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CHINA has taken a giant leap towards sending a man into space by successfully launching its first unmanned spacecraft, according to a government announcement.
The Shenzhou, meaning God Ship, was in space for 21 hours and orbited the Earth 14 times, making China only the third nation in history to launch a craft into orbit, after the Soviet Union and the United States.
It re-entered the atmosphere and touched down safely in the autonomous northern province of Inner Mongolia yesterday morning. The vehicle had been launched with a new model of the Long March rocket from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre in northwestern Gansu province.
A spokesman for China's Manned Spaceflight Programme said: "China deserves a place in the world in the area of high technology. The successful test flight demonstrates that China's spacecraft and new carrier rocket are excellent in performance." The first manned flight was originally scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of communist rule in October. But after several delays, it is now expected to take place early next year.
Jet fighter pilots have apparently been selected and are training in Russia and China to become astronauts. In 1996, two Chinese pilots underwent training at Star City Space Centre, near Moscow.
China has harboured plans to send a man into space since 1992, when President Jiang Zemin first announced the programme. Moscow and Beijing signed a deal to train Chinese astronauts in Russia after President Yeltsin's visit in 1996.
Xinhua, the official news agency, commented that the launch would "strengthen the nation's comprehensive national strength, promote the development of science and technology, enhance national prestige, boost the nation's sense of pride and cohesiveness." A boost to national pride could be felt almost immediately at the weekend. A man named Zhao, 63, said: "Fifty years ago Chairman Mao Zedong declared that 'the Chinese people have stood up'. Now, the Chinese people have flown up into space." Liu Bao, 53, a flower seller, hoped that China's technological advance would strengthen its international position. He said: "This national pride is our pride. Some people in other countries do not think highly of us, and I hope this will change their mindset."
The unmanned craft's flight marked the 59th launch of a Long March rocket and the 17th consecutive successful launch in the past three years, according to Xinhua. China launched its first satellite in 1970 and sees its rockets as cheaper alternatives to US and European launch vehicles.
The Long March rockets suffered a string of disasters in 1996. One rocket placed a $120 million (£75 million) Chinese satellite in the wrong orbit in August 1996, leaving it drifting hopelessly in space. In February of the same year, the first Long March 3B exploded shortly after take-off, killing at least six people on the ground.
China fired its first rocket in 1959, a year after Mao declared that it would develop atomic bombs, missiles and satellites.