Shenzhou 5 Returns Safely to Earth
China?s first astronaut, Yang Liwei, emerged triumphantly from his Shenzhou 5 capsule yesterday after spending nearly 21 hours in space. The spacecraft landed in Inner Mongolia at 2223 GMT Wednesday (6:23 pm EDT); only a few kilometers from its intended landing spot. Liwei exited the vehicle within 30 minutes of landing and was perfectly healthy. Details about China?s future spaceflight plans are starting to emerge and could include another Shenzhou flight within a year or two. They?re also working on ideas for a space station and will probably send an unmanned probe to the Moon within a few years.
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