A Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft with three Chinese astronauts aboard, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Thursday.

The rocket blasted off at 8:59 p.m. Beijing Time.

The mission marks China's 13th manned spaceflight mission since the launch of the manned space program and represents the first manned mission to the space station this year.

Credit: CGTN Reporter Zheng Yibing, Video-cameraman Wang Yao