Jiaolong poised for South China Sea mission

Three oceanauts of China's manned submersible, the Jiaolong, are studying geographic and biodiversity data of the South China Sea as they prepare for the sub's first scientific deep-sea mission in June.

Jiaolong completed a record dive of 7,062 meters in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench during its trial operation in June 2012, enabling China to conduct deep-sea scientific research and resource exploration in 99.8 percent of the world's oceans.

The crew are expected to leave Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong Province, for the 103-day mission on June 5.

As the first oceanauts for the country's independently developed sub, the crew are aged between 29 and 34 and have helped in the development of the vessel.

Among the three, only the eldest, Ye Cong, has had overseas training. He took a short course on Alvin, the U.S. manned deep submersible, in 2005.

When he returned to China, the Jiaolong could only dive 50 meters and there was no telecommunication available on the sub.