Chinese astronauts land safely after historic mission accomplished

by Rich Bowden - Sep 28 2008, 20:51

Three Chinese astronauts on board the Shenzhou VII spacecraft returned safely to Earth Sunday after a historic mission which saw the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut.

The near three-day flight has captivated the attention of the Chinese people and was brought to a successful conclusion when the capsule carrying the three crew members, including mission commander and spacewalker Zhai Zhigang, parachuted down to land on the steppes of Inner Mongolia.

Image: CSNA logo.

Premier Wen Jiabao hailed the astronauts as heroes for their efforts, which resulted in China becoming just the third nation, after Russia and the United States, to successfully complete a spacewalk.

"The complete success of the manned Shenzhou VII is a great stride forward for China's space technology," said Wen Jiabao, adding that "Chinese people have ceaselessly sought the peaceful development and use of space technology."

Zhai Zhigang completed his historic space walk on Saturday afternoon saying that he "felt well" from outside the Shenzhou VII spacecraft.

The astronauts were taken out of their returning capsule immediately after impact and checked by doctors as they readjusted to Earth's gravity. They also spoke briefly to Chinese press with Zhai commenting that: "It was a glorious mission, full of challenges but the result is perfect." The astronauts will now be quarantined for two weeks before being allowed back amongst their families.

The successful spacewalk mission is seen as a step towards achieving further Chinese space ambitions, which include the possible construction of a space lab or station, according to reports by local media.

China's President Hu Jintao hinted at this as he praised the 41-year-old mission commander in a live televised chat from Mission Control. "Your space walk was a complete success. It's a major breakthrough in the development of our manned space program," he said. "The motherland and the people thank you."

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GadgetManSep 29th, 2008 - 08:30:15

This is great not just for China but for all humanity. China has gone great strides to prove itself to the world with the Olympics and now with this spacewalk. All in all, this will help improve space exploration overall. Sure, it may be competition to Russia and the US, but competition is good as we know for the tech industry as well.

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Chinese astronauts land safely after historic mission accomplished

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