After joining the ranks of those few nations who have built and launched their own piloted spacecraft, China has once again launched a piloted spaceflight.

China’s two-astronaut Shenzhou 6 mission took flight on Oct. 11, 2005 EDT, almost two years to the day after the country launched its first astronaut into Earth orbit to become the third nation to orbit its own manned spacecraft. An archive of China’s first piloted spaceflight is available here: Making History: China’s First Human Spaceflight.

Below is a SPACE.com archive of stories covering China’s efforts to launch Shenzhou 6, which will mark the nation’s first two-person spaceflight. The stories are presented in reverse chronological order with the most recent updates at the top. This page was last updated on Oct. 21, 2005.

Chinese astronauts Fei Junlong, left, and Nie Haisheng sit beside their Shenzhou 6 reentry capsule after safely landing in the Siziwang Banner County of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous. Monday, Oct. 17, 2005. Credit: AP Photo/Xinhua, Zhao Jianwei. Click to enlarge.

Success with Shenzhou 6

Shenzhou 6 Orbital Module Reaches Higher Orbit
While China this week hailed the successful landing of Shenzhou 6, its second manned spacecraft the mission is far from over.

Chinese Public Lauds Success of Shenzhou 6
BEIJING (AP) – An elated public celebrated the successful landing Monday of China's second manned space flight, a feat that a senior Chinese leader declared a victory for the Communist Party and a boost to the country's status as a space power.

Shenzhou 6 Returns: China’s Second Manned Mission Lands Safely
Two Chinese astronauts are safely back on Earth after their Shenzhou 6 spacecraft successfully touched down on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia Sunday, concluding a five-day mission and China’s second manned spaceflight.

Landing Coverage for China's Shenzhou 6 Spaceflight
Landing updates for China's Shenzhou 6 spaceflight - the country's second manned space mission - which landed safely on Oct. 17 Beijing Time on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.

Two Astronauts in Space

Shenzhou 6 Astronauts Prepare for Landing
China’s Shenzhou 6 spacecraft and its two-astronaut crew prepared Sunday for their return to Earth after a five-day spaceflight, though Chinese space officials said the exact landing site will be decided hours before the planned touchdown.

Chinese President Praises Shenzhou 6 Crew
China’s two astronauts orbiting Earth aboard their Shenzhou 6 spacecraft received a call Saturday from President Hu Jintao, who praised their efforts and wished them a “triumphant return,” according to state media reports.

China launched its second manned spacecraft Shenzhou-6 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province at 9:00 a.m. local time Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005. Credit: AP Photo / Xinhua, Zhao Jianwei. Click to enlarge.

Shenzhou 6 Astronauts Adjust Spacecraft's Orbit
China’s Shenzhou 6 spacecraft fired its thrusters early Friday to boost the vehicle back into its original orbit, Chinese state media reported.

Shenzhou 6 Crew Tests Spacecraft’s Capabilities
The two astronauts aboard China’s Shenzhou 6 spacecraft spent their second day in orbit testing the stability of their vehicle and will guide it through an orbital maneuver Friday, the country’s state media reported Thursday.

Chinese Astronaut Celebrates Birthday in Space
BEIJING (AP) – A Chinese astronaut celebrated his birthday in orbit on Thursday, as the flight of his Shenzhou 6 capsule entered its second day, setting a new record for the length of a Chinese space mission.

Shenzhou 6 Astronauts Rack up a Day of Firsts for China
After one day in space, the two astronauts aboard China’s Shenzhou 6 spacecraft have already racked up a series of firsts for their country’s space program, not the least of which began with leaving their seats.

Shenzhou 6 Away! China Launches Two Astronauts in Second Manned Spaceflight
Two years after making its first foray into the realm of human spaceflight, China has once again launched a manned spacecraft - this time with two astroanuts aboard - into Earth orbit during a successful Tuesday space shot.

China's Space Milestones
Click here to download a list of China's major space milestones leading up to the Oct. 11 EDT flight - though it was Oct. 12 at the launch site - of Shenzhou 6 and its two-astronaut crew.

Special Report: Emerging China, Engaging China
An adAstra special report on China's advances in space exploration and the potential of U.S. cooperation on future projects.

Pushing Toward Launch

Satellite Spots China’s Manned Rocket
BOULDER, Colorado -- A commercial remote sensing spacecraft has caught Chinese space workers readying their second piloted space mission.

China Readies Shenzhou 6 Crew for Wednesday Launch
BEIJING (AP) – China plans to launch its second manned space flight Wednesday, sending two astronauts into orbit for several days to seal the country's status as an emerging space power.

China Prepares for Second Manned Spaceflight
BEIJING (AP) – China plans to launch two astronauts into orbit on its second manned space flight as early as this week, using the occasion to trumpet its ambitions as a global power.

Questions Remain as China Prepares for Shenzhou 6
While some details of China’s second manned spaceflight have emerged, still others remain a mystery as the clock ticks down toward an Oct. 13 launch.

China's First Astronaut Will Not Fly on Shenzhou 6
SHANGHAI, China (AP) – China plans to send its second manned space mission into orbit next month, but the man who made the first trip won't be along.

China's First Astronaut Heads for the Silver Screen
HONG KONG (AP) _ China's first man in space, Yang Liwei, may make his big screen debut in a charity movie produced by filmmaker Tsui Hark, a Hong Kong newspaper reported Wednesday.

China Just Weeks From Second Manned Spaceflight
China is paring down the list of astronauts to fly aboard its second manned spaceflight, a two-person mission set to launch within weeks, state news reports said Wednesday.

China Recovers One Satellite, Launches Another
Chinese airspace was busy Monday as the nation recovered and launched two separate return satellites likely carrying a wide array of experiments, demonstrations, and reconnaissance payloads for the nation's government, military, and research industries.

China Aims at October For Second Manned Space Launch
BEIJING (AP) -- China hopes to launch its second manned space mission in October, two years after its first flight, a state newspaper reported Friday.

Building on Success

U.S. Defense Report: China Working on Anti-Satellite Systems
A recently issued report by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense has cast an eye on China’s growing space capability.

Russia, China Move Forward on Space Cooperation
BEIJING (Interfax-China) - Russia-Chinese space cooperation is rising to a fundamentally new level, Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov told Russian reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.

Special Report: Emerging China, Engaging China
China races to embrace its destiny as a global player to be reckoned with. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the realm of space exploration.

 

In China, Female Astronauts Must Wait
As China prepares for its second manned spaceflight, officials with the country’s space agency say it will be a while before female Chinese astronauts reach orbit.

China’s Next Space Travelers in Training
China is ramping up preparations for that country’s second human spaceflight later this year. According to the Xinhua news agency, 10 astronauts in five pairs are in the run-up to pilot the Shenzhou-6 spaceship.

China Offers Glimpse of Next Space Mission
BEIJING (AP) -- China gave a rare glimpse Wednesday of astronauts preparing for its second manned space mission, with state television showing trainees in simulated zero gravity doing somersaults and holding up the national flag.

China Ramps Up Human Spaceflight Efforts
China’s human spaceflight ambitions are surging forward, ranging from new spacesuits for a planned two-person space shot in 2005 to establishing a commercial space tourism industry in 20 years.

China Showcases Space Program
JIUQUAN, China (AP) -- China, a rising space power, provided a rare look into its top-secret launch center Wednesday, promoting the military-funded project as a lure for foreign investment and a key to the nation's growing prosperity.

China to Send Female Astronaut by 2010
BEIJING (AP) -- China hopes to send its first female astronaut into space by 2010, newspapers reported Monday. She would work as a researcher at a planned Chinese space station, the reports said, adding that the pilots of China's spacecraft will still be men.

China Prepares for Second Piloted Space Mission
China is moving forward on readying its second piloted space mission, targeted for liftoff in June or July of 2005. The Long March 2F booster that is to loft the Shenzhou 6 spaceship is now being built, and is slated to undergo extensive testing early next year.

China to Send Two Taikonauts Next Time
BEIJING (AP) -- Its confidence in space travel rising, China on Wednesday announced plans to send two more astronauts into orbit within the next two years on the country's second manned mission.

Making History: China's First Human Spaceflight
A milestone in human history was reached on Oct. 15, 2003 when China became the third nation to independently launch an astronaut into Earth orbit atop its own Long March 2F rocket. Here is a collection of stories published by SPACE.com covering the flight.