China's unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou VIII blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gobi desert area at 5:58 a.m. Beijing Time on November 1st, 2011.

　　The word "Shenzhou" in Chinese means "Magic Vessel". The successful launch of several Shenzhou spacecraft constituted part of China's ambitious manned mission project. Now let's take a look at the Shenzhou spacecraft's pilgrimage to Heaven.

　　Background

　　Shenzhou 7 was the third human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program. The mission, which included the first Chinese extra-vehicular activity (EVA) carried out by crew members Zhai Zhigang and Liu Boming, marked the commencement of the second phase of the Chinese government's Project 921.

　　The Shenzhou spacecraft carrying the three crew members was launched 25 September 2008, by a Long March 2F (CZ-2F) rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 21:10 CST.The mission lasted three days, after which the craft landed safely in Siziwang Banner in central Inner Mongolia on 28 September 2008, at 17:37 CST. The Shenzhou 7 EVA made the Chinese space program the third to have conducted an EVA. EVAs had previously been conducted by the space programs of the Soviet Union (later Russia) and the United States.