"Our warmest congratulations to the Peoples Republic of China on this outstanding achievement" ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Paris-based ESA.

"China becomes the third country to send human beings into space, demonstrating the reliability of its aerospace technology. This mission could open up a new era of wider cooperation in the worlds space community," he said.

Cooperation between ESA and China has a 23-year-old history, dating back to an agreement in 1980 for sharing scientific information, he said.

Cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Science in connection with ESAs Earth-mapping Cluster satellites was established in 1993, and another cooperation agreement linking ESA and China in the "Double Star" project was inked in 2001.

Double Star, which will study the effects of the Sun on the Earth's environment, comprises two satellites to be launched by Chinese Long March 2C rockets in December 2003 and spring 2004.

Ten of the instruments will be provided by ESA and eight by China.

China and ESA have also held early talks for a Chinese role in Galileo, Europe's planned satellite navigation system that will be a rival to the US Global Positioning System.

And a five-year agreement on peaceful cooperation in space is also close to completion, ESA said.

It will cover space science, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, meteorology, telecommunications and satellite navigation, microgravity research for biology and medicine, and human resource development and training.

SPACE.WIRE