President of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) Carlos Ganem lauded the successful launching of the Shenzhou-7 mission on Thursday, describing the mission as a milestone of space activities.

"The AEB celebrates the successful launching of the spaceship Shenzhou-7, with three crew members aboard, which certainly will be a millstone in space activities," Ganem told Xinhua.

"Brazil, as a partner of China, rejoices over the event and whishes a full success of the mission," Ganem said.

The Shenzhou-7, lunched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launching Center in northwest China, is manned by three Chinese astronauts, two of them will perform Chinese astronauts' first space walk.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2008)