First Chinese to enter space by 2003

China is just months away from putting a man in space, leaving India miles back. Dr Guo Baozhu, vice administrator of the China National Space Administration, Beijing, announced at the Space Summit in Bangalore today that a man would be hauled into space using a Chinese launcher and a domestic reusable capsule before the sun sets on 2003. The only two nations to have put humans in space are Russia (1961) and USA (1962).

While India prides itself on its Geo Stationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV), which can put a 2-tonne satellite in space, China already has the Long March 4 launch vehicle. It can lift up to 5.1 tonnes to the geo stationary orbit. While ISRO is still working on its second launch pad at Sriharikota, China has three functional pads.

India appears to be ahead of China only in its lunar mission. While Delhi is expected to reach the moon by 2007 — at a cost of Rs 500 crore — Beijing is more than a decade away from such a venture.

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On its latest mission, China launched the Long March 2F rocket on Dec 30 last year. This was the fourth successful unmanned launch of Shenzou 4 capsule that can carry two humans into space.

Xu Yansong, an official at the China National Space Administration, said 12 astronauts are waiting to undertake what he called ‘a mission full of national pride’. The Chinese manned mission has been in making for the last ten years.