By ZAHGN XUEYING

State leaders Hu Jintao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong and Wu Guanzheng offer their warm congratulations after witnessing the Shenzhou VI launch at Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center.

Astronauts in training.

Shenzhou VI lifts off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9 am on October 12, 2005.

People all around the country hail Shenzhou VI’s success.

Nie Haisheng's daughter sings happy birthday to him on October 12.

On October 12, 2005, almost exactly two years after Shenzhou V launched China’s first man into space, Shenzhou VI blasted off taking two more.

China has had its eyes on outer space since the Mao Zedong era. After China’s first successful satellite Dongfanghong I was launched in 1970, a detailed model aircraft kit – Shuguang I, similar to the American GeminiMacs II series -- came on the market. Thirty years later Tang Lanxiang, former member of the Shuguang I design team, recalls that it resembled an hourglass. In 1972, China’s space program was inconsistent. “At that time, China was not powerful enough to support manned capsule research because investment in hydroelectricity and chemical fertilizer plants took precedence,” explained Liu Jisheng, former deputy commander-in-chief of manned space capsule research. The project was consequently halted in 1975.

Seventeen years later, the Chinese space program has recommenced, and the Long March Series is being upgraded to meet the requirements of the Shenzhou spacecraft. Shenzhou VI took two astronauts on a low earth orbit for five days, during which time they underwent a series of experiments intended to advance China's understanding of human spaceflight. The two men changed space suits, conducted scientific experiments, and entered the orbital module to use its toilet facilities, a luxury that Shenzhou V could not provide. The launch has helped simplify the problems of crew access to the re-entry hatch and orbital modules in anticipation of future Shenzhou spacecraft launches. Shenzhou VII has gone into production, according to Shi Jinmiao, deputy chief designer of Shenzhou? spacecraft, and when finished, “…the forthcoming Shenzhou series spacecrafts will undertake experiments involving extra-vehicular activity, space docking and space station construction.”

The successful launch of Shenzhou spacecrafts gives hope to those who dream of flying in gravity-free space. Seventy percent of respondents to a Sina survey said they would love to travel in space, and the Hong Kong Space Tour Ltd. agency, obviously taking them and others at their word has expressed readiness to operate space “tours.” It plans to send its first Chinese tourist into space before 2008.