BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese engineers are close to completing the Long March-7 rocket and will soon test its compatibility with the launch site.
The Long March-7 is a liquid-fueled, carrier rocket intended to launch China's first cargo spacecraft, which is under development.
The unmanned cargo vehicle will transport supplies to and refuel China's future manned space station. The first launch of the Long March-7 and the cargo spacecraft is expected to be around 2016, to serve the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, which is planned to be in orbit by the end of this year.
The Long March-2 and Long March-3 family of rockets are the backbones of China's space launches. These are scheduled to retire within the next 10 years. The Long March-7 and Long March-5 will become the pillars of China's space program.
(Source: CNTV.com)
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