全国政协委员、神舟飞船原总设计师戚发轫近日表示，中国将在2016年前研制并发射空间实验室。空间实验室是中国载人航天工程的第二步，为最终在2020年建成中国空间站提供技术支持。

A Chinese senior space technology expert said Thursday that China is expected to launch its first space laboratory before 2016.
A Chinese senior space technology expert said Thursday that China is expected to launch its first space laboratory before 2016.

"With the technological¹ program ready, the lab's research and development are going smoothly," Qi Faren, former chief designer of Shenzhou spaceships, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview（独家采访） .

As the second phase of China's manned space program, the lab, likely to be named Tiangong-2, will gradually be developed into the core module² or experiment module, said Qi.

China is to launch its first unmanned space module, Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace, in the second half of 2011, serving as a platform for spacecraft to rendezvous³（会合，约会） and dock - allowing for the building of the space station.

China will have its own space station before 2020, said Qi, a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, before the annual session of the country's top political advisory⁴ body, which is scheduled to open Thursday.