"The manned spacecraft Shenzhou VI will ... preferably be launched in early October," Sun Weigang, director of the Space Department of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, told the China Daily.

The flight would be China's second manned space mission after Shenzhou V's successful launch in late 2003, carrying the nation's first man in space, Yang Liwei, for 21 hours.

Sun said two astronauts, chosen from 14 air force fighter pilots, will blast off in October. China will also launch two recoverable scientific and experimental satellites by the end of the year.

China's space program is still shrouded in secrecy with little known about the flights until days before a launch. But authorities have shown signs of more transparency since the success of its first manned space flight.

Yang Jun, director of the National Satellite Meteorological Centre, said China also plans to send another two weather satellites into space before the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 to improve its weather forecast.

A geo-stationary satellite, FY-2D, will likely be launched in 2006 while a polar orbiting meteorological satellite, FY-3A, is likely to go up in 2007, he said.

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