 Shenzhou V Launches
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Oct. 15, 2003 — Passers-by stopped in their tracks, commuters brought their bicycles to a halt and those on lunch breaks postponed meals as the people of China learning of their country's first manned space flight glued their eyes to television screens.
Few knew the launch would happen Wednesday morning as China's state-controlled media had downplayed coverage prior to the 9 a.m. liftoff.
But soon after the official China Central Television began a delayed broadcast of the launch from northern Inner Mongolia with the 38-year-old astronaut Yang Liwei on board, small crowds began gathering near giant television screens outside shopping malls.
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People watching the launch expressed pride in China and many immediately equated sending a man into space with the country being more powerful, both technologically and economically.
"We couldn't have done this if our country's economy wasn't strong," said Zhou Shenlin, a store owner. "Now I feel the gap between our country and other countries is narrowing. In the past we were looked down upon by foreigners."
Despite decades of peace, many still recall historical periods when China was controlled by foreign countries, and they said developing space technology would prevent that from happening again.
"If we fall behind others in space, we will be pinned down. Wars will be fought in space in the future, not on the ground. If we don't gain space technology, other countries can see everything we do from above, but we would not be able to see what they're doing," Zhang Guoguang said.
Sending a man into space was necessary despite the enormous costs, he and others said, although some watching the launch admitted they had never heard of Shenzhou V.
Analysts have said the government wanted to keep the public in the dark until after a successful launch so as not to risk public disappointment if it failed.
Reflecting on the low-key approach, Zhang said teachers at his 14-year-old son's school did not tell students about the event.
"I'm going to tell my kid to watch television tonight. He should learn about this. In my generation, we didn't even have a chance to study science because of the Cultural Revolution," Zhang said, referring to the chaotic and violent 10-year period from 1966-1976.
Some people have criticized the space program as being an unnecessary move by the government to seek prestige, saying the money should be spent creating jobs and helping impoverished farmers.
And those too poor or overworked did not take notice of the event Wednesday that made China only the third country in the world to send a person into orbit.
"We don't have time to watch the news," said bicycle parking attendant Li Zhenjun. "We work 15 hours a day. It won't have any impact on us."
China's first manned space craft, the Shenzhou V, is expected to land at 7 a.m. Thursday (23:00 GMT Wednesday) after orbiting the Earth 14 times, state media reported.
Liwei, China's first man in space, is scheduled to touch down somewhere in Inner Mongolia after covering 310,000 miles, the Xinhua news agency said.
He can add his more than 21 hours spent in space to the 1,350 hours of flight experience he has clocked up as a fighter pilot, according to the agency.
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