China will send three astronauts into space on Thursday as part of an ambitious plan to complete a space station by the end of next year.

The Shenzhou-12 is scheduled to launch from Jiuquan in the northwestern province of Gansu at 9.22 a.m. on Thursday, local time, Ji Qiming, the assistant director of the China Manned Space Agency, said on Wednesday.

The spacecraft will carry three astronauts: 56-year-old Nie Haisheng, 54-year-old Liu Boming and 45-year-old Tang Hongbo, Ji said.

The mission would be led by Nie, who took part in China’s manned missions in 2005 and 2013.

The trio will remain in orbit for three months in what is to be the country’s longest crewed mission and will carry out maintenance, parts replacement and other work at Tianhe, the largest of three modules that form China’s space station.

Thursday’s launch will be China’s first step toward constructing its space station and will be followed by 11 others, including four manned ones, this year and next year, Ji said.

The space station will be used to conduct experiments after its expected completion by the end of next year, Ji added.

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