A Chinese manned submersible embarked upon the first leg of an 113-day mission that will include exploration of waters in the South China Sea, state media reported.
During the mission, the Jiaolong -- named after a mythical Chinese sea dragon -- will carry out deep-sea ecological and geological surveys in the South China Sea and biological surveying and geological sampling in the northeast and northwest Pacific Ocean, CCTV said.
State-run broadcaster CCTV showed the submersible being lowered on Monday (June 17) into the South China Sea, where crew members are due to conduct positioning tests.
The Jiaolong was originally set to start its mission a week ago, but progress was delayed by a typhoon, official news agency Xinhua said.
