JIUQUAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- A send-off ceremony for the three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 crewed space mission was held Sunday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying, or Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese, set off at 8:18 p.m. (Beijing Time).

The Shenzhou-21 crew has stayed in the orbiting Tiangong space station for more than 200 days and is in good physical and mental condition. They are preparing for the arrival of the Shenzhou-23 crew.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:08 p.m. Sunday.

(Photo: People's Daily)