China aiming for first spacewalk in next 2 years

The Chinese state media has reported that their space agency is aiming at the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut by the year 2008. This would be the country’s third manned space mission and it would just be one of the many steps they would be taking before aiming to establish a space station.

Officials from the China Manned Space Flight Engineering Office have said that the company is targeting to achieve this feat through their Shenzhou-7 space mission. It would be launched in 2008 with the goal of undertaking the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut.

Director of the office, Wang Zhougui also talked about their three steps to develop China’s space programme. He said that the Shenzhou-7 mission would carry astronauts for a space walk in 2008. It would be followed by the space flight’s foray into space with the more significant mission of a space dock. In the later stages, the country would establish her own space station.

Wang said in a statement: “The space walking astronauts will walk in the self-made space suit and do some space experiments. Our initial plans are to have one or two astronauts walk in space for about half an hour. We will be able to carry out space aid, space cooperation, and other high-level space missions once we succeed in space docks.”

This would make China the third such country to have a presence in the Space after Russia and USA.