China's astronauts to rely on TCM herbs.

Astronauts of Shenzhou VII :- Jing Haipeng, Zhai Zhigang (the first Chinese to walk in outer space,for 45 minutes spacewalk), and Liu Boming,42-years-old, will rely on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to counter motion sickness during their space flight.

The medicine in capsule form is called "Taikong Yangxin" (space heart-nourishing).

It can be diluted with water and taken to treat motion sickness.

It is made of more than 10 types of Chinese herbs, and has proven to be effective in improving the astronauts' cardiovascular condition. The medicine have been specially developed for the mission. They have passed pathological and clinical tests and have been approved by the government's supervising authorities.

Compared with Western medicine, the traditional Chinese medicine has less side effects, and can help astronauts recover from stress and fatigue.

The TCM will boost their physical conditions and improve their adaptability in an extreme environment. The medications will be mass produced for market sales in future, said Li Yongzhi, director of the medical department at the China Astronaut Research Training Center.

(Count down to take off) 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0! Blast off!!!
What does i take to become a 'Commander Zero'?
"A technical mature mind, a healthy body and a big heart." replied Guo Zhonglai,42, who has been 17 years with the Jiuquan Launch Center and has done the countdown for the launch of satellites .

Another chilling evening, THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2008, Jiuquan, northwestern Gansu at the launch pad on the outskirts of China's second largest desert, Jiquan Satellite Launch, a small town with a population of 30,000 , witnessed the awe-inspiring lift off as China applaud launch of Shenzhou VII's epoch journey, broke through the clouds to thunderous applause - blast off.

With the announcement of the space ship's entry into Earth orbit, serenity was once more restored.

After years of preparation and much efforts from a countless number of people, the ground-job was finally done.

For the space walker (Zhai Zhigang) and his two assistants , though, the mission had just begun.
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History: In OCTOBER 2003, China became the third country to send a man (Yang Liwei, born 1965) into space.