China launches animals into space

How long before China's first manned flight?

By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse

China has launched a second Shenzhou capsule into orbit in what is the latest test of its technology before a manned flight into space is attempted.

I hope you will work persistently and unremittingly to achieve even greater victory

Jiang Zemin

When that human flight finally occurs, probably in about 18 months, it will make China the third nation capable of manned space travel after the United States and Russia.

On Wednesday, a Long March rocket blasted off from the Gobi desert launch centre at 0100 local time and placed the Shenzhou II spacecraft into orbit 10 minutes later.

The first capsule was put on display after its return

State media said that the capsule was carrying "lifeforms" into space, although they did not say what these animals were. All that is known is that they are not human. The media added that the Shenzhou capsule would return "in a few days" after carrying out experiments.

'Sacred vessel'

"An important step in realising manned spaceflight," the People's Daily said in a headline, below a picture of the Long March 2-F rocket blasting off from the Jiuquan launch centre.

President Jiang Zemin sent a congratulatory telegram to space workers. "I hope you will work persistently and unremittingly to achieve even greater victory," he said.

Analysts predict that a successful mission could mean China is able to put astronauts into space in 18 to 24 months.

"China will test several unmanned spacecraft, and when its manned spaceflight technology is mature it will launch people into space," the English-language China Daily said.

Chinese TV shows how Shenzhou separates from its booster

Wednesday's flight was the second unmanned test of the Shenzhou series of spacecraft. In the first test, in November 1999, a Shenzhou, or "sacred vessel", orbited the Earth for 21 hours before landing on the steppes of China's inner Mongolia region.

Unlike the first flight, which was disclosed only after the craft safely touched down, China announced the second mission on launching and provided more information about the craft and rocket.

The Xinhua agency said the second Shenzhou capsule was an improvement over its predecessor, its structure and technology "basically identical to a manned space aircraft".

China Daily said that early information indicated the rocket and spacecraft "performed well."

Chinese TV illustration of the Shenzhou ll module in orbit