EXCLUSIVE: Venezuela joins the space race, and IKN has the photos

Big news! About three hours ago a Chinese rocket launched Venezuela into the bigtime bigboy big nation space race.

Chavez at the launch today; "Holy Crap! Look at that thing go!"

At the presser, Hugo tells all; "...and then it went up....really fast."

Here's Disassociated Press on the big event:

President Hugo Chavez has increasingly turned toward the East for help in technological development, and his latest endeavor — at a cost of some $406 million — will help him spread his revolutionary message across Latin America.

A rocket launched from China's western Sichuan province carried the 5.1-ton satellite into space and it is supposed to reach its final orbit 21,900 miles (36,500 kilometers) above the earth next week.

It will begin carrying radio, television and other data transmissions in early 2009 after three months of tests.

Chavez watched the launch by television with Bolivian President Evo Morales at an observation center just south of Venezuela's capital.

"This is a satellite for freedom," Chavez said in a nationally televised address following the launch.

However, IncaKolaNews has scooped 'em all and managed to get its grubby little hands on a photo of the new Venezuelan space monster, known as 'Chavenger'.

An enormous hat tip to the wonderful Chiguire Bipolar for the image.

UPDATE: Ok ok, that 'Chavenger' picture was my little joke, but IKN has just received exclusive first images of the Venezuela satellite in space, as seen from the NASA spy satellite in close orbit. It seems as though somebody has daubed some graffiti on the satellite, though it is difficult to make out all the message as the sun's reflection is blotting out some of the letters.

NASA scientists are working on understanding the message and we'll update on the decoding process as soon as we get any news from Houston HQ.