The successful launch of China's Shenzhou-9 spaceship on Saturday, along with its first female "taikonaut" Liu Yang, has brought the country some respite from a spate of embarrassing developments on the political front in the shape of the Bo Xilai scandal and blind activist Chen Guangcheng's escape from house arrest.
Shenzhou-9 is expected to dock at the Tiangong space lab at 10.37GMT today, and is part of a three-stage manned space mission plan. China’s space programme which is thriving at a time when older space players such as the United States’ Nasa are facing a cash crunch, shows that the Asian giant is determined to rise to the occasion.
The speed with which it is achieving space flight targets has also been remarked upon by Western observers. That it has done so with minimum publicity is yet another proof of China’s desire to be taken seriously.
Shenzhou-9 is programmed for automated docking, but the three-member taikonaut team is also expected to try the procedure manually by uncoupling the device from the space lab, and then commandeering it back into position from a distance.
China foresees the culmination of these experimental modules in the establishment of a large and permanently manned space station, which would weigh much less than the current 400-tonne international operation maintained by the US, Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan.
Other Chinese forays into space research include two orbiting satellites to the Moon and an upcoming rover headed for the lunar surface.
It is also deploying its own satellite navigation system called BeiDou or Compass.
As the recession sees a cutback on government science spending, private investors have boldly bet on massive space missions. Last month, SpaceX (founded by Internet tycoon Elon Musk), launched the first commercial flight to the International Space Station. Virgin Intergalactic (a project floated by British entrepreneur Richard Branson) is touting tourism in outer space on specially designed aircraft for anyone who has money to sign up.
The elitism and Cold War competition of space exploration have given way to a whole host of alternatives that promise humans an “out of this world” experience.