Chinese astronauts recently offered a rare and extensive tour of the Tiangong space station, providing a unique look at life 260 miles above Earth. Shared through a nearly seven-minute video released by Chinese state-owned news agency CCTV, the current Shenzhou-18 crew showcased the station’s many amenities, from culinary comforts to research facilities, capturing the blend of functionality and luxury aboard China’s space lab.
During the tour, astronauts presented their compact kitchen area, complete with essentials like a modified microwave and a heater that dispenses water into pouches for easy use in microgravity. Surprisingly roomy sleeping quarters, each fitted with a sizable porthole, offer astronauts breathtaking views of Earth a perk rarely seen in space habitats.
The crew also highlighted Tiangong’s science capabilities, showcasing two orbital lab modules and a greenhouse with cherry tomato and lettuce plants, which contribute to the station’s research on sustainable space farming. The station’s advanced laboratories enable the crew to conduct experiments such as studying zebrafish behavior in microgravity, expanding understanding of how life adapts to space.
The three modules that make up China’s space station, which was put up in less than two years, can accommodate up to three astronauts. The Tiangong station, which was built separately since China was not allowed to join the ISS, represents the country’s quick rise in space research. China is reaffirming its position as a spacefaring nation with its ambitious intentions to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030.
The Tiangong is a symbol of the advancement of global space projects as NASA prepares to retire the ISS by the end of the decade. A change in the competitive environment of space exploration is evident in the fact that NASA’s plans for an ISS replacement are still in the early stages of development.