China launches new spaceship, eyes longer space stay amid race with U.S.

JIUQUAN, China - China launched its Shenzhou-23 manned spaceship Sunday night, aiming to have one astronaut stay for a year-long mission instead of the usual six-month stint, amid a continuing space development race between Beijing and Washington.

The Long March 2F rocket, carrying three astronauts in the spaceship, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province.