BEIJING – As if having 1.3 billion people on the planet weren’t enough, China has sent three men into space.
In the country’s most ambitious space mission yet, the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft launched on Thursday from China’s Jiuquan space center in the remote northwestern province of Gansu. It was manned by the three astronauts – or “taikonauts,” as they’re called here – one of whom will attempt the country’s first spacewalk ever. It would make China only the third country to attempt it, after the U.S. and Russia.
 |
| Getty Images |
| People watch the live broadcast of the launch of Shenzhou 7 spacecraft in the Cultural Square on Sept. 25 in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. |
It’s also the second stage of a three-step space development strategy, following up on missions that put taikonauts into orbit in 2003 and 2005. The Chinese hope Shenzhou 7’s spacewalk will help set the stage for building a space laboratory and, later, a space station.
But that’s not all. Many Chinese officials – including Ouyang Ziyuan, the country’s chief scientist for lunar exploration – reckon that now that they can send humans into space, it’s time for them to push on with exploring the moon and eventually perhaps even Mars.
A long-term view
Launching humans into space has ranked high among the dreams China as a nation has aspired to achieve – right up there with hosting an Olympics, building nuclear weapons, and mastering the Yangtze River. And so far, it looks like it’s on track.
