--- title: "New Video Shows Chinese Astronauts Hanging Out in Brand-New Space Station" description: "In a new \"vlog\" released on Chinese social media, three astronauts can be seen living life on board the country's new \"Heavenly Palace\" space station." date: "2021-06-23" modified: "2021-06-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/video-chinese-astronauts-space-station" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "china" - "china space program" - "china space station" - "the digest" - "Tiangong" - "tianhe" --- # New Video Shows Chinese Astronauts Hanging Out in Brand-New Space Station ![In a new "vlog" released on Chinese social media, three astronauts can be seen living life on board the country's new "Heavenly Palace" space station.]() *\Image: CCTV\* ## Life in Space In a new "vlog" released on Chinese social media, three astronauts can be seen living on board the Tianhe module, the first section of the country's Tiangong, or "Heavenly Palace," space station. The clip shows the crew sleeping, waking up, brushing their teeth, and shaving while floating in relatively cramped quarters — a reminder of just how far China's space program has come. https://twitter.com/globaltimesnews/status/1407565552160108545 ## Historic Mission The three astronauts [arrived]() at the station last week after [launching]() prior from the Jiuquan satellite launch center in the Gobi Desert on June 16. The launch marked the first time China has sent astronauts to space since 2016. The crew of three will be spending the next three months — the longest crewed mission in the country's history, [according to the *BBC*]() — on board the nascent space station in order to prepare it for two more modules next year. ## Congrats Earlier today, Chinese president Xi Jinping spoke with the three astronauts, the [*Associated Press* reports](), congratulating them on their trip. "We are all very happy to see you are in good shape and the work is going well," Xi said, as quoted by the *AP*. "The building of the space station is an important milestone in China’s space industry and it will make a pioneering contribution to the peaceful use of the space by mankind." Eight additional launches through the end of 2022 will add two lab modules, as well as supplies and additional crew members. "We in Beijing await your triumphant return," Xi said. **READ MORE:** [Xi congratulates Chinese astronauts aboard space station]() \[*Associated Press*\] **More on the launch:** *[Video Reportedly Shows Chinese Rocket That Smashed Into Earth]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()