China's astronauts prepare for spacewalk
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's third manned space mission reached its final orbit early on Friday morning, where astronauts preparing for the country's first spacewalk enjoyed spicy food and the relative luxury of an onboard toilet.
The Shenzhou VII blasted off from a remote desert site on Thursday on a trip designed to showcase China's technological mastery and crown the success of the Beijing Olympics.
The live launch was watched by millions of Chinese and the mission has dominated state television and domestic newspapers.
The craft is now circulating about 350 kms (about 220 miles) above the earth, a senior engineer at the launch base told state television, but the most challenging part of the mission lay still ahead.
"For the space walk the demands are higher, and the challenge is more difficult," he said in front of bank of computers.
One of the men is expected to make China's first "footprint in space" on Saturday, though this could be changed depending on how long it takes them to adjust.
The chosen astronaut will venture outside the craft in a Chinese-designed space suit, named after a flying Buddhist goddess and with a price tag of 30 million yuan ($4.40 million), the official Xinhua agency said.
As they ready for the space walk the trio are testing the country's first ever space toilet. Astronauts aboard China's previous two manned missions had to wear diapers, Xinhua said.
They are also enjoying a better menu after chefs worked to improve dishes put vinegar and sauces on the packing list.
However some products are still off the menu.
"As the astronauts will stay in an environment with low pressure, they should not eat foods that produce gas after being digested, such as milk and soy bean," Xinhua quoted a Chen Bin, the mission food manager, saying.
(Reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by David Fox)
