China's Tiangong space station is scheduled to be completed before the end of this year and will become a massive spacecraft with a combined weight of nearly 100 metric tons, according to a program leader.

Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the nation's manned space program, said the assembly phase of the Tiangong program will begin in May and will involve the launch of two astronaut crews, two space labs and two cargo ships.

Zhou made the remarks on Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before the opening of the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The scientist is a member of the CPPCC National Committee, the top political advisory body in China.

全国政协委员、中国载人航天工程总设计师周建平3月4日在全国政协十三届五次会议首场委员通道”上表示，中国空间站今年将全面建成，总质量接近100吨。

周建平介绍，从5月起，我国空间站工程将进入建造阶段。

今年年内将发射2个空间站实验舱、2艘载人飞船、2艘货运飞船。

"We will send six astronauts in the Shenzhou XIV and XV mission crews.

The Shenzhou XIV crew will be responsible for monitoring the docking between the Tianhe core module and the two space labs and then configuring the two labs," he said.

"The Shenzhou XV crew will fly to the station around year's end to meet their Shenzhou XIV peers and that will be an exciting moment all of us are eager to see.

"我们今年将再把6名航天员送入中国空间站，神舟十四号乘组在轨期间将迎来两个实验舱的到来。

我们的神舟十五号乘组将在今年年底前飞向中国空间站，与神舟十四号乘组"会师"太空，这将是一个非常令我们期待的时刻。

【中国空间站今年将全面建成查看网站：[db:时间]】