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/Xinhua]

China sent its second space laboratory, the Tiangong II, into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi desert on Thursday night.

The space lab lifted off atop a Long March 2F carrier rocket at 10:04 pm.

The lab is 10.4 meters high, 3.35 meters in diameter and weighs 8.6 metric tons. It is designed to stay two years in space, according to the Chinese space authority.

The space lab has two cabins with separate functions. The experiment cabin will be hermetically sealed and will act as the astronauts' living quarters, while the resource cabin will contain solar panels, storage batteries, propellant and engines.