China’s latest three-person astronaut crew, aboard the Shenzhou 20 mission, has successfully reached its orbital destination, the T-shaped Tiangong space station. The crew, consisting of Commander Chen Dong and rookies Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, docked at Tiangong at 11:49 a.m. EDT (1549 GMT) on April 24.
The Shenzhou 20 mission marks China’s ninth astronaut mission to reach the outpost, which is approximately 20% as massive as the International Space Station. The crew will spend six months aboard the station before their departure on April 29, when they will be replaced by the three-person Shenzhou 19 crew.
The arrival of Shenzhou 20 coincides with a significant anniversary in space exploration – NASA’s iconic Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990. The crew’s successful docking is also notable, coming at a time when China is celebrating its space achievements and milestones.
This marks another milestone in China’s space program, which has seen significant advancements and accomplishments in recent years. With the ongoing assembly of the three-module Tiangong station, China continues to push the boundaries of space exploration and research.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/chinas-shenzhou-20-astronauts-arrive-at-tiangong-space-station