Posted: Thu, Oct 16, 2003, 9:54 AM ET (1354 GMT)
The Shenzhou 5 spacecraft successfully landed in China late Wednesday, safely returning to Earth its single passenger. The Shenzhou 5 descent capsule landed in Inner Mongolia at 6:23 pm EDT Wednesday (2223 GMT Wednesday, 6:23 am Beijing time Thursday), landing within a few kilometers of its designated site. The spacecraft’s passenger, Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei, left the capsule within a half-hour of landing and was reported to be in good shape. The Shenzhou 5 orbital module remained in orbit after the descent module separated and reentered; the orbital module will remain in space for up to six months, as was the case with previous unmanned Shenzhou missions. Chinese officials said they will conduct the next manned Shenzhou mission, Shenzhou 6, within the next year or two, but offered no additional details.

Related Links:

•  Washington Post article
•  AFP article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  New York Times article
•  AP article