The China Manned Space Agency has unveiled plans to launch the Shenzhou-19 mission later this month, broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.

The new set of astronauts will travel to the country's space station and take over from the Shenzhou-18 crew, who have been in orbit for almost half a year.

The trio of Ye Guangfu, a fighter pilot and veteran astronaut who took part in the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021, and teammates Li Cong and Li Guangsu, will wrap up their time in space shortly and return to Earth.

"At present, the Chinese space station has entered the operation and development stage. I believe there will be more footprints of Chinese astronauts in space in the future," Ye said in a televised interview with CCTV on Tuesday.

Another astronaut Li Guangsu said the team had carried out experiments on fish in space, and that the more than 90 projects planned for the mission had been progressing smoothly.

Li Cong, for his part, said the crew will prepare to welcome three other astronauts to the space station, to continue racing in "the relay of the Shenzhou family".