China sends 2 air force pilots into space

China launched its second manned space mission Wednesday, sending two air force pilots into orbit on what is expected to be a five-day mission.

Premier Wen Jiabao travelled to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China to see Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng off on their voyage.

"The taikonauts [astronauts] will accomplish the glorious and sacred mission," the Chinese premier said.

The liftoff was shown live on Chinese television. If all goes well, Fei and Nie will land in the Inner Mongolian grasslands 119 hours after their mission began.

"I feel good," Fei said in his first transmission from the craft.

The Shenzhou 6 spacecraft's operating system is based on Soyuz technology from the former Soviet Union. Shenzhou means "Divine Vessel."

China's first manned space mission took place only two years ago, when astronaut Yang Liwei was launched into space for 21 hours.

Before that, only the United States and the former Soviet Union had launched spacecraft carrying humans.

On Tuesday, Chinese government officials repeated their opposition to the weaponization of space.

"We do not wish to see any form of weapons in outer space, so we reaffirm that our space flight program is an important element of mankind's peaceful utilization of outer space," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said at a news conference.

A source of government pride since it was established in 1992, China's space program employs tens of thousands of people. The increased publicity surrounding Wednesday's launch is seen as a symbol of China's emergence as a world power.