liwei

A still grab from TV showing the launch of the ShenZhou V rocket!!

The Shenzhou V capsule is being monitored in space via 5 ships which are spread all over the world. Besides the ship there are two international monitoring stations, one is in Pakistan while the other is in Namibia in Africa.

The ShenZhou V lifts off with its human cargo of Lt. Col. Yang Liwei. The returning capsule will bring Yang Liwei back to earth early on 16th October 2003. The re-entry is due to take place over Pakistan and the capsule will land west of Beijing.

The ShenZhou IV seen here being launched from the Jiuquan desert base in the Gobi desert.

The ShenZhou V sits on its launch pad one day prior to carrying the first Chinese into orbit.

In this picture from the Xinhua news agency, first Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei waves before boarding China's first manned spacecraft Shenzhou 5 at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003. China launched its first manned space mission on...

The ShenZhou (number unknown) rocket sits on its launchpad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.