Successful End To Nation's Second Manned Spaceflight
The reentry module of Shenzhou VI carrying two Chinese
taikonauts landed successfully early Monday morning in the
grasslands of Northern China, successfully wrapping up a five-day,
70-plus-orbit trip into space.
Chinese citizens awaiting word of the landing watched a live
feed of technicians at Beijing's mission control center -- as well
as Chinese leaders -- monitoring the reentry and landing on their
computer monitors, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
State television did not immediately show scenes of the landing
itself.
Taikonauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng were said to be in "good
health," following their flight, and were taken by helicopter to a
nearby airport for a flight back to Beijing. According to media
reports, the two men will remain in isolation for 14 days to
undergo medical checkups, but family members will be allowed to
visit them.
Fei and Nie are expected to make a public appearance soon --
though according to the newspaper Beijing News some minor
arrangements might need to be made beforehand. "After several days
of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so
medical staff will put makeup on them to make them look ruddy," the
newspaper said.
Such declarations are a sign of China's continued relaxation of
the secrecy such an event may have received not too long ago. In
2003, China's first manned orbital spaceflight received similar
national attention, with citizens glued to their televisions
awaiting the latest news of astronaut Yang Liwei during his
21.5-hour orbital flight aboard Shenzhou V.
Chinese citizens followed Shenzhou VI's progress around the
clock, beginning with Wednesday's launch of the capsule. Both
taikonauts made several statements from orbit during their flight,
including a message broadcast Saturday thanking all Chinese
citizens for their support of the flight.
Sometimes, the coverage also took a more lighthearted approach,
drawing comparisons to NASA's occasionally relaxed conversations
with, and presentations featuring, astronauts in orbit. On
Saturday, for example, Chinese television showed footage of Fei
turning somersaults in zero-gravity.
State television also put together a musical montage of the
astronauts' activities -- such as taking their blood pressure,
conducting experiments and reading books -- along with photos they
had taken of the vessel's solar panels.
The orbital sectional of the Shenzhou VI capsule, the crew's
living quarters during their five days in orbit, remained in space
and is expected to continue operating for up to six months,
according to Xinhua. In the future, such capsules may be used as
"building blocks" for a Chinese space station, functioning as
additional service modules for the larger structure.
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