China has had astronauts in space since June 2012, when the Shenzhou 10 mission docked with the Tiangong-1 prototype space station  for the first time

Step Inside China’s Secretive New Space Station

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2024-10-29 22:00:02

China has had astronauts in space since June 2012, when the Shenzhou 10 mission docked with the Tiangong-1 prototype space station for the first time. Since then, the country’s presence in orbit has grown and now it operates a station that’s roughly a fifth of the size of the International Space Station .

The new, larger station is called the Tiangong Space Station and while it’s been in operation around 240 miles above the Earth’s surface for more than three years now, its makeup has remained pretty mysterious to space fans, until now.

In a new video shared by China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV, the current crew of the TSS offers a rare tour of the facilities they’re working with in orbit, reports Futurism . The tour shows off the station’s kitchen, sleeping areas and views of Earth, as the site explains:

Crew members show off the station’s kitchen, from a small heater that dispenses water into small pouches to a modified microwave. Astronauts also showed off the surprisingly roomy beds that each feature a sizable porthole, with unparalleled views of the Earth below.

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