Long March to Space

China's third manned spacecraft blasts off on a mission which is expected to include its first space walk.

Live on Chinese State Television, a Chinese countdown, and the Long March Rocket carrying a Shenzhou 7 spacecraft with 3 astronauts launches form a remote site in northwest China. The astronauts plan/ to make a space walk which will be a first for China, one of only three countries to put humans into space.

The ability to do what also I called extra-vehicular activity is essential for China’s long-term goal for assembling an orbiting station in the next decade/ and possibly making a visit to the Moon.

Chinese media has given the mission a fanfare of coverage, from astronaut-training to new ways to serve food in a spacecraft. Like other space-faring nations, China is aware of the military advantages of a foothold in space.

Beijing space program has raised tackles in Tokyo and beyond, although officials are quick to stress that the program is for purely peaceful purposes. China has a fleet of ships and helicopters ready to meet the vehicle when it returns to earth after its 3-day-mission.

Benet Allen, Reuters.