Congratulations to China for it's first ever space walk... (with video link)

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While we've had our attention to matters here at home, the Chinese have launched their third space mission and just a few hours ago performed their first space walk. Climbing out of the Shenzhou-7 space ship, Taikonaut Zhai Zhigang became the first person to perform an EVA for China. Proudly waving the flag of the People's Republic of China, Zhai asked that his fellow countrymen have faith in him completing his mission.

Taikonaut Zhai Zhigang completed a spacewalk Saturday afternoon, marking a historic breakthrough in the country's ambitious space program, which will eventually lead to the establishment of a permanent space station.

Donning a 4-million-U.S.dollar homemade Feitian space suit, Zhai slipped out of the orbital module of Shenzhou-7 in a head-out-first position at around 4:43 p.m. (0843 GMT).

He waved to the camera mounted on the service module after pulling himself out of the capsule, video monitors at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) showed.

"Shenzhou-7 is now outside the spacecraft. I feel well. I am here greeting the Chinese people and people of the whole world," the taikonaut reported to the ground control in Beijing.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/27/content_10121998.htm">MORE >>

Here's more on this historic event:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/27/content_10123068.htm (Includes video of the entire spacewalk)

http://www.chinaview.cn/shenzhou7/