China plans first spacewalk

China plans to carry out its first spacewalk later this year. An official from the nation's manned space program made the announcement on Thursday. The Shenzhou Seven will take off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu. Chinese astronauts will leave their spacecraft for the first time, and the craft will also release a small satellite. The official said breakthroughs have been made in significant techniques related to the spacewalk. Research into the development of spacecraft and rockets has continued smoothly, and astronauts have gone through extensive training. - xin