<i>China astronauts return after 1st spacewalk </i>
Three Chinese astronauts returned safely to Earth yesterday after making the country's first spacewalk, with a hero's welcome awaiting the men whose exploits captivated the nation.
The descent capsule of the Shenzhou VII mission was seen on state television drifting gently down under a giant red and white parachute to an empty plain in northern China's Inner Mongolia region as cheers erupted at mission control.
Mission commander Zhai Zhigang had etched his name in the history books of this country of 1.3 billion people with a 15-minute walk in space Saturday that set another milestone in China's transformation into a global power.
Zhai was watched on television by countless millions around the globe as China joined the United States and the former Soviet Union as the only nations to complete a spacewalk.
"I feel proud for the nation," Zhai told a television crew that arrived at the touchdown site.
During his spacewalk, Zhai had floated outside the module holding the Chinese flag -- a moment of great drama and symbolism just days before the 50th anniversary of the US space agency Nasa on Wednesday, which is also China's National Day.
In a televised chat Saturday with Zhai live from mission control, President Hu Jintao captured the nationalist fervour of China's feat by praising the 41-year-old commander.
"Your spacewalk was a complete success. It's a major breakthrough in the development of our manned space programme," Hu said. "The motherland and the people thank you."
On Sunday, Premier Wen Jiabao watched from Beijing's Aerospace Control Centre, clapping as the capsule landed, ending its 68-hour mission.
Within minutes, technicians reached the module by car and began helping Zhai and fellow crew members Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng extract themselves.
China was mired in political chaos, poverty and isolation when the Americans and Soviets made the first spacewalks, back in the 1960s heyday of their space race, and Zhai's feat stirred deep emotions among Chinese.
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