Three Chinese astronauts, also known as taikonauts, are now stationed in the core module of China's space station about 400 kilometers above Earth. Here's a quick guide to what the trio are doing and what their conditions are like. 

What are they doing?

Setting up home is always the first step when starting life in a new environment. 

As the first inhabitants of China's space station, the trio "have a lot of tasks to do after entering the core module. For screws alone, they have over 1,000 to remove," Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program, said at Peking University on Friday.

Their main tasks during the first week are to install facilities, including information communication, living, catering and sanitation, so as to lay the basic foundations for a long-term residence in orbit, according to Sun Jun, deputy director of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

After that, the astronauts will carry out space science experiments and in-orbit training, particularly for extravehicular activities.

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In an interview with the chief designer of the astronaut system of China's manned space program, CGTN discovered how the Chinese astronauts, known as taikonauts, were selected for the Shenzhou-12 manned mission.

Many of us are curious whether the three astronauts in China's space station can take showers. Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system for China's manned space project, said the astronauts can only use hot wet towels to clean their bodies when in space and added that this is a big challenge for their mental endurance.

The Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft brought more than 120 kinds of space food to astronauts in China's space station at the end of May. What will they eat over the next three months in space? From fish-flavored shredded pork to kung pao chicken, what's on the menu for Chinese astronauts? Let's check it out!

China on Thursday launched the crewed Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, sending three astronauts to its space station core module Tianhe for a three-month mission. The Shenzhou-12 crew will complete four major tasks in orbit, let's take a look.

Let's take a look at the full-sized model of the Tianhe core module and check out the "space gym" at the space station which is equipped with a bicycle, "space treadmill" and other machines to help the astronauts work out.

The three Chinese astronauts on board the Shenzhou-12 spaceship entered the country's space station core module Tianhe on Thursday and will carry out spacewalks to put the finishing touches on the station's exterior. The robotic arm on Tianhe, with its high intelligence, will facilitate the astronauts in completing these tasks.

Setting up Wi-Fi, unboxing supplies delivered from Earth… the astronauts are busy with housewarming at their new home in China's Tianhe space station core module about 400 kilometers above Earth. During their three-month stay, the astronauts will conduct experiments and space walks. They'll use robotic arms to install equipment and check for any issues. 

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated China on the successful launch of the Shenzhou-12 manned spaceship on Thursday. 

"Congratulations to China on the successful launch of crew to their space station! I look forward to the scientific discoveries to come,” Nelson said in the statement. 

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Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) congratulated on Thursday the successful launch of the Shenzhou-12 crewed mission to the Chinese Space Station.

"Congratulations to the China National Space Administration on the launch of three 'taikonauts'," the ESA said in a tweet. 

Roscosmos said that Chinese space technologies are developing and the successful launch is another proof of this, adding that Russia and China will become reliable partners in the long-term exploration of near and deep space for a long time.

Canadian-American tycoon Elon Musk congratulated the three Chinese astronauts onboard the Shenzhou-12 spaceship that entered the country's space station core module Tianhe on Thursday, touting it as a "a great achievement" on social media.

The three Chinese astronauts carried into space on board the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft entered Tianhe, the core module of China's space station.

The trio, who will stay in space for about three months, entered Tianhe hours after the spaceship successfully docked with the core module.

China's Shenzhou-12 spaceship, with three astronauts aboard, has docked with Tianhe, the core module of the country's space station.

China on Thursday successfully launched the Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft.

China on Thursday successfully launched the Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft.

China's Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft has entered Earth's orbit and its solar panels have successfully unfolded.

China's Long March-2F Y12 carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft with three astronauts on board, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Thursday.

Officially started in 1999, China's manned space program has adopted a three-step approach for building a "permanent outpost" in space orbit. The previous two stages, involving human spaceflights and space lab missions, were all about gaining the technical know-how for operating China's space station.

China's space station, expected to be completed around 2022, will operate in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 340-450 km above Earth's surface for more than 10 years, supporting worldwide scientific and technological experiments.

The T-shape station has one core module at the center and a lab capsule on each side. Each of the modules will weigh over 20 tonnes, with the total mass of the station expected to weigh about 66 tonnes.

Graphics: China marches a step closer to its future space station

The three astronauts have entered the module of the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, which is scheduled to be launched in two hours.

The three astronauts are heading for the launch pad of the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft. 

A send-off ceremony is being held at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for three Chinese astronauts set to travel into space on board the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft.

The spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 9:22 a.m. (0122 GMT) Thursday. It is China's first crewed spaceflight mission in five years. 

The three astronauts on board the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft will be Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo. They will go to space and help assemble China's first space station and conduct scientific experiments from it.

Check out some basic facts about the astronauts:

Over the past two decades, China has sent 11 astronauts into space. At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, where all of China's manned spacecraft have been launched, CGTN takes you on a tour of China's space voyage journey. 

A total of 11 Chinese astronauts, including two women, have made into space over the past two decades, beginning with Yang Liwei's flight in October 2003. With the construction of its space station underway, let's look back at how the 11 astronauts have contributed to China's space exploration.

China hopes to complete the building of its first space station, Tiangong, in the next 18 months. The project involves 11 different journeys into space.

Three astronauts from China's manned spacecraft Shenzhou-12, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, met the press for the first time at Wentiange, the astronauts' apartment compound in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. 

The Tianhe core module is the largest and most complicated spacecraft independently developed by China. It can support astronauts carrying out different scientific and technical experiments in space. The Tianhe core module is the basis, while the next two modules will be assembled later in orbit to form the complete Chinese space station.

China will launch its Shenzhou-12 spacecraft carrying astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, at 9:22 a.m. on Thursday, the China Manned Space Engineering Office said.