China's Jiaolong submersible sets for Pacific voyage

Jiaolong, China's first manned deep-sea submersible, on Friday embarked on a scientific expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

Its carrier, Xiangyanghong 09, set sail from Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, for the submersible's first expedition mission in the 2014-2015 period.

It is scheduled for a voyage in the northwest Pacific Ocean, during which it will research cobalt-rich crusts and life forms inhabiting the bottom of the ocean.

A micro-sized remotely operated underwater vehicle called "Longzhu", or "Dragon Ball", will also be carried by Jiaolong for the mission.

The sub, named after a mythical dragon, reached 7,062 meters in the Pacific's Mariana Trench in a dive in June 2012.