China's billion-dollar manned spaceflight program, 11 years
after its initiation, paid off Thursday when the country's first
astronaut Yang Liwei safely touched down on the northern
grasslands, bringing his 21-hour-23-minute space voyage to a
perfect end.
The accurate landing of Yang's spacecraft, the home-made
Shenzhou V, at 6:23 am Beijing time Thursday has secured China a
niche in space as the third nation to independently send a man into
outer space, following the former Soviet Union and the United
States.
"China's first manned space flight is a complete success,"
announced Li Jinai, director-general of China's manned space
program, at 6:54 am in the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control
Center.
China's top authorities, including the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China, the State Council and the Central
Military Commission, sent an instant congratulatory message, which
was read out by Premier Wen Jiabao who witnessed the landing at the
command and control center.
"This is of a practical and far-reaching historic significance
in China's endeavor to promote the development of its high-tech
industries, to enhance the national economic and technical levels
and defense capabilities, and to increase the rallying power of the
Chinese nation," says the message.
The 38-year-old Yang, a fighter pilot turned astronaut who
traveled over 600,000 km in space as his spaceship orbited the
globe 14 times at a speed of 90 minutes per round, became a hero of
the Chinese nation overnight.
"He has surprised everyone with his excellent performance in
space. He is both a space hero and a national hero of China," said
a senior space official in Beijing.
The lieutenant colonel of the People's Liberation Army, a bit
pale yet in high spirit, stepped out of his re-entry capsule with a
smile and kept waving to a cheering and dancing crowd of several
hundred people on the spot to welcome him back.
"It is a splendid moment in the history of my motherland and
also the greatest day of my life," said Yang in his first words on
the ground. After an on-site health check, Yang was flown to the
capital Beijing by a special plane.
While the world is yet to compliment China's latest
accomplishment in space, the country has announced it will continue
with its space quest, but only for the well-being of mankind.
"The manned space flight is just the first step," said Xie
Mingbao, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, at
a Beijing press conference held just 4 hours after the smooth
landing of Shenzhou V.
"More steps are to follow, including space walk, space
rendezvous and docking, as well as building a space lab and a space
station," added Xie, who disclosed that the next Shenzhou mission
would be launched within one or two years.
Meanwhile, Xie also conceded that China still has a long way to
go before it could stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia and the
United States, which had sent their astronauts into orbit more than
four decades ago.
"The United States and Russia are much more experienced than we
are, and we're quite willing to learn from them," he said, adding
that China would like to cooperate with any other country in space
technology on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
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Luan Enjie, director of the China National Space Administration,
said that the successful manned space mission was not only a
"milestone in China's space undertakings," but also a "significant
contribution to the peaceful exploration and utilization of space
resources."
"It is our principle to explore outer space for the benefits of
the entire human race and to utilize space in a peaceful way," said
Luan, also deputy director-general of China's manned space
program.
As an integral part of the international space force, the
Chinese space workers will make due contributions to the
development of human civilization and mankind's space exploration,
said the director.
"The Chinese are going to space for the peace and progress of
mankind," Yang the astronaut had stated in a written message prior
to his mission, which was released by the media after the mission's
success.
While orbiting the globe, Yang in his capsule also displayed
side by side the national flag of China and a United Nations flag,”
to signify China's persistent stand for peaceful exploration and
exploitation of space,"
(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2003)
