Chinas longest area objective ever is officially underway. The 3 astronauts of Chinas Shenzhou 13 objective got in the countrys Tianhe module, the core of its Tiangong spaceport station, on Saturday (Oct. 16) to begin a six-month exploration to the new orbital lab. The astronauts got in the station at 9:58 a.m. Saturday morning Beijing Time (8:58 p.m. Friday EDT, 0058 GMT) about 8 hours after releasing into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launching Center in the Gobi Desert. Their arrival topped a smooth self-governing docking by the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft.The Shenzhou 13 crew includes leader Zhai Zhigang, Chinas very first spacewalker; Wang Yaping, the very first female astronaut to the brand-new station who has also flown before; and novice spaceflyer Ye Guangfu. Their Shenzhou 13 spacecraft docked at an Earth-facing port on the Tianhe module. 2 other uncrewed freight ships, Tianzhou 2 and Tianzhou 3, are also parked at the module at berths on opposite ends of the station.Related: The latest news about Chinas space programImage 1 of 4Shenzhou 13 commander Zhai Zhigang opens the hatch between Chinas Shenzhou 13 spacecraft and the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong area station after an effective docking on Oct. 16, 2021. (Image credit: CCTV) Image 2 of 4Chinas Shenzhou 13 astronauts float inside the Tianhe core module of the nations Tiangong spaceport station after a successful docking on Oct. 16, 2021. (Image credit: CCTV) Image 3 of 4This still from a Chinas CCTV network shows a view from the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft as it approached the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong spaceport station on Oct. 16, 2021. (Image credit: CCTV) Image 4 of 4This animation reveals Chinas Shenzhou 13 spacecraft (bottom) docked at the Tianhe core module of the countrys Tiangong area station with 2 Tianzhou freight ships docked at either end. (Image credit: CMSE) Video of the Shenzhou 13 astronauts getting in Tianhe reveal the crew drifting inside a beautiful white spacecraft as they began to settle into their months-long mission. During their flight, the astronauts will test the stations systems, including a robotic arm. One of their jobs consists of using a robotic arm to move a Tianzhou cargo ship in between docking ports to practice in-space construction tasks ahead of the arrival of brand-new modules in 2022, according to state media reports. Between two and three spacewalks are anticipated during the mission.Email Tariq Malik at [email protected] or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Instagram..
