China honors Shenzhou 7 mission heroes

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Shenzhou 7 blasted off on a Long March 2-F carrier rocket in northwestern China carrying the entire crew and nation's dreams.

China's space heroes from the Shenzhou 7 mission have been  honored at a summary meeting held at the Great Hall of the  People.

The space-walk dream was fulfilled when Zhai Zhigang finally stepped out of the capsule at 4:43 p.m. Beijing time on September 27th.

Recalling the historic moment, Zhai was a bit emotional.

Shenzhou 7 Mission astronaut Zhai Zhigang said, "When I stepped out of the capsule, I was amazed by the scenery of the vast space and azure earth. I knew that the step forward I made was a big step forward for the entire Chinese nation because it was the first time that a Chinese national left his footprint in space."

While sharing the rousing moment, the chief director of the mission, Chang Wanquan, said China's space program still has a long way to go.

Chang Wanquan, chief director of Shenzhou 7 Mission, said, "We understand that manned space missions require constant innovation and progress. We still need to continuing working hard to catch up to the pace and development of some countries which already have rich experiences in this field. There is still a long way ahead of us."