BEIJING - China has sent marine research and rescue teams to targeted sea areas for the return of three astronauts returning Earth Friday morning after completing a 13-day manned space docking mission.

The marine teams include three vessels and a number of offshore helicopters to search and rescue the three astronauts - veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, crewmate Liu Wang and China's first woman astronaut Liu Yang, according the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

The main landing area for the Shenzhou IX spacecraft carrying the astronauts is in Siziwang Banner of northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, where all the previous eight Shenzhou spaceships landed.

Special coverage: China launches Shenzhou IX