The first astronauts on board the China Space Station

Shenzhou-12 hatch opening: the Shenzhou-12 crew entered the Tianhe core moduleon 17 June 2021, at 10:48 UTC (18:48 China Standard Time). Astronauts Nie Haisheng (commander), Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo will spend three months on board Tianhe core module (天和核心舱), the first and main component of the China Space Station (中国空间站), informally known as Tiangong (天宫, Heavenly Palace). Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)/China National Space Administration (CNSA)