Astronaut spooked by mysterious knocking on his space capsule that no-one can explain
Yang Liwei said the strange noises left him feeling terrified
CHINA'S first ever astronaut has revealed how he heard mysterious knocking on his spaceship during his maiden flight into space.
Astronaut Yang Liwei said the noises - like a "hammer hitting an iron bucket " - left him feeling nervous and worried.
Mr Yang, now a major general in China's Air Force, said it sounded like someone was knocking the body of the spaceship.
The 51-year-old's unexplained experience has raised all kinds of theories - including aliens trying to enter his ship.
He admits he hasn't heard the sound again since returning to Earth.
In 2003, he became the first person sent into space by the Chinese space programme.
He eventually orbited the Earth several times during his historic 21-hour flight.
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He recalled his out-of-this-world experience in a recent interview with .
He said: "A non-causal situation I have met in space is a knock that appeared from time to time.
"It neither came from outside nor inside the spaceship, but sounded like someone is knocking the body of the spaceship just as knocking an iron bucket with a wooden hammer."
Mr Yang revealed he was very nervous when he heard the sounds and moved close to the spaceship's porthole to investigate.
But he could see nothing out of the ordinary.
When he returned to Earth he explained the noises to officials with the space programme and tried to imitate it with instruments.
The sound has also been heard by other Chinese astronauts.
Mr Yang said: "Before entering space I have told them the sound is a normal phenomenon, so there is no need to worry."