(CNN) -- China's space program has really taken off in the last six years.



Back to Earth: Yang Liwei faces the cameras on returning to Earth in 2003.



In 2003 Yang Liwei became a national hero when he became the first Chinese man in space, followed five years later by Zhai Zhigang who became the first "taikonaut" to make a spacewalk.



"The moment I stepped out of the hatch and entered space, the sensation of completely becoming one with space was a feeling I had never felt before on Earth," Zhai told CNN.



"I deliberately looked into outer space, looking past my toes and deep into outer space. The differing brightness and distances of the celestial bodies really brought out the deepness of outer space. The vast , boundless expanse of outer space stirred my soul."



View the photo gallery to learn more about the history of China's space program.



From out of this world moments to their place in Chinese history, these two pioneering spacemen tell CNN's John Vause about their missions, how they had prepared for the worst should things go wrong and if China and other nations with the moon in their sights are creating a new international space race.
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Yang Liwei In 2003 Yang Liwei became a national hero when he became the China's Zhai Zhigang spacewalk. Zhai Zhigang CNN.
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