National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

China holds see-off ceremony for taikonauts

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-25 19:31

JIUQUAN, Gansu -- The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center held a ceremony Thurday afternoon for the three taikonauts due to board the Shenzhou-VII spacecraft before the startof the mission.

Chinese taikonauts (R-L) Liu Boming, Zhai Zhigang and Jing Haipeng wave to photographers as they wait to set out at the taikonauts' apartment in the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 25, 2008. [Xinhua]

The ceremony was held at the taikonauts' apartment compound, called Wentiange, or "Ask-the-Sky Pavillion," at the launch center.

The Shenzhou-VII spacecraft is set to blast off between 9:07 p.m. and 10:27 p.m. Thursday on a Long March II-F rocket.