"We understand just how difficult and complex it is for the pioneer to blaze the trail. That's why we wish him complete success with all our heart," said Tereshkova, 66, on the eve of the first manned Chinese spaceflight.

Barring a last-minute delay or accident, at least one as yet unidentified Chinese astronaut will blast off from the remote Gobi desert in north China's Inner Mongolia region some time between Wednesday and Friday, making China the third nation to put a man in space.

"We hope for a successful launch, a successful flight, and, of course, a successful landing," said Tereshkova, who is in Tokyo to attend the opening of the 18th Congress of the Association of Space Explorers and take part in a week-long promotion of Russian culture.

She added that the Chinese astronauts shortlisted for the mission had undergone some of their training in Russia.

The former cosmonaut, who spent almost three days orbiting the earth in June 1963, two years after the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, said international cooperation was vital for space exploration.

"If we want to know more about what the future holds for our planet, first of all we need to study" other planets, said Tereshkova.

"To achieve these aims, international cooperation is absolutely indispensable."

The essential contribution of anyone who goes into space is to show the human race just how small Earth is, a vital notion if steps are to be undertaken to safeguard the planet, she added.

"When you are in space, you realise above all else that what separates the different peoples living on Earth is infinitessimally small compared to what unites us all," said Tereshkova.

She mourned the "folly with which we devote so many resources to fighting each other rather than solving the problems which affect everyone on the planet."

SPACE.WIRE