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China's astronauts in orbit, prepare for spacewalk

by Sanjay Jha | September 26, 2008 at 02:59 am | 114 views | 4 comments | 14 recommendations

Beijing Time 12:00-12:10 轨道舱影像 Preparatory Space Walk

After successfully putting Astronauts in orbit, Astronauts are now ready to for the space walk. Also on earlier occasions China's astronauts were wearing diapers in abscence of toiltets. The three space tourist are also having a better diet after chefs worked to improve dishes, putting vinegar and sauces on the packing list. China aims to set up a permanent space station, possibly in the next decade, but will first build a smaller orbiting lab.

China's third manned space mission reached its final orbit early on Friday morning, where astronauts preparing for the country's first spacewalk enjoyed spicy food and the convenience of an onboard toilet.

The Shenzhou VII blasted off from a remote desert site on Thursday on a trip designed to showcase China's technological mastery and crown the success of the Beijing Olympics.

The launch, part of a space programme that could eventually lead to a landing on the moon, was watched by millions of Chinese and the event has dominated state media.

The craft is circling at 343 km (213 miles) above the Earth, orbiting every 90 minutes, preparing for what a senior engineer said would be the most challenging part of the mission.

"For the space walk the demands are higher, and the challenge is more difficult," he told state television, standing in front of a bank of computers.

One of the men is expected to make China's first "footprint in space" on Saturday, though the timing could be changed depending on how long it takes them to adjust.

The astronaut will venture outside in a Chinese-designed space suit, named after a flying Buddhist goddess and with a price tag of 30 million yuan ($4.40 million), the official Xinhua agency said.