Story highlights Space lab precursor to a 20-ton space station

China pressing ahead with ambitious space plans

Hong Kong (CNN) China is set to launch a second space lab into orbit Thursday, a crucial step in Beijing's ambition to have a permanent space presence. The country's second space lab, the Tiangong-2 -- or Heavenly Palace-2 -- blasted off Thursday night from the Gobi desert and is expected to operate for at least two years, the latest stage of the Asia's giant's ambitious space programme. China to launch second space lab module, another manned mission

BEIJING, Sept 14 (Reuters) - China will launch its second experimental space laboratory late on Thursday and another manned space mission next month, the government said, part of a broader plan to have a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. China has been working to develop its space programme for military, commercial and scientific purposes, but is still playing catch-up to established space powers the United States and Russia.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) launches the Tiangong-2 space laboratory from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia.