Shenzhou XIV crew departs for launch

The astronauts taking part in the Shenzhou XIV mission, China's ninth manned spaceflight, set out to the launch tower after a seeing-off ceremony early Sunday morning in front of their residential building at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert.

Senior Colonel Chen Dong, the mission commander, Senior Colonel Liu Yang and Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe reported to General Li Shangfu, commander-in-chief of the country's manned space program, they are ready for the coming mission and asked for permission to embark on the flight.

Li gave his permission and the crew saluted him and all participants at the brief event before boarding their transport to the launch tower.

Many workers and residents at the Jiuquan center stood along the road and hailed the astronauts as their car passed.

The crew is scheduled to be launched at 10:44 am today to fly with the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft to the core module of China's Tiangong space station. They will stay there six months to work on the assembly of the station.

This will become the second time for Chen and Liu to fly into space.