China Performs Spacewalk - Plans Future Space Station and Moon Landing

Three Chinese astronauts landed safely in China's central Inner Mongolia region on Sunday, after conducting the country's first spacewalk on Saturday. They returned to Earth in a Shenzhou-7 module after completing a 68-hour mission which Premier Wen Jiabao called a "great leap forward" for Chinese space technology.

Astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming, and Jing Haipeng were examined by doctors and adapted themselves to Earth's gravity before exiting the module. They were then taken to a hospital for observation before returning to Beijing yesterday.

The three men launched at 9:10 PM on Thursday for China's third manned spaceflight. China had sent a lone Yang Liwei in space in 2003, and sent two men on a five-day journey in 2005. This successful spacewalk mission makes China the third to perform an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) after the United States and Russia.

Other tasks during the three day mission included performing trials on satellite data relay and releasing of a 40-kg companion satellite, which was left in the space with the orbital module and the extravehicular space suits.

Next, China has plans to construct a "simple" space laboratory by 2011 followed within nine years with a manned station. This is expected to coincide with plans for a future Chinese moon landing in the same timeframe as planned US moon landings.

Image Credit: China Photos/Getty Images
View Full Size Image