Tiangong-2 to hit orbit by 2016, to dock with spaceships  

天宫二号将于2016年发射 与神舟载人飞船实施对接

记者26日从中国载人航天工程办公室获悉，执行中国空间交会对接任务的天宫一号目标飞行器在轨运营三年取得丰硕成果，目前运行状态良好，各类装载设备功能正常，具备继续在轨工作条件。天宫二号空间实验室将于2016年发射。[查看全文]

Beijing (CNS) -- Tiangong-2, China's second space lab, is scheduled for launch by 2016, the country's manned space engineering office revealed on Friday.

Two spacecraft, the manned Shenzhou-11 and cargo ship Tianzhou-1, will subsequently dock with the lab.

Wang Zhaoyang, director of the manned space engineering office, said development and production of Tiangong-2, Tianzhou-1, Shenzhou-11 and the Long March 2F carrier has entered a key stage.

A new launch center in Hainan province is almost complete, he added.

China launched its first space lab, Tiangong-1 in September 2011. It has completed six dockings with spacecraft to date. Besides, in June 2013, Shenzhou-10 also docked with it, with three astronauts delivering a physics lesson onboard the space lab.

Tiangong-1, designed to last two years in orbit, is still in good shape. Scientists are keeping a close eye on the craft and trying their best to prolong its in-orbit lifespan.