China’s 1st spacewalk team returns to Earth

BEIJING – Three Chinese astronauts emerged from their capsule Sunday after a milestone mission to carry out the country’s first spacewalk, showing off China’s technological know-how and cementing its status as a space power and future competitor to the United States.

A senior space official said the mission – China’s most ambitious yet – took the country one step closer in its plan to build a space station and then to land a man on the moon.

Wang Zhaoyao, deputy director of manned space flight, said the program is looking to launch a new orbiting vehicle and set up a simple space lab by 2011. There are also hopes of sending unmanned and manned space vehicles to perform docking activities with the target vehicle.

By 2020, China wants to launch a manned mission to experiment with technologies that will enable astronauts to take care of spacecraft for longer periods of time, Wang told reporters at a briefing in Beijing after a parachute brought the astronauts’ capsule back to ground.

“After we have successfully completed these three steps, we will go to even more remote areas,” Wang said. “We believe that as long as we can make further progress on the road of science and technology, China will achieve the target of putting a manned spacecraft on the moon in the near future.”

China’s communist leaders, riding a wave of pride and patriotism after hosting the Olympics, face few of the public doubts or budgetary pressures that have constrained space programs elsewhere. Saturday’s spacewalk was watched by cheering crowds on huge outdoor TV screens.

“It was a glorious mission, full of challenges with a successful end,” said mission commander Zhai Zhigang, a 41-year-old fighter pilot. “We feel proud of the motherland.”