China's Tiangong Space Station (TSS) has been completed.

(Photo : Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
Students watch a live image of a lesson by Chinese astronauts from China's Tiangong space station, at a school in Yantai in China's eastern Shandong province on December 9, 2021. - China OUT (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

This is a major achievement for the Chinese government because they can now compete with ISS. 

Before TSS was constructed, the world relied only on one orbital laboratory, the International Space Station. 

Now, there are two official operational space stations; TSS and ISS. Both of them are floating in low Earth orbit (LEO). 

Of course, Chinese residents are quite excited about the completion of TSS, especially the Shenzhou 14 crew members. 

China Tiangong Space Station Completion Excites Shenzhou 14 Crew

According to Space.Com's latest report, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the Chinese space station's last module, Mengtian, on Oct. 31. 

Also Read: A 23-ton Chinese Space Junk Will Crash Back to Earth on Friday - Where Will it Land?

Thirteen hours after the launch, Mengtian successfully docked at the T-shaped orbiting laboratory's forward port. 

After Mengtian connected to TSS, Shenzhou 14 astronauts Chen Dong, Cai Xuzhe, and Liu Yang talked to the ground control staff and shared their excitement. 

"Mengtian, Wentian and Tiangong. The dream has come true. Shenzhou-14 reports that the crew has successfully entered the Mengtian lab module," said Chen. 

Liu also said that the Tiangong Space Station is "a home in the heavens for all humanity."  

Even before TSS was completed, the Shenzhou 14 crew was quite proud of the experiments they were conducting. They even shared their captured photos aboard Tiangong. 

Shenzhou 14 Crew's Next Move 

Since the latest Tiangong Space Station is already fully operational, Shenzhou 14 crew members are tasked to test the orbiting lab's systems. 

Aside from this, they are also expected to welcome a new team of astronauts, the Shenzhou 15 crew, which is expected to arrive before 2022 ends. 

This just shows that China really has plans for its TSS. The Tiangong Space Station is very important to the Chinese government. 

The Wired reported that it allowed China to become the new major space power in the aerospace industry.

To further enhance TSS, the Chinese government is expected to invite new partner countries. 

TSS can offer lots of benefits to China, such as expanding the Chinese government's space program.  

Related Article: China Completes Latest Phase of Development on Tiangong Space Station - Ready for Launch?

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Written by Griffin Davis