The commander of China's latest space mission, which blasts off today, pronounced himself and his crew 'physically, psychologically and technically ready' for their journey, which will see the first Chinese spacewalk.
People's Liberation Army Colonel Zhai Zhigang said the Chinese people should have confidence in their performance on what will be China's third manned space flight.
Mission spokesman Wang Zhaoyao said the Long March 2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou VII spacecraft was scheduled to lift off between 9.07pm and 10.27pm from the Jiuquan space launch centre in the northwestern province of Gansu .
Fellow PLA colonel Liu Boming , who with Colonel Jing Haipeng makes up the crew, said: 'We have spent more than a decade learning, living and training together. Our collaboration is seamless.'
It will be the first trip into space for the trio, who were all born in 1966.
Xinhua said all three were Communist Party members and fighter jet pilots from poor, rural families.
'We have been concentrating on what we are doing and treating ourselves as ordinary folks,' Colonel Zhai said.