(CN) Snails lead mainland menagerie into space

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South China Morning Post - Thursday, January 18, 2001

http://china.scmp.com/

REUTERS

 

The ''Shenzhou II'' spacecraft carried a monkey, a dog, a rabbit and snails into

space earlier this month as Beijing prepared for a manned flight in the next

five years, an industry source said on Thursday.

The flying menagerie returned to earth alive on Tuesday from the seven-day

mission after making 108 orbits as the unsung heroes of China's space programme,

the source said.

 

State media have said only that ''various life forms'' including animals,

plants, aquatic creatures, microbes and cells made the journey, but gave no

details.

 

An official from the Jiuquan launch centre in northwest China laughed when asked

to confirm the news, saying it was a state secret. Officials from the Beijing

Space Control Centre, which operates under the military, could not be reached

for comment.

 

Mainland leaders are eager for the pride and prestige that would come if China

joined the United States and former Soviet Union as the only countries to put a

person into space.

 

An official at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology has said China

would follow the experience of other space powers with regard to sending animals

into orbit.

 

The United States sent a chimpanzee into space and the Soviet Union put a dog

into orbit before men.

 

The People's Daily said on Thursday that part of the ''Shenzhou II'' remained

aloft conducting scientific experiments after the successful return to earth of

the descent vehicle,

 

Following separation, the systems of the ''orbital cabin'' were functioning

normally and it would stay aloft for several months, the newspaper said.

 

The orbital portion would monitor conditions and the environment in space, it

said.

 

Last month, state media said China aimed to put an astronaut into space within

five years, setting an official timetable for the first time.

 

In 1999, China announced a four-step manned spaceflight plan, with the aim of

establishing a space station served by shuttle-style vehicles.

 

''The successful launching and recovery of Shenzhou II indicates China's manned

spaceflight technology is advancing and has laid a solid foundation for the

country to eventually conduct manned space flights,'' state media said this

week.