The launch also has drawn some attention from Russia... we talked to an expert on aeronautics from there. He said China's space lab is likely to be the only one operating after 2020, when the International Space Station, largely led by the US, retires.

"China has kept up its steady pace for space exploration, and has naturally become a leader in the field. Of course, one possible reason is other countries have withdrawn from the field or changed their strategies. But China will outshine other countries in so many fields in the 10 years to come," said Igor Lisov, Russian expert on astronautics.