After a landmark 21-hour and 23-minute expedition that took him
around the world 14 times,
China's first
astronaut Yang Liwei returned to the earth yesterday morning.
By doing so, he fulfilled his mission and realized a
centuries-old dream cherished by all of China.
"Yang, confirmed to be in very good condition, walked out of the
cabin by himself," said Li Jinai, chief commander of Shenzhou V
Project, at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. "At the same
time, Shenzhou V, China's self-made spacecraft, returned smoothly
without any damage to the re-entry module."
The Shenzhou V manned spacecraft touched down almost precisely
at the primary landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia at 6:23
am, Li said.
Carrying the 38-year old astronaut Yang, also a lieutenant
colonel, the Shenzhou V lifted off on Wednesday at 9 am at Gansu
Province's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
As the 241st human being to visit outer space, Yang traveled in
the orbit more than 600,000 kilometers, researchers at the control
centre said. They were in charge of the telemetry, tracking and
control of the craft.
In Inner Mongolia, more than 600 people gathered at the landing
site, including local residents, space mission workers, police
officers and journalists, Xinhua reported.
Joyous onlookers carried Yang in a chair to a medical vehicle 10
meters away to receive a medical checkup. Three minutes later he
got out of the cabin and was presented flowers and ribbons of
congratulation in the golden sunlight. Yang smiled and waved to his
colleagues and the public.
Recovery personnel indicated Yang's condition was good, and he
suffered no ill effects from 21 hours in space.
"The spacecraft operates well. I feel very good and I am proud
of my motherland," the cool and calm astronaut said before boarding
a plane and heading to Beijing.
Two hours later, Yang reached the control center.
Thousands of people, some of them center staff, began cheering
and dancing along the two sides of the road as Yang's special bus
passed.
Sitting beside a window, Yang waved to the cheering throng as it
ran after the bus, yelling happily.
Yang received further medical exams in Beijing.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said yesterday the
flight was "of great significance in history. The success was
exciting not only for all Chinese, but for people around the
world."
Zhang said the Shenzhou V carried the flags of the United
Nations and China, showing China's willingness to closely cooperate
with the United Nations and to cooperate with other nations in the
peaceful utilization of space."
She said China is grateful for the congratulations of leaders of
other countries.
(China Daily October 17, 2003)
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