China sends its second space laboratory, the Tiangong II, into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi desert, September 15, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

During its mission, Tiangong II will receive visits by the Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft and Tianzhou 1 cargo spaceship.

The space lab's major tasks will be to accommodate astronauts' medium-length stay in it and test life-support technologies, to demonstrate in-orbit refueling and repair plans and to conduct experiments pertaining to space medicine and space sciences, as well as to examine technologies for a future manned space station, the China Manned Space Agency said.

China launched its first space lab, Tiangong I, in September 2011. With a designated lifespan of two years, the Tiangong 1 was in service for four and a half years and conducted six automatic and astronaut-controlled dockings with the nation's Shenzhou VIII, Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X spacecraft.