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Excerpt - Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang slipped out of the orbital module of Shenzhou-7 Saturday afternoon, starting China's first spacewalk or extravehicular activity (EVA) in the outer space. "Shenzhou-7 is now outside the spacecraft. I feel well. I am here greeting the Chinese people and people of the whole world," the taikonaut reported to the ground control in Beijing, where Chinese President Hu Jintao watched the proceedings with country's top space scientists. Donning a 4-million-U.S.dollar homemade Feitian space suit, Zhai waved to the camera mounted on the service module after pulling himself out of the capsule in a head-out-first position...

China bans coverage of blast-off By Catherine Armitage, China correspondent15oct03 China can only hope its first manned spacecraft, expected to orbit Earth for 23 hours after a probable launch this morning, is better at spin than its Government. In the elite two-nation club of spacefaring nations, disaster comes with the territory. But fear that a mishap will turn its biggest propaganda event in years into a public-relations catastrophe seems to have prompted the Chinese Government to ban live coverage of the launch from the remote Gobi desert site. That, inevitably, has become the story, in the non-official media at...

Shenzhou-5 Launcher Ready For Transfer To Jiuquan Launch Site by Hou Yi, Hong Kong - Aug 11, 2003 The Changzheng-2F (Long March-2F) launcher that will deliver the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft into orbit will likely be ready to leave for the launch center within the last ten days of this month, local newspaper Ta Kung Pao reported on Sunday (Aug. 3). According to sources at the Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which is the manufacturer of CZ-2F in Beijing, a team of technicians would accompany the shipment of the launcher to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC) in the...

China launches third unmanned space vehicle BEIJING (AFP) Mar 25, 2002 China has successfully launched its third unmanned space vehicle, the country's official newsagency reported late Monday. According to Xinhua reports, the "Shenzhou III" blasted off Monday night at 2200 local time (1400 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province. Scientists at the Beijing Aerospace Directing and Controlling Center told Xinhua the launch went ahead according to plan and that the vehicle had arrived at a preset orbit. Chinese President Jiang Zemin observed the aunch of the Long March II F rocket which reportedly...

China Plans Heavy Lifter To Launch Space Station And More Beijing - Mar 14, 2002 - People's Daily China is preparing for intensified space missions and international satellite launch services by developing a new family of powerful launch vehicles, senior aerospace officials said Wednesday in Beijing. Such carrier rockets will be used to launch a 20-ton, permanently manned space station, said Zhang Qingwei, president of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC). To realize its goal of exploring outer space and expanding shares in the global satellite launch market, China has stepped up the design and development of carrier...