Chinese astronauts in final spacewalk countdown

JIUQUAN, China (AP) — Astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou 7 spacecraft were making final preparations for the country's first ever spacewalk planned for Saturday afternoon.

Space suits, one Chinese, the other Russian-made, were fully functional, while all three astronauts aboard the capsule were in good health, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The 20-minute spacewalk is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. (0830 GMT), although the exact timing depends on the readiness of equipment and personnel. The event is to be broadcast live on television.

Performing a successful spacewalk is a key step in mastering techniques for linking two orbiters, technology that will be needed when China moves to create its first space station in the next few years. Risks involve pressurizing and depressurizing the orbital module and ensuring power, life support and other vital systems aboard the spacesuit operate as intended.

Two astronauts will don suits for the spacewalk, although only one will actually leave the orbiter. They will be supported by Russian experts throughout the mission, although officials haven't said in what capacity.

The astronaut leaving the orbiter, reported to mission commander Zhai Zhigang, will retrieve scientific experiments placed outside, described by the Xinhua as samples of solid lubricant. The ship will then release an 88-pound (40-kilogram) satellite that will circle the orbiter and send back images to mission command.

Another astronaut, Liu Boming, will assist Zhai from inside the orbiter, while Jing Haipeng will remain inside the re-entry module to monitor spacecraft operations. All three men are 42-year-old fighter pilots with more than 1,000 hours of flying time each.

Since blasting off from their northwestern China launch base on Friday, the astronauts have been largely occupied with preparing the suits and adapting to zero gravity. Meals aboard the craft have followed a typical Chinese menu, featuring versions of kung pao chicken, shrimp and dried fruit, Xinhua said.

On Friday, the three-module capsule shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 213 miles (343 kilometers) above Earth, meaning it is circling Earth at a constant distance.

The change ensures Earth's gravitational pull will not vary during the spacewalk attempt, and will allow for smooth operation of the ship's instruments, the agency said.

A round orbit will also help Shenzhou make a precise landing on the Inner Mongolian Steppe on Sunday after its re-entry vehicle bursts through Earth's atmosphere, Xinhua said.

Thursday's launch of China's third manned mission in five years continued to dominate state media reports, shoving aside coverage of China's continuing scandal involving contaminated milk, which has killed four babies and sickened more than 54,000.

China's government portrays the manned space program as an illustration of how communist rule has consistently elevated China's economic growth, technological might and global influence.