- JIAYUGUAN, China (AP) --
Two years after China became only the third nation to launch a human into
orbit, a pair of astronauts blasted off Wednesday on a longer, riskier
mission after receiving a farewell visit from Premier Wen Jiabao.
-
- Wen said the "glorious and sacred mission"
would demonstrate China's national confidence and ability.
-
- A rocket carrying the Shenzhou 6 capsule and the astronauts
blasted off Wednesday from the remote base in China's northwest. In a break
with the space agency's typical secrecy, the launch was shown live on Chinese
state television.
-
- The mission, reportedly due to last up to five days,
is a key prestige project for China's communist leaders, who have justified
the expense of a manned space program by saying that it will drive economic
development. It will be more complicated than the first flight in 2003,
which carried one astronaut and lasted just 21 1/2 hours.
-
- Minutes after liftoff, mission control announced that
the first stage booster had successfully separated from the rocket and
that the flight had entered its preset orbit.
-
- The official Xinhua News Agency said the two astronauts,
or "taikonauts," will take off their 22-pound spacesuits to travel
back and forth between the two halves of their vessel _ a re-entry capsule
and an orbiter that will stay aloft after they land.
-
- Earlier in the day, Xinhua announced the identities of
the two taikonauts _ Fei Junlong, 40, and Nie Haishen, 41. Previous reports
said 14 former fighter pilots were training for the mission.
-
- Images of Fei and Jun in their cockpit as the craft roared
toward orbit were broadcast live to hundreds of millions of Chinese television
viewers. None of the 2003 space flight was shown live by Chinese television.
-
- "Feeling pretty good," Fei said in the first
broadcast comment from the astronauts.
-
- Wen declared the launch a success.
-
- "The Shenzhou 6 has successfully launched, attracting
worldwide attention," the premier said.
-
- Xinhua said the crew was picked from a field of six finalists.
Nie was one of three finalists for the 2003 mission, which made a national
hero of Yang Liwei.
-
- The two taikonauts will conduct experiments in orbit,
Xinhua said without elaborating.
-
- China, the third nation to put a man into orbit, insisted
ahead of the launch that its aspirations in space were strictly peaceful
and that it opposes deploying weapons there. Space officials say they hope
to land an unmanned probe on the moon by 2010 and launch a space station.
-
- "We do not wish to see any form of weapons in outer
space, so we reaffirm that our space flight program is an important element
of mankind's peaceful utilization of outer space," Foreign Ministry
spokesman Kong Quan said.
-
- Foreign reporters were barred from the launch base. The
handful of Chinese journalists allowed to attend the liftoff were warned
they might be ordered to hand over any photos or video _ a possible image-control
measure in case of an accident.
-
- State television showed taped images of Fei and Nie,
dressed in space suits, walking through the predawn darkness and a light
snowfall toward the bus that would carry them to the launch pad. A senior
officer saluted them and they waved to cheering technicians who waved Chinese
and military flags.
-
- The Shenzhou _ or Divine Vessel _ capsule is based on
Russia's three-seat Soyuz, though with extensive modifications. Spacesuits,
life-support systems and other equipment are based on technology purchased
from Russia.
-
- But space officials say all equipment launched into orbit
is Chinese-made.
-
- China has had a rocketry program since the 1950s and
fired its first satellite into orbit in 1970. It regularly launches satellites
for foreign clients aboard its giant Long March boosters.
|
