China has sent three new astronauts on their way to its Tiangong space station.
The Shenzhou 23 spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Space Centre in north-western China on a Long March 2F launch vehicle, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.
On board are the astronauts - known in Chinese as taikonauts - Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying. According to the Chinese space agency CMSA, Li is the first person from Hong Kong to take part in a Chinese space mission.
The crew is set to replace the current crew at the space station, comprising Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. Following the launch, the spacecraft is expected to dock at the station within a few hours.
First time spending a full year on the station
For the first time, a Chinese astronaut is also set to remain in space for around a year. Which member of the new crew will be selected for this role is to be decided during the course of the mission in orbit.
China aims to use the extended stay to investigate how long-term missions affect the human body.
The mission is part of the regular crew rotation on the Chinese space station. According to the authorities, the crew now being replaced has already spent 203 days in space and is therefore likely to set a record for the longest single mission duration by a Chinese astronaut crew.
