China successfully launches two astronauts into space

China has successfully launched two men into space on a mission to the country's orbiting laboratory.

The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert today with Jing Haipeng, 50, and Chen Dong, 38, on board.

The two men will play an integral part of the country's longest-ever crewed mission to space, the Xinhua news agency reported.

For 33 days, the astronauts will conduct experiments related to medicine, physics and biology after docking with the Tiangong 2 space lab.

President Xi Jinping said he hoped the mission would "enable China to take larger and further steps in space exploration, and make new contributions to building up China as a space power."

China is pouring billions into its military-run space programme and working to catch up with the US and Europe, with hopes to have a crewed outpost by 2022.

With AFP.