China is to launch its second crewed spaceflight on Wednesday.
The Shenzhou VI mission will leave from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, says the Chinese government news agency, Xinhua. An official from the Jiuquan centre told Agence France-Presse the flight was scheduled for 0900 local time (0100 GMT), although, as with all launches, bad weather or technical hitches could cause delays.
Six "taikonauts" have already arrived at the centre. Two have already been chosen for Wednesday’s five-day mission, reports Xinhua, but their names have not been released. Previous news stories have identified Zhai Zhigang and Nie Haisheng as the leading candidates.
The launch comes nearly two years to the day after Yang Liwei piloted China's first human mission. Yang circled the Earth for nearly a day on 15 October 2003 in the Shenzhou V spacecraft's re-entry capsule.
In this longer flight, the two space-farers will leave the re-entry capsule and spend most of their time in the orbital module at the front of the spacecraft. There, they will be able to remove their spacesuits, eat, sleep and conduct scientific experiments.
Fifty-four hours of the flight will be broadcast live on state television, according to a Hong Kong newspaper. But China is keeping a tight lid on any news of the mission.
Foreign reporters have been barred from the launch site in north-west China, and three Chinese journalists have been removed from the site after using cellphones or other wireless devices, according to reports. If the launch does not succeed, a documentary about failed space missions by other countries will reportedly air on the state network.
The secrecy highlights the importance of the space programme to China's national image. In the future, China hopes to send astronauts on spacewalks and set up a permanent space lab, Wang Yongzhi, chief designer of China's Manned Spaceflight Program, told Xinhua.
"Manned space flight demonstrates a nation's scientific research and economic strength," Wang said. "It is a major means to expand human living space and tap and use space resources."
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