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China astronauts say hello from completed Tiangong space station
- Crew enters Mengtian hours after ‘gymnastic’ manoeuvres to dock the second research module in its final destination
- Procedure live-streamed on CCTV is completed ‘smoothly and precisely as planned’
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Ling Xinin Beijing
China marked a historic moment in its 30-year endeavour to build its own outpost in space on Thursday, when the orbiting Tiangong station assumed its final T-shaped structure.
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The three astronauts, who have been on board the space station since June, entered the new research module Mengtian just hours after it was moved into its final position, in a manoeuvre described by one of its designers as “gymnastics in space”.
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China launches Mengtian, final module to complete Tiangong space station
China launches Mengtian, final module to complete Tiangong space station
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said the last step in the Tiangong’s construction was completed at 9.32am. The process, which took about an hour, was live-streamed by state broadcaster CCTV.
The astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang – China’s first woman in space – and Cai Xuzhe entered the module at 3.12pm on Thursday, after leakage tests and other preparations, and were interviewed by CCTV from what they called “a new home”.
“China space station, a home for the whole of mankind,” Liu told the millions of viewers back on Earth.
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Looking back on her first mission 10 years ago to Tiangong-1, Liu said the current station is more spacious and comfortable to live in.
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