A Chinese astronaut has embarked on the nation's first space walk in a technological feat that marks the first step towards China's longer-term goal of assembling a space lab and then a larger space station.
Astronaut Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese man to walk in space this morning, clambering out of China's Shenzhou VII space craft.
"I'm feeling quite well. I greet the Chinese people and the people of the world," Zhai said as he climbed out of the craft, his historic achievement carried live on state television.
Zhai, the 41-year-old son of a snack-seller chosen for the first "extra-vehicular activity," unveiled a small Chinese flag, helped by colleague Liu Boming, who also briefly popped his head out of the capsule.
Zhai safely returned inside the craft after about 15 minutes. The walk marked the highpoint of China's third manned space journey, which has received blanket media coverage.
He wore a $4.4 million Chinese-made suit weighing 120-kg. Liu wore a Russian-made one and acted as a back-up.
Zhai, tethered to the ship, slowly made his way towards a test sample of solid lubricant outside the capsule, took a sample and handed it to Liu, the official Xinhua news agency said, without explaining the aim of the test.
The risky space walk is a step towards China's longer-term goal of assembling a space lab and then a larger space station.
The fast-growing Asian power wants to be sure of a say in how space and its potential resources are used.
China's Communist Party leaders are also celebrating the latest space mission, hailing the country's achievements in a year in which Beijing has staged a successful Olympics and coped with a devastating earthquake in Sichuan in May.
A Xinhua commentary praised the mission as adding "an upbeat note to an eventful year" - references to events such as the earthquake.
"It is seen as another source of pride and joy for the people after the Olympics."
But Xinhua also said that China remained far behind the world's two other main space powers, Russia and the United States. "Compared with these countries, China is still a late-comer and is only taking its starting steps," it said.
China's space programme has come a long way since late leader Mao Zedong, founder of Communist China in 1949, lamented that the country could not even launch a potato into space.
China's first manned spaceflight was in 2003. A second, two-manned flight followed in 2005. The only other countries that have sent people into space are Russia and the United States.
Shenzhou VII took off on Thursday and is due to land on the northern steppes of Inner Mongolia tomorrow.
Reuters