Millions captivated by nation's first spacewalk

As astronaut Zhai Zhigang floated out of the Shenzhou VII spacecraft to become the first Chinese person to walk in space on Saturday afternoon, millions of his fellow citizens held their breath while watching the live broadcast.

According to an AGB Nielsen Media Research survey, more than half of Chinese households tuned in to the live telecast of the climax of the manned space mission.

"It was all quiet but thrilling. We witnessed history," said Shanghai computer technician Qu Yin after watching the live broadcast of the spacewalk.