Chinese astronaut enters orbit
The rocket blasted off from Jiuquan in the Gobi desert
China's first manned spacecraft has entered orbit, making it the third country to send a human into space.
A Long March 2F rocket blasted off from the Gobi desert launch pad at 0900 (0100GMT), and the Shenzhou V spacecraft was orbiting Earth 10 minutes later.
The craft, carrying a single astronaut Yang Liwei, is expected to orbit 14 times, returning in about 21 hours' time.
President Hu Jintao was present for the launch, and said it was "the glory of our great motherland and a mark for the initial victory of the country's first manned space flight".
"The launch of Shenzhou V, China's first manned spacecraft, is successful and the craft is already in orbit," mission control announced.
Click here to see a diagram of Shenzhou V
Only the United States and the former Soviet Union had previously sent humans into space.
I will not disappoint the motherland
Astronaut Yang Liwei
Have your say: What next for China's space programme?
"I feel good, see you tomorrow," Yang Liwei told mission control from space.
The launch was to have been shown live on national television, but Chinese state television decided it would only show it later.
However, programmes were interrupted to announce the successful launch.
The English-language channel CCTV-9 echoed the words of American Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to walk on the moon.
"If these were small steps, then now we are taking a giant leap into space," the announcer said.
National prestige
Yang Liwei, a 38-year-old lieutenant in the People's Liberation Army, was only confirmed as the astronaut as the flight began.
He was said to be "reading a flight manual in the capsule of the Shenzhou V spacecraft and looked composed and at ease".
The design is based on the Russian Soyuz three-person space capsule, although the Chinese space programme has made wide-ranging changes.
The project has become a matter of national prestige, with Shenzhou described in the official media as "China's self-designed manned spaceship".
"I will not disappoint the motherland," astronaut Yang Liwei said before boarding the capsule.
"I will complete each movement with total concentration. And I will gain honour for the People's Liberation Army and for the Chinese nation."
The area around the Jiuquan launch site had been sealed off, with soldiers stopping all vehicles 35km (20 miles) from the Jiuquan launch centre.
From early on Wednesday morning, people were reported to be driving out of Jiuquan city, over 200km (125 miles) to the south, to try to catch sight of the launch.
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发表于 2003-10-15 19:11
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