Jiuquan: The China Manned Space Agency announced Friday the launch of the Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft, carrying three astronauts, to the Chinese space station for a six-month mission.

According to Qatar News Agency, the spacecraft was launched by a Long March-2F rocket, lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

This mission is set to conduct unique biological experiments in space, marking a first for China in studying living organisms. The focus will be on the effects of weightlessness on mice, with the findings intended to aid in the development of long-term manned missions to the Moon and Mars.