The components of another Long March-7 carrier rocket are being assembled and the rocket will be ready for the launch mission in February 2017, said Wang Xiaojun, chief commander of the Long March-7 program on Sunday.

Wang, who is in Zhuhai for the upcoming 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, said that the Long March-7 is China's new generation carrier rocket. Measuring 53.1 meters in length and 597 tonnes in weight, the Long March-7 is a medium-sized rocket that can lift up to 13.5 tonnes to low-Earth orbit.

He noted that the Long March-7 is scheduled to transport the Tianzhou-1 cargo ship next spring to autonomously dock with Tiangong-2 space lab. The launch of cargo ships are thought to be crucial for the assembly and maintenance of China's planned space stations, due to enter service around 2022.

The Long March-7 completed its successful maiden flight in June 2016 which laid a solid foundation for its future flights, added Wang.

Henan firms celebrate space success
Beijing (XNA) Nov 07 - The successful launch of the Shenzhou XI spacecraft on Oct 17 and its automatic docking with the Tiangong II space lab two days later has brought China one step closer to its objective of building a space station.

Chen Dong, one of the two astronauts aboard Shenzhou XI, became the second Henan province native to travel in space, after Liu Yang, who was also China's first female astronaut, which is a source of great pride to people in the province associated with the project.

The visors on the astronaut's helmets and related plastic components, some of the most important components in space suits, are the fruits of research conducted by the National Engineering Research Center for Rubber Plastic Mould Technology at Zhengzhou University in the central province.

Source: Xinhua News Agency