BEIJING - The unmanned space module Tiangong-1 that China plans to launch this year will be sent into space by a modified Long March II-F carrier rocket, an expert said Thursday.

The 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace 1, is expected to be launched into space in the second half of this year to perform the nation's first space docking.

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It will dock with the unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft, which will be launched two month's after Tiangong-1.

"Both Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 will be launched by a Long March II-F carrier rocket," said Liang Xiaohong, a senior executive of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, while attending the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Researchers have made nearly 170 technological modifications, including 38 major ones, to the original Long March II-F model, Liang said.

The Long-March II-F rocket is known as the safest in China. Developed in 1992, the rocket has successfully sent seven spaceships - from Shenzhou-1 to Shenzhou-7 - into space.

Liang also said China would launch two other spacecraft in the coming two years, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10, both of which would dock with Tiangong-1.

Space experts have said the country will conduct more than 20 space missions this year.

Last year China conducted 15 space missions.