three
taikonauts landed safely by parachute Sunday afternoon in China's northern
grassland, after a landmark spacewalk mission that leads the country further in
its space exploration.
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One of the three Chinese taikonauts (R)
is ready to get out of Shenzhou-7 re-entry module after their safe landing
in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sept. 28, 2008.
(Xinhua/Li Gang)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
Astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming, and Jing Haipeng came back from a
68-hour flight, which included a 20-minute spacewalk on Saturday.
"It was a glorious mission, full of challenges with a perfect result. I'm
proud of my country," said spacewalker Zhai, sitting on a chair after emerging
from the module. The trio exited the module by themselves after a brief medical
check and adaptation to the Earth's gravitational environment.
Liu said "before taking off, I told you the Chinese taikonauts are the
best. Thank the motherland and the people."
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China's Shenzhou-7 spacecraft's re-entry
module lands safely in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
(Xinhua/Wang Jianmin)
Photo Gallery>>> |
"We felt the care of the country and people in the abysmal space. Now we
have safely returned," said Jing, followed by a military solute by the trio.
The taikonauts were welcomed with flower bouquets and Premier Wen Jiabao at
the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) were watching their return in a live
transmission. Wen said the mission was "a victory of the Chinese space and
technological field and a monumental achievement in the Socialist causes".
"Your historical feat will be remembered by the country and the people,"
Wen said, delivering a congratulatory note from the central authorities.
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China's Shenzhou-7 spacecraft's re-entry
module lands safely in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
(Xinhua/Wang Jianmin)
Photo Gallery>>> |
Wen shook hands with technicians and scientists at the center, telling them
"This was no easy task at all ... It was splendid. Keep up with the good work".
The taikonauts will be taken to a hospital in the Inner Mongolian capital
Hohhot for medical examination and flown back to Beijing on Monday for a
two-week quarantine.
The successful crusade marks a critical step in China's space quest -- it
is now the third country in the world to attain a spacewalk. The only two other
countries are the United States and Russia.
In what many hail as a "perfect walk", Zhai tread China's first "step" in
the space. Donned in a 4-million-U.S. dollar homemade Feitian space suit, he
spent 20 minutes outside the orbiter on Saturday afternoon, and excited tens of
millions on the Earth when he waved a Chinese flag.
The spacecraft was blasted off at 9:10 p.m. on Thursday in the Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center, where the country's first two manned space missions
took off in 2003 and 2005.
It circled the earth 46 laps before descending on 1,000-square-meter
parachute at Siziwang Banner in central Inner Mongolia at 5:37 p.m. Sunday,
where 300 search and rescue staff waited.
PEACEFUL EXPLORATION OF SPACE
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Photo taken on Sept. 28, 2008 at Beijing
Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, shows Shenzhou-7
re-entry module being parachuted to the ground. (Xinhua/Cheng
Jianli)
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The mission, although so far the most challenging, was high-profile and
seemed bound for success before it even took off. President Hu Jintao flew to
Jiuquan to personally see off the taikonauts and held an "Earth-space" phone
conversation with them after the spacewalk.
Premier Wen Jiabao said on Sunday the spirit of those who worked for the
mission shall be amplified across the nation and called the scientists and
engineers to "continue to make contributions to the space industry and overall
rejuvenation of the nation". He said it is the Chinese people's persistent
aspiration to develop the manned spaceflight technologies for the peaceful
exploration and use of the outer space.
Zhai's roaming in space comes as a crowning moment for the Chinese, who
celebrates the upcoming national day on Oct. 1 and 30 years of reform and
opening up this year.
The mission headquarters said all tasks, such as the satellite data relay
trial, releasing a companion satellite, retrieval of solid lubricant, and space
suit test, are successful.
"The mission proves that our overall technological level has been upgraded.
There are great breakthroughs in many aspects," the headquarters announced in a
statement.
"It has laid a solid scientific and technological foundation for future
goals of manned space lab and space stations," it said.
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Photo taken on Sept. 28, 2008, at the
Beijing Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, shows the
three Chinese taikonnauts reporting their body condition in the module of
the spacecraft Shenzhou-7 travelling in the last circle before returning
back to earth. Shenzhou-7 has closed the door of re-entry module and
entered its return phase. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)
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Gallery>>> |
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese astronauts
onboard the spacecraft Shenzhou-7 are heading back to the Earth after
accomplishing China's first spacewalk.
The three taikonauts switched to in-cabin space suits
at 11:10 a.m. on Sunday and control data for the return trip had be dictated to
the spacecraft. Full story
