On Thursday, China successfully launched the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft, with its three astronauts embarking on a six-month mission to stay in orbit as part of a space station assignment.

The Shenzhou-17 spacecraft, perched atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China, as reported by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) via Xinhua.

The astronauts' mission will involve ongoing assessments of the space station's functionality and performance. They will also test the coordination and compatibility of ground support centers in managing space station operations and tasks. This is aimed at improving operational efficiency and the capability to rectify faults within the space station.