UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday hailed China's second successful manned space mission, saying it's another step forward for the mankind.

"The secretary-general extends his warmest congratulations to the People's Republic of China for the safe and successful completion of its second mission into the space," UN spokesman Stephanie Dujarric told reporters.

"The flight demonstrates yet again the exploration of space knows no national borders and every peaceful mission accomplished is another step forward for all the humankind," the spokesman said.

After a five-day flight in the orbit, China's Shenzhou-6 space capsule landed safely in the country's northern grasslands early Monday. China conducted its first manned space flight in 2003 and is the third country to send a human into orbit on its own, only after Russia and the United States.

Source: Xinhua