China to launch cargo ship into space by 2016

China will launch a cargo ship into space in 2016 to serve the Tiangong-2 space station, officials announced Sunday. 

The ship – Tianzhou, or "Heavenly Vessel" – will be carried into space aboard the newly developed Long March-7 carrier rocket, according to Zhou Jianping of the Chinese space programme. 

Tiangong-1, China's first space station, was sent into orbit on September 29, 2011. The Tiangong-2 is expected to be launched some time next year. 

China's moon rover, Yutu, recently entered its second period of hibernation after narrowly avoiding disaster when a malfunction led scientists to fear that its electronics would not survive the long lunar night.