China spacecraft blasts off

12 October 2005

China, the third nation to send manned spacecraft in to orbit, launched its second manned spacecraft, the Shenzhou-6, this morning from a remote northwestern launch site for a five-day mission. Calling the mission "glorious and sacred", Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met briefly with astronauts Fei Julong and Nie Haisheng this morning. The two astronauts will conduct experiments in orbit, state media reported without elaborating.