A Chinese manned submersible embarked upon the first leg of an 113-day mission that will include exploration of waters in the South China Sea, state media reported.<br/> <br />During the mission, the Jiaolong -- named after a mythical Chinese sea dragon -- will carry out deep-sea ecological and geological surveys in the South China Sea and biological surveying and geological sampling in the northeast and northwest Pacific Ocean, CCTV said.<br/> <br />State-run broadcaster CCTV showed the submersible being lowered on Monday (June 17) into the South China Sea, where crew members are due to conduct positioning tests.<br/> <br />The Jiaolong was originally set to start its mission a week ago, but progress was delayed by a typhoon, official news agency Xinhua said.
