Full coverage: China Tiangong-2 Space Lab Launch

The Long March 2F is China’s only type that can launch manned spacecraft.

It runs 52 meters high and weighs 500 tons, almost the weight of an Airbus 380 plane. Ninety percent of its weight comes from the fuel it carries. The fuel will power the nine main engines it has.

The Long March 2F is also very reliable. Experts say that in theory, one instance of functional failure in 100 launches may occur, and for launches when astronauts’ lives may be threatened, it is three out of 1,000.  

To date, Long March 2F series rockets have conducted 11 launches, and all have been successful.