Chinese astronauts Fei Julong and Nie Haisheng entered the capsule of spacecraft Shenzhou-6 at dawn Wednesday, preparing for the country's second manned space mission.

Heavy snow swept this launch site in northwest China's Gansu Province in the small hours of the day, and it stopped at about the same time the astronauts boarded the space vessel at 6:15.

Earlier, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered his best wishes to the astronauts who are both selected air force pilots, like Shenzhou-5 pilot Yang Liwei, the first Chinese put into space two years ago.

Fei, 40, from Kunshan, east China's Jiangsu Province, was selected as one of the five astronaut candidates in intensified training for China's first manned space flight -- Shenzhou-5, which blast into space in October 2003.

Nie, 41, from Zaoyang, central China's Hubei Province, was selected as one of the three finalists for Shenzhou-5. The other two were Yang Liwei and Zhai Zhigang.

"I'm here to see you off with enormous warmth, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission as well as General Secretary Hu Jintao," Wen told the astronauts in space suits.

The premier said he believes "the astronauts will accomplish the glorious and sacred mission."

Two years ago, the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft, independently developed by China, carried Chinese hero astronaut Yang Liwei into the Earth's orbit, marking the realization of the Chinese dream of entering space since ancient times, Wen said.

"Piloting the Shenzhou-6 spaceship, you will once again show to the world that the Chinese people have the will, confidence and capability to mount new scientific peaks ceaselessly," he said.

The premier said he hopes the astronauts will recreate a miracle for China's space program "with resolute confidence, sober mind, fortitude and courage," and all the people of China "expect their victorious return from the mission."

In the next few days of space flight, the two astronauts will, for the first time, move from the return module into the orbital module. Some laboratory tests will be made during the voyage.

Both Fei and Nie said they have confidence to fulfill the mission.

Compared with Shenzhou-5, more than 110 technical modifications have been made for the 9.2-meter-long Shenzhou-6.

Source: Xinhua