Children from a Shanghai primary school cheer after the safe return of the spacecraft.-Xinhua

An elated public celebrated the successful landing early yesterday morning of China's second manned space flight and hours later, an official announced China's next ambition: a possible space walk in 2007.
The re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou VI spacecraft, carrying astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, landed safely at 4:33am yesterday morning, marking the successful end to China's second manned space mission.
The country's top legislator Wu Bangguo declared the five-day mission a "milestone" in China's space technology development and its space experiments with human participation.
"The successful mission of Shenzhou VI is of great significance for elevating China's prestige in the world, promoting China's economic, scientific and national defense capabilities and consolidating the national cohesiveness," he said at the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center.
Hours after the safe landing of Shenzhou VI, Tang Xianming, director of China's Manned Space Engineering Office, said that the country is planning a spacewalk in 2007.
"Our journey in space was very smooth. The living and working conditions inside the cabin were very good. Our health is OK, thanks," a beaming Fei said after emerging from the kettle-shaped capsule.
Nie thanked all Chinese people for their "care and support."
They landed in the grasslands of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The Shenzhou VI spaceflight lasted 115 hours and 32 minutes, more than five times the duration of the Shenzhou V mission two years ago, which put the first Chinese astronaut in space.
In the predawn darkness, Fei and Nie climbed out the capsule with the help of technicians. They were seated for a bouquet of flowers and to get used to Earth's gravity.
They later had several pieces of chocolate and Chinese herbal tea. Nie seemed to have a very good appetite and had a bowl of instant noodles.
The two men were then flown to Beijing, where they received big hugs from their wives, children and colleagues and were greeted with a grand welcome ceremony attended by senior military officers and Yang Liwei, the astronaut who piloted Shenzhou V.
"We can have a final laugh now," said Liu Yu, who was in charge of the spaceship's rocket system. "It was a mission perfectly accomplished."

(Xinhua)