Shenzhou VII launched.

Aileen McCabe, Asia Correspondent, Canwest News Service
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2008

SHANGHAI – China began its ascent into history books Thursday, launching its bid to become a space superpower, and join the U.S. and Russia as the only nations on earth with the technology to allow a man to walk in space.

The Shenzhou Vll spacecraft successfully lifted off of atop a Long March 2F rocket for the country’s third manned mission since 2003.

If the spacecraft performs as expected, sometime Saturday fighter pilot Zhai Zhigang, 42, will exit the orbiter module and become the first Chinese astronaut to walk in space.

Shenzhou Vll is expected to pave the way for China to develop a space station and laboratory and eventually send a man to walk on the moon.

One large measure of the success of the three-day mission will be the performance of the Chinese-designed Feitian spacesuit Zhai will wear during his 40-minute walk. It weighs 120 kilograms, cost $4.4 million US and is designed to provide the taikonaut – as astronauts are called here – with a pressurized atmosphere, oxygen, climate control and communications. It is also described by the mission spokesman as supple enough to allow Zhai to carry out sensitive experiments outside the spacecraft.

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