CHINESE astronauts have given the first-ever recorded tour of the Tiangong space station, which orbits roughly 400km above Earth. The orbital outpost is much more luxurious than the International Space Station (ISS), which was launched in 1998. Decorated with red paper lanterns for the occasion, Shenzhou-18 crew members Ye Guangfu, Li Song, and Li Gangsu gave a seven-minute-long tour of their temporary abode, shared by Chinese state-owned news agency CCTV.
The core module, where astronauts said they spend most of their time, is where the management control centre is stationed. But it also features some home comforts, like a small dining table, a microwave, fridge and water dispenser. Here, astronauts enjoy "custom made" food while on their roughly six-month-long stays.
READ MORE ON SPACE Each astronaut has their own sleeping bunk, which are surprisingly roomy and feature a porthole window for breathtaking views of Earth. It appears to be a much neater arrangement than on the neighbouring ISS, where astronauts strap themselves to the walls in sleeping bags. It helps that Tiangong is designed to house no more than three astronauts, whereas the ISS is typically home to seven people at any given time.
The Shenzhou-18 crew, like astronauts aboard the ISS, are there to conduct science. Most read in Science Tiangong has two orbital lab segments, called Mengtian and Wentian, where astronauts are successfully growing several cherry tomato and lettuce plants. There are also compartment.
