China has shown its state-of-the-art Tiangong space station from the inside for the first time. Photo and video

Shenzhou-18 crew members Ye Guangfu, Li Song, and Li Gangsu gave a seven-minute tour of their temporary home. The orbital outpost is much more luxurious than the International Space Station (ISS).

The main module, where astronauts spend most of their time, houses the control center. It also has some home comforts, such as a small dining table, microwave, refrigerator, and water dispenser. This is where the astronauts enjoy meals made to order during their approximately six-month stay, The Sun reports.

Each astronaut has his or her own bunk, which is surprisingly roomy and has a porthole window that offers a breathtaking view of the Earth. The station is much more comfortable and convenient for astronauts than the neighboring ISS, where the crew is tied to the walls in sleeping bags. However, Tiangong is designed to accommodate no more than three astronauts, while the ISS usually accommodates seven people at a time.

Tiangong has two segments of the orbital laboratory called "Mengtian" and "Wentian" where astronauts successfully grow several cherry tomato and lettuce plants. There are also compartments where astronauts test the effects of microgravity on plants and animals.

Astronauts must exercise regularly to avoid losing bone density as a result of microgravity, which takes weight off their muscles and bones. About 2.5 hours a day, six days a week, are spent on training in space.

On October 30, China launched Shenzhou-19 into orbit: the astronauts will stay in space for 6 months and conduct 86 experiments. They will replace the crew of Shenzhou-18, who will hand over control to the newcomers and prepare to return to Earth. Their arrival home is scheduled for November 3 at the Dongfeng landing zone near the Jiuquan spaceport.

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