Chinese in space

last updated 8 January 2015

Beijing

China is gearing up to become just the third nation to send a human being into orbit, the Los Angeles Times reported this week. It plans to send its first taikonaut, a term derived from the Chinese word for space, up in a rocket perhaps as soon as this month. The launch is expected to provide a huge boost to national pride. The Chinese space program, run by the military, has long been shrouded in secrecy, and little is known about the extent of its technological advancement. Its goals are clear, though, as announced proudly on an official Web site: to build a “Great Wall in the sky” that could defend China through satellite weaponry.