The historic document, which is facing a potentially devastating "non" in a French referendum next month, will be launched into orbit on Friday on board a Russian rocket heading for the International Space Station (ISS).

"In orbit, the constitution will not only encompass Europe, but the whole world," said Guenter Verheugen, vice president of the European Union (EU)'s executive commission.

"Let us hope that this symbol of European identity will be well received both by Europeans and by the peoples of other continents," he added.

Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori is taking a copy of the constitution with him on board a Soyuz rocket due to take off Friday from Russia's Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan.

The historic document, signed amid much fanfare by EU leaders in Rome last October, aims to prevent decision-making gridlock in the expanding bloc, which grew from 15 to 25 member states last year with several more in line.

But to come into force it must be ratified by all EU states -- including longstanding EU heavyweight France, which is due to hold a referendum on May

A series of recent opinion polls indicate that French voters could reject the constitution, in what most analysts agree would leave the document standing on the launch pad.

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