A spacecraft named Shenzhou 1 blasted into space from a satellite launching pad in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, at 6:30 a.m. on November 20, aboard a new type of Long March rocket.

This is the first test flight of China's manned space program. It returned to Earth safely in Inner Mongolia at 3:41 the next morning.

Feautes of Shenzhou 1

The Shenzhou 1 was a prototype of a manned spacecraft on which, for the first time, China applied the new technologies of vertical assembly building and tests of the combined body of a spacecraft and booster rockets, vertical transportation of the combined body to launching site, and long-distance monitoring and control of the launching.

Based on its existing Telemetry Tracking and Command (TT&C) network, China established a new TT&C network consisting of TT&C ground stations and ships, which was up to international standards. It was also put into use for the first time during the Shenzhou 1 launch.

After the Shenzhou 1 entered space, TT&C ground stations and four Yuanwang tracking ships stationed on high seas around the world tracked the spacecraft mission, while making a series of scientific tests.