The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center held a ceremony on Thursday afternoon for the three taikonauts due to board the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft before the start of the mission.

The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft is set to blast off between 9:07 PM and 10:27 PM on Thursday on a Long March II-F rocket.

Chinese taikonauts Jing Haipeng attend the setting-out ceremony at the taikonauts' apartment compound of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, on September 25, 2008. China counted down Thursday to its third manned space mission Shenzhou-7 which will include the country's first ever space walk.

Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang attends the setting-out ceremony at the taikonauts' apartment compound of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, on September25, 2008. China counted down Thursday to its third manned space mission Shenzhou-7 which will include the country's first ever space walk.

Chinese taikonaut Liu Boming attends the setting-out ceremony at the taikonauts' apartment compound of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province, on September 25, 2008. China counted down Thursday to its third manned space mission Shenzhou-7 which will include the country's first ever space walk.

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2008)