China's space mission returns to Earth
The Associated Press, Beijing | Sun, 09/28/2008 5:06 PM
Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth after completing the country's first-ever spacewalk mission.
State broadcaster CCTV showed their Shenzhou 7 spaceship landing under clear skies in the grasslands of China's northern Inner Mongolia region at 5:37 p.m. (0937 GMT). Premier Wen Jiabao applauded at mission control in Beijing.
"The astronauts feel very good," mission commander Zhai Zhigang said as the vessel floated down to Earth under a giant parachute.
The spacewalk paves the way for assembling a space station from two Shenzhou orbital modules, the next major goal of China's manned spaceflight program.
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