China prepares for new round of manned space missions

The rockets expected to carry China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 and the Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft into space have been delivered to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

A statement issued by the Manned Space Engineering Office on Saturday said that the center is where the assembly and tests of the rockets, which belong to the Long March-2F rocket series, will be carried out.

The rockets were sent from Beijing Wednesday by rail.

Compared with their predecessors, the two rockets feature technical improvements to improve their safety and reliability, according to China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

Tiangong-2 is scheduled to launch in mid-September, and Shenzhou-11, which will carry two astronauts to dock with Tiangong-2, will be sent into space in mid-October.