Rocket carrying Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft blasts off

China on Thursday successfully launched the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12 with three astronauts on board.

The trio is expected to stay in space for three months as part of the country's space station mission.

The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert at 9:22 a.m. BJT, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

(Edited by Ye Ke)