The Beijing-backed newspaper cited unnamed authoritative sources saying that the launch time for the spacecraft -- Shenzhou V -- has "basically been decided," and that it will take place after the Communist Party Central Committee's third plenary session.

The session will be held in Beijing from October 11 to 14, state media, including the China Daily, had reported.

Wen Wei Po's report on the timing of the spacecraft launch backs up previous state media reports which said the launch date will be in October.

The website of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily's said last week that the spacecraft will "definitely" be launched in October, although an exact launch date had not been fixed.

It was citing the 21st Century Business Herald, which quoted an authoritative source.

"It's up to the weather conditions and the conditions and progress of spacecraft testing, but it will definitely be launched in October," the source was quoted as saying.

The report said the spacecraft will be launched during the daytime.

Media reports did not say why October has been chosen, although the Wen Wei Po report cited relevant sources saying that generally good weather conditions in China in Autumn made October suitable.

Politics and nationalism likely also figured into the decision to launch the spacecraft in October, as China's National Day falls on October 1 and the launch would happen shortly after the week-long National Day holiday, boosting patriotic fervor.

The plenary session to be held will gather the highest ranking Communist Party officials to meet to discuss revisions to the constitution and measures to improve the economic structure, state media had said.

China has launched four unmanned space flights, three of which were launched in the winter and one in the spring.

The manned space flight will only stay in orbit for one day, the Wen Wei Po report said.

The People's Daily report said the spacecraft will stay in orbit at least one day.

If China's launch is successful, it will be only the third country in history to send a person into space, after the United States and Russia.

SPACE.WIRE