SPACE WIRE
China's first astronaut to visit Hong Kong next week
HONG KONG (AFP) Oct 24, 2003
China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, will make a four-day visit to Hong Kong next week, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said Friday.

"The Central Government (in Beijing) has accepted my suggestion to invite Yang and other scientists to visit Hong Kong from October 31," Tung told reporters.

He said that Yang would be meeting with members of the local community, adding that details of his trip would be released later.

The re-entry module and parachute of the Shenzhou V, which completed 14 orbits of the earth before returning to Earth on October 16, will be on display in Hong Kong's Space Museum along with Yang's space suit.

Yang's 21-hour mission made China only the third country to put a man in space after the United States and Russia.

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