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| Astronauts in space craft. Photo: Reuters. |
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The three astronauts on board China's third manned space craft are preparing for the country's
first spacewalk. The Shenzhou
VII craft blasted off yesterday evening on a trip designed to showcase China's technological mastery and crown the success of the Beijing Olympics. It has now shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit some 343 kilometres above the Earth. Xinhua news agency said the astronauts were in good physical condition, with normal body temperature and blood pressure. Xinhua said they were assembling and testing their spacesuits ahead of the spacewalk, which will probably take place tomorrow afternoon. The mission is part of a space programme that could eventually lead to a landing on the moon. The chief designer of the
space mission, Zhang Bainan,
says China will start making
multiple copies of its next
spacecraft, to serve as a
shuttle between a planned
space station and earth. He
added that the 'mass-produced'
vehicles may also also
transport astronauts and cargo
for other countries. He said
ground tests have already
begun on a Shenzhou VIII
prototype.
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