China Launches First Manned Space Mission
 

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GOBI DESERT, China - China launched its first manned space mission on Wednesday, becoming the third country in history to send a person into orbit _ four decades after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

Is that a fact? :)

China was the very first nation to attempt space flight:

"China invented gunpowder and legend has it that a Ming dynasty (1368-1644) official named Wan Hu attempted the world's first space launch. He strapped himself to a chair with kites in each hand as 47 servants lit 47 gunpowder-packed bamboo tubes tied to the seat.

When the smoke had cleared, Wan was apparently found to have been obliterated. But the dream was not."

No shit.