China prepares for next manned space mission

China gave a rare glimpse today of astronauts preparing for its second manned space mission, with state television showing trainees in simulated zero gravity doing somersaults and holding up the national flag.

“The training has been going very smoothly,” said Col. Yang Liwei, who made history on October 15, 2003, as China’s first man in space. “We have had no problems at all.”