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China Launches Manned Space Flight

NPR | By Rob Gifford

Published October 14, 2003 at 11:00 PM CDT

China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, 38, boards the Shenzhou 5 space vehicle at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in the northwestern province of Gansu, Oct. 15, 2003.

China launches its first manned space flight, becoming just the third nation to rocket a man into orbit. The Shenzhou 5 space vehicle blasted off Wednesday from northwest China carrying one astronaut. NPR's Rob Gifford reports.