China has begun the countdown in its bid to become the third nation to rocket a man into orbit, with clear skies forecast over the Gobi desert launchpad where liftoff is due to come as soon as tomorrow.
With the pride of a rising nation pinned to the mission, it was unclear whether China would risk allowing its 1.3 billion people to witness the launch live. Newspapers said state television had scuttled plans for live broadcast and station officials gave conflicting accounts of plans.
On Monday, mission control successfully simulated the launch of the Shenzhou V, or "Divine Ship", and was fuelling the spacecraft, a newspaper reported from the launch base in nearby Inner Mongolia.
President Hu Jintao was to fly there to watch Communist China's bid to realise its decades-old space dreams, Hong Kong media said.
Mr Hu was expected meet the astronaut chosen for the solo flight, whose identity had yet to be confirmed.
The top candidate was Mr Yang Liwei (38), the son of a teacher and an official at an agricultural firm who was raised in Suizhong county in the northeast "rustbelt" province of Liaoning, a local party official said.