Shenzhou 4, launched December 29, 2002, was the fourth unmanned mission of China's Shenzhou program. The following October, they would launch their first astronaut into space.
Shenzhou 4 was a continuation of experiments to prepare for sending a man into space. It carried two dummy astronauts, with a sleeping bag, food and medication. The windows were constructed of a new material that would stay clear even after re-entry, so astronauts could see if the parachutes had deployed properly. It carried 100 peony seeds to see how weightlessness would affect plants grown from them.
Shenzhou 4's re-entry module returned to Earth January 5, 2003. The orbital module remained in orbit until September 2003.
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