China launches manned spacecraft

China took another stride forward in its space ambitions yesterday, as it launched a mission expected to include the country's first space walk.

Shenzhou VII, its third manned space flight, blasted off from a remote site in the Gobi desert in the north-west of the country shortly after 9pm local time. It is almost five years since the country joined Russia and the United States as the only countries to have sent astronauts into space.

"The launch was totally successful," a senior official announced as the country's most senior leaders, who had gathered at the Jiquan launch site, applauded loudly. Earlier, President Hu Jintao hailed the three astronauts as heroes as he greeted them before they stepped into the Long March spacecraft.

"You will definitely accomplish this glorious and sacred mission. The motherland and the people are looking forward to your triumphant return," he told them.

Half a century ago Mao Zedong lamented that China could not even launch a potato into space. But the country's programme is now highly ambitious and the space walk - expected to take place tomorrow - will be key to its long-term goals of creating an orbiting station in the next 10 years, and possibly making a visit to the moon.

Kevin Pollpeter, from the Defense Group Inc in Washington, an expert on China's space programme, told Reuters: "This will be a very outward show of Chinese power. The eventual goal is to build a space station. For them, that's become one of the trappings of being a great power."

But Zhang Jianqi, one of the chief engineers, told the state news agency Xinhua that keeping three men aloft and sending one outside the capsule over 340 km (210 miles} above the Earth would be a "big test". "Sending up three astronauts is a jump in both quantity and quality," he said.

The Shenzhou - "sacred vessel" - programme has caused concern in Japan and the US, which fear China has military ambitions in space - particularly following an anti-satellite missile test last year.

The team comprises Jing Haipeng, Zhai Zhigang, and Liu Boming. Zhai, an air force pilot who grew up in poverty in the country's far north-east, is the team leader and will carry out the spacewalk.

The mission is expected to last around three days and the craft is due to land in Inner Mongolia on its return.

Today's best video

Today in pictures