China is expecting its second Long March-7 to be completed as early as January next year, Wang Xiaojun, chief commander of China's Long March-7 program, revealed on Sunday as reported by CRI English.

The new Long March-7 will be used to send China's first space cargo ship Tianzhou-1, which will autonomously dock with Tiangong-2 space lab, next spring. The launch mission is thought to be important for the assembly and maintenance of China's planned space stations due to enter service in 2022.

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"Components of the next Long March-7 are all set. The carrier rocket is now being assembled," Wang Xiaojun, who attended the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, said, adding that the carrier rocket will be finished this January 2017 and will be ready for the launch mission in February.

The Long March-7 is the first rocket digitally designed by China. It was manufactured through the use of 3D technologies, placing China in the top tier of digital design capacities, the People's Daily China reported.

The second Long March-7 rocket stands at 53.1 meters tall with a 3.35-meter core and has four rocket boosters. It weighs 597 tons and can lift up to 13.5 tons to low-Earth orbit, the CRI English noted.

The Long March-7 successfully carried out its maiden flight in June. Its main payload was a scaled-down version of the next generation of crew vehicle. It was successfully recovered in Inner Mongolia following a short orbital flight.

"According to analysis and statistics from Long March-7's first flight, the rocket has no flaws in its functionality. That creates a good foundation for its next mission," Wang noted.

TagsLong March 7, china, carrier rocket, Tianzhou-1, space cargo ship