China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 is now orbiting independently in space after successfully separating from the Tiangong II space lab.

The successful split was completed at 9:47 a.m. on June 21, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).

At 9:16 a.m., Tianzhou-1 received commands to separate from the Tiangong II space lab, flying in orbit at an altitude of 390 kilometers.

The CMSEO said the cargo spacecraft will soon begin conducting further experiments. Tianzhou-1 is also expected to launch a new satellite and start a third-round refueling tests.

Tianzhou-1 was launched on April 20 from Hainan Province, and completed automated docking with the orbiting Tiangong II space lab on April 22.

Among its goals is the testing of liquid fuel transfers in microgravity and resupplying the space lab for future manned missions. CMSEO said Tianzhou-1 will leave orbit and fall back to a designated area in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean to complete China's first controlled destructive re-entry of a spacecraft.

China hopes to establish a permanently-manned space station by 2022.