Following a very successful Olympic Games in Beijing, China is poised to remain in the international spotlight this week as the Middle Country launches its third human spaceflight, Shenzhou 7, on 25 September from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest province of Gansu. The Shenzhou capsule will be launched by a Long March 2F rocket, and will stay in orbit for approximately 3 days. The mission will feature China's first three-person crew, as well as its first spacewalk. The crew was announced recently to include Zhai Zhigang (BR), Liu Boming (BC) and Jing Haipeng (BL), all 42 years of age. Zhigang, a Chinese Air Force fighter pilot, is slated to conduct the spacewalk, which will include a deployed small satellite to broadcast images live to Earth via a CCD camera. The crew will have 2 different spacesuits with them – one made in Russia and one made in China based on the Russia suits. The mission is a critical step toward realizing the goals of China's space program, which include building its own space station and sending explorers to the surface of the Moon. If all goes well on Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 8, 9 and 10 will follow in the next couple of years to conduct China's first spacecraft docking and lay the foundation for an orbital space laboratory complex. China's first human spaceflight, Shenzhou 5, sent Yang Liwei into orbit on 15 Oct 2003. It was followed by Shenzhou 6 on 12 Oct 2005 with a 2-person crew: Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng. China is also training its next generation of yuhangyuan, or astronauts. A new class of 14 yuhangyuan has already begun training to replenish the current corps of 14. (Credit: CNSA)