Beijing, Oct 15: China today declared that its maiden launch of a manned spacecraft, Shenzhou V, carrying an astronaut has been "successful" and all systems onboard are working perfectly. The launch of Shenzhou V has been successful as the spacecraft has entered precisely the preset orbit, an official in charge of the country's manned spaceflight programme said, minutes after the blast off which took place at 9 am (0630 hrs IST).
Yang Liwei, 38, became the first Chinese national to enter outer space, and China, the third country to conduct manned spaceflight after the former Soviet Union and the United States. "The spacecraft and the carrier rocket separated at around 9:10 am (0640 hrs IST), and the spacecraft entered its preset orbit precisely," said the official. "The launch is a success," reported the country's official news agency. Bureau Report