The Long March 2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou XIX mission crew lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday morning. [Photo by Gu Jianwen/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The rocket carrying the three-member crew of the Shenzhou XIX mission, China's 14th manned spaceflight, lifted off early on Wednesday morning, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert.

Illuminated by the dazzling flame produced by its engines, a 20-storey-tall Long March 2F carrier rocket roared to life at the scheduled ignition time of 4:27 am local time, and soared into clear dark skies.

Aboard the craft was its crew, mission commander Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe, Lieutenant Colonel Song Lingdong, and Lieutenant Colonel Wang Haoze.

They are expected to fly for around six-and-a-half hours until they reach the Tiangong space station, currently orbiting about 400 kilometers above Earth, and their spaceship will then connect with the front port of the Tianhe core module, the main body of Tiangong.