China's liquid-fueled carrier rocket—Long March-7—is being shipped to Hainan province for its launch. Its maiden flight is scheduled for June, marking the official start of China’s space lab flight mission.

The first Long March-7 rocket departed from the port of Tianjin Sunday. The carrier rocket will launch China’s first cargo spacecraft, and is designed to refuel China’s future manned space station. The rocket is liquid-fueled, enabling it to carry 14 tons of goods—6 tons more than other rockets. The major task of its maiden flight is to fully test its design and compatibility.

“Its power and control systems have both been significantly upgraded. We will also load experimental equipment on it during the flight to test relevant technologies,” said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China’s Human Space Program.

“The rocket is in a good state after the final assembly and test. The sea state is also conducive for the shipment,” said Hu Xiaojun, deputy chief designer of Long March-7 rocket.

Its maiden flight is the first of the four flight missions of China’s space lab program. It will also be the first launch mission carried out by China’s Hainan space launch center.