China's Shenzhou-20 mission has successfully launched into space. Scroll back through below to watch the blast off and read our reporting from the Gobi Desert.

Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie attend a see-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-20 spaceflight mission at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China. China Daily via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.

China is making final preparations for the launch of a three-person replacement crew for its orbiting space station that will mark a further step toward a possible crewed mission to the Moon and exploration of Mars.