China launched its first cargo spacecraft on Thursday night on a mission to test resupply technology for a planned manned space station that will enter service in about five years.

Tianzhou 1, the country's largest and heaviest spacecraft, was lifted into space atop a Long March 7 carrier rocket at 7:41 pm from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.

According to the China Manned Space Agency, after entering orbit about 380 kilometers above Earth, the unmanned Tianzhou 1 is set for three dockings with the Tiangong II space laboratory, in orbit since September. The cargo craft will supply fuel to Tiangong II at each docking.