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Successfully completing a spacewalk solidifies China's status as a space power, and helps the nation move toward its goal of establishing a more permanent presence in space.

"We're probably looking at an effort to do a manned docking [in the future] and eventually a spacelab," said Dean Cheng, China analyst with Alexandria, Va.-based think tank CNA Corp. "This is part of the progression toward that end. And if the Chinese really are intending to put a man on the moon, then this becomes even more essential."

In addition to proving China's ability to maneuver in space, the spacewalk showed that China can produce reliable and safe space equipment. During his space venture, Zhai wore a new Chinese-built spacesuit, dubbed Feitian (Chinese for "fly the sky").