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China Space Capsule Returns to Earth

Posted on: Sunday, 16 October 2005, 15:00 CDT

BEIJING - A space capsule carrying two Chinese astronauts landed early Monday after five days in orbit and the men were "in good health," the government announced, as a small army of rescue and medical workers rushed to greet the country's second manned space mission.

The capsule touched down by parachute in the country at 4:32 a.m. local time in the country's northern grasslands, the official Xinhua News Agency and state television reported.

The astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, blasted off Wednesday - their space mission an effort by the communist government to promote an image as an emerging technological power. It came two years after the country's first manned space flight.

"We feel good, our work is going smoothly and our life is happy," Fei was quoted as saying by Xinhua in a brief satellite hookup Sunday evening, before heading back to Earth. "We will do our utmost to fulfill the mission."

Officials set up the primary landing site at Siziwangqi in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and a backup site in Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert of China's northwest, where the capsule was launched Wednesday.

"The mission has accomplished the planned experiments and accumulated valuable technical data and experiences for the development of China's manned space program," Xinhua said Sunday.

China is only the third country to send humans into orbit on its own, after Russia and the United States - a source of tremendous national pride as the communist government tries to cement its status as a rising power and help prepare for a moon landing by 2010 and the eventual creation of a space station. Shenzhou means "divine vessel."

China Central Television said in its evening broadcast that everyone involved in the mission was "excitedly preparing for the return." It showed scientists huddling in groups over computers at Beijing's command center, as well as meteorologists monitoring the weather.

"We're grateful for the deep love and concern by all Chinese people, the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots," Nie said during the satellite hookup.

Six helicopters, 14 special vehicles and more than 200 emergency rescue workers were waiting for the mission's return, Sui Qisheng, chief commander for systems at Siziwangqi, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

Another team of vehicles and rescuers were at Jiuquan, Xinhua said.

CCTV showed footage of helicopters hovering in the air along with convoys of trucks speeding toward the landing sites and medical personnel with a red cross on their armbands running during practice drills.

Shenzhou 6 orbited the Earth dozens of times since blasting off five days ago, logging nearly 2 million miles, Xinhua said.

During China's first manned mission in 2003, astronaut Yang Liwei orbited for 21 1/2 hours before his capsule landed by parachute.

The Beijing News said Nie and Fei would undergo 40 minutes of medical checkups after landing.

"After several days of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so medical staff will put makeup on them to make them look ruddy," the newspaper said.

They will each be taken to the local airport by helicopter before boarding a flight to Beijing, it said.

Both will be in isolation for observation for 14 days after the mission, but family members will be allowed to visit them, the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper said.

Throughout the week, state media have played up the mission, breaking from the usual secrecy of the military-linked program by giving personal and sometimes lighthearted views of the astronauts - known in Chinese as yuhangyuan, or "travelers of the universe."

Newspapers' front pages have shown Fei turning somersaults in zero gravity.

CCTV put together a musical montage of the astronauts' activities on Saturday - taking their blood pressure and reading books - along with photos they had taken of the vessel's solar panels.

The Beijing Youth Daily featured a photo of them transmitting the digital pictures to the command center. Both were wearing puffy blue jumpsuits and appeared to be squeezed in a small space filled with equipment and a tangle of wires.

CCTV said China will begin training women to be engineers on the space shuttle program early next year. They will be drawn mostly from pilots in the country's air force. The network showed women being examined by doctors and working on flight simulator programs on the computer.

On Saturday, President Hu Jintao wished Nie and Fei a "triumphant return" in an exchange shown live on national television.

He added: "The Chinese motherland and the people are proud of you!"

Source: Associated Press/AP Online/By AUDRA ANG

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