China is to launch the Shenzhou VII spacecraft, which will enable the country's first ever spacewalk, in October, a senior space engineer said on Wednesday.

Wang Yongzhi, former chief designer of China's Manned Space Program, told China Daily the launch date has been originally set after the ending of the Beijing Olympic Games (August 8-24) and Paralymic Games (September 6-17).
 
"The Shenzhou VII will be launched around October if everything goes smooth as planned," he said on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
"And the exact launch date will be decided on the basis of weather condition," Wang said.

The Shenzhou VII, to be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu, will be the country's third manned mission.

The last two manned spacecrafts, Shenzhou V and Shenzhou VI, were launched respectively on October 15, 2003 and October 12, 2005.