China counts down to Thursday space launch

Reuters ^ | September 24, 2008 | Royston Chan

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JIUQUAN, China (Reuters) - China will send its third manned mission into space on Thursday evening on a mission which will include its first space walk, the government said on Wednesday.

The Shenzhou VII will lift off from the Jiuquan space centre in a remote desert area of the north-western province of Gansu between 9:07 p.m. (2:07 p.m. British time) and 10:27 p.m. (3:27 p.m. British time), mission spokesman Wang Zhaoyao told a news conference.

Fuelling of the rocket has already begun, meaning the launch is "irreversible," the official Xinhua news agency said.

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Commies in Space

China's first extraterrestrial Communist Party branch

According to Yang Liwei, the crew members may convene an extraterrestrial orbital Communist Party of China (CPC) branch. A remote locality with three or more Chinese Communist Party (CPC) members, such as a Shenzhou capsule with a full complement aboard, may conduct the business of a CPC branch.

[massgopguy]

When the first Taikonaut took off, the MSM focused on Rush Limbaugh’s pill problem. This is the Sputnik of our time folks.

[Moonman62]

Fuelling of the rocket has already begun, meaning the launch is "irreversible,"

I think they cut a few corners in their system.

[evets]

san, er, yi... riftoff!

[MarineBrat]

Fuelling of the rocket has already begun, meaning the launch is "irreversible," the official Xinhua news agency said.

Is this a bad translation? Irreversible? :) Is there no drain plug on this rocket?

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

"Spam in a can"

C. Yeager