BEIJING, July 12 (China Space News) —  China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 has been delivered to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The lab was sent from Beijing Thursday by railway and reached the launch center Saturday. Assembly and tests will begin at the center ahead of the lab's launch scheduled for mid-September.

Tiangong-2 will be capable of receiving manned and cargo spaceships, and will be a testing place for systems and processes for mid-term space stays and refueling in space.

It will also be involved in experiments on space sciences, on-orbit maintenance and space station technologies.

China's first space lab Tiangong-1, which was launched in September 2011 with a designed life of two years, ended its data service earlier this year. It had docked with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft and undertook a series of experiments.

With two capsules for conducting experiments and holding resources, Tiangong-2 features major improvements from its predecessor.

The new space lab will also carry three experiments designed by the winners of a Hong Kong middle school design contest.