Country's first crewed mission in 5 years
China has launched a craft carrying three astronauts to its new space station - in the country's first crewed mission in five years.
It blasted off just after 2.22 am Irish time (0922am local) at the launch centre, on the edge of the Gobi Desert.
VIDEO: The first astronauts for China's new space station bid farewell at a departure ceremony in Jiuquan before their launch on a Long March-2F rocket for the country's longest crewed mission to date pic.twitter.com/ZxbTKcAlIF
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 17, 2021
The men will spend three months at the station, carrying out experiments and conducting maintenance work.
This is the moment it was cleared to take off:
