Chinese astronauts comfortable in orbit

BEIJING, Wednesday (Xinhua) - The pair of Chinese astronauts in orbit about 350 km above the Earth said they were "feeling well" and everything is normal.

A senior official has just declared the success of China's second manned space mission successful. "Normal" is the most used term during the half hour since the launch Wednesday morning in the dialogue between the control centers in Beijing and remote Gobi Desert Jiuquan and the spacemen in space. They reported to the doctor on the ground that they are well and physical conditions are good.

They were even comfortably flipping and reading flight books, proving that they felt at ease and more comfortable than Yang Liwei, the first Chinese into space who said he felt strong tremor about 120 seconds after liftoff.

Yang, now a national hero, is also among the audience in the Jiuquan launch center together with top Chinese leaders including Premier Wen Jiabao. Colonel Fei Junlong and Colonel Nie Haisheng, in their much spacious cabin than Shenzhou-5, uncovered their spacesuits' face shield, waving hands to people on the ground and, probably, millions of Chinese who are sitting before TV sets for this historic moment.

Meanwhile Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao hailed the successful launch of China's second manned spacecraft Shenzhou-6, reiterating China's policy for peaceful use of space.

In a brief a speech at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, Wen said that China develops space technology purely for peaceful purposes and China is willing to cooperate with other nations in the development of space science and technology.

The premier said the achievement in the launch of Shenzhou-6 will be recorded in the country's glorious history.

In his speech, Wen offered cordial congratulation and warm comfort on behalf of the Communist Party Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, to all the scientists, civilian workers and servicemen, "in an exciting moment when the launch of the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-6 which has been long-awaited and attractive to the whole world."