All language subtitles for The SHOCKING Reality of Life Inside China’s Tiangong Space Station

China's Tiangong, Heavenly Palace, isn't
just a space station.

It's the most modern outpost humanity
has ever built in orbit.

At around 400 kilometers above Earth,
this shining white laboratory circles

planet every 90 minutes, carrying a crew
of taikonauts who live, eat, and work

inside a station that looks more like a
futuristic apartment than a piece of

Cold War hardware.

For decades, the International Space
Station, or ISS, has been the crown

of human spaceflight, a collaboration
between five space agencies and more

a dozen nations.

But it's also more than 25 years old,
and now a new player has entered orbit.

Between 2021 and 2022, China built and
fully assembled an entirely new station

from the ground up in just 18 months.

And it's not just smaller or newer, it's
smarter.

So strap in, because this is life inside
China's Tiangong space station.

Before Tiangong, China's human
spaceflight ambitions were limited to a

missions, small, single -module
laboratories known as Tiangong -1 and

-2. They were stepping stones, short
-term missions to test docking, life

support, and crew endurance.

But in April 2021, that all changed.

China launched the Tianhe core module,
which literally translates to Harmony of

the Heavens. At 16 .6 meters long and 4
.2 meters wide, It serves as the control

center, power hub, and crew quarters of
the entire station.

A year later, the station began to take
shape. In July 2022, the Wentian module,

Quest for the Heavens, was added.

It brought an entirely new science
laboratory, additional living space, and

airlock designed for extravehicular
activities, China's equivalent of NASA's

spacewalk. Then, in October 2022,

the Mengtian module, meaning Dreaming of
the Heavens, joined the structure,

completing the T -shaped station we see
today.

Mengtian is dedicated purely to
research, housing advanced experiment

external mounting platforms for
instruments that study everything from

physics to space materials.

Each launch used China's most powerful
rocket, the Long March 5B, lifting these

massive modules into orbit one by one,
where robotic arms and precision docking

systems linked them together in a
seamless ballet of engineering.

By December 2022, the station was ready
for its next milestone, the first in

-orbit crew handover between Shenzhou
-14 and Shenzhou -15.

For the first time ever, six taikonauts
were living and working inside Tiangong

simultaneously,

marking China's official transition to
continuous human presence in orbit.

Today, the Heavenly Palace is fully
operational, a T -shaped three -module

outpost orbiting Earth every hour and a
half.

And the foundation for what China says
is only the first phase of its long

plan for permanent human spaceflight.

Step inside Tiangong, and the first
thing that strikes you isn't the size,

the clarity. The light, the lines,
everything feels deliberate.

People often say that Tiangong feels
less like a space station, and more like

Apple store in orbit.

Despite appearances, the overall
diameter of Tiangong's modules, about 4

meters or 14 feet across, is almost
identical to those of the International

Space Station, but the difference lies
in their length.

On the ISS, America's Destiny Laboratory
measures around 8 .4 meters, or 28

feet. China's Wentian and Mengtian
modules each stretch more than 18

nearly 59 feet long, more than twice the
internal volume.

That means fewer junctions, fewer tight
corridors, and a much more open,

continuous workspace.

Inside, the station is wrapped in smooth
white paneling, concealing most of the

cables and systems that clutter the ISS.

Much of Tiangong's equipment is
wirelessly connected, reducing the need

tangled cords and bulky routers.

Everything, from the air filtration
units to the experiment racks, is

to be modular, replaceable, and neatly
tucked away. The result is a minimalist,

almost futuristic look. And it's not
just aesthetic.

Those clean surfaces are easier to
disinfect, the bright LED panels reduce

visual fatigue, and the evenly lit walls
make for clearer video during live

communications and science broadcast.

Behind those panels runs a network of
power conduits and life support systems,

designed to automatically re -route if a
fault is detected.

The modular sections connect through
pressurized tunnels, each equipped with

independent environmental control,
meaning the crew can isolate a section

station in seconds if there's a leak.

Everything here, from the materials to
the lighting, is meant to make life in

orbit feel normal, even calm.

And for the taikonauts who spend months
away from Earth, that serenity matters.

Aboard Tiangong, life follows a rhythm.

At any given time, three taikonauts call
the station home.

During crew handovers, like in December
2022, that number briefly grows to six,

filling every bunk, every workstation,
every meal seat their day begins just

like ours with a wake -up call from
mission control in beijing after

hygiene which includes a rinse -free
shampoo and wet wipes instead of showers

the crew gathers for breakfast meals are
sealed reheated and labeled with each

astronaut's name and nutritional plan
then it's down to business the morning

hours are spent checking experiments
calibrating instruments and performing

maintenance everything from software
updates to tightening loose handrails By

late morning, the crew joins a live
video conference with engineers and

scientists back on Earth.

Here, mission planners outline the day's
objectives, approve experiments, and

schedule exercise sessions.

Around midday, there's a mandatory one
-hour rest period, a long -standing

tradition in China's spaceflight
routines.

Even astronauts in orbit need to
recharge before the second half of their

Afternoons are filled with research,
biology, material science, fluid

depending on each module's experiment
racks.

Exercise sessions are scheduled for at
least two hours daily to counteract

muscle and bone loss.

Evenings are more relaxed.

Dinner together is a shared ritual,
sometimes featuring favorites like kung

chicken, braised pork, or dumplings.

Afterward, they might stream a TV drama
from Earth, read, or send video messages

to their families.

Occasionally, the crew records short
live streams.

showing Chinese citizens what life is
like aboard their heavenly palace.

When it's time to sleep, each taikonaut
retreats to their private sleeping

alcove. There are six small bunks in
total, three in the Tianhe core module

three more in Wentian. Each one is
barely larger than a closet, lined with

insulation to block noise.

Astronauts strap themselves upright in
sleeping bags fixed to the wall,

slightly inside as they drift off while
orbiting Earth at 28 ,000 kilometers per

hour. Inside every bunk, a small tablet
for video calls, personal photos, and,

if you're lucky, a tiny window with the
best view in the universe.

Food in space has come a long way from
toothpaste cubes and dehydrated mush.

Inside Tiangong, the menu rivals that of
a small restaurant with over 120

varieties of meals carefully designed to
meet nutritional needs and comfort

cravings.

Pork, chicken, vegetables, soups, and
sauces, all pre -cooked, vacuum -sealed,

and labeled for rotation.

Each dish has to survive months of
storage and the extreme vibrations of

Every few months, Tianzhou cargo ships
dock with the station, delivering not

just scientific supplies, but fresh
produce, apples, oranges, even cherry

tomatoes. It's a small taste of home
that keeps morale high when home is 400

kilometers below.

But the real game -changer is hidden in
the galley. Right there, beside the fold

-out dining table, sits a piece of
technology no other space station has

had, the world's first space microwave.

Developed by Galan's Aerospace, it took
nearly 10 years of engineering to make

it work.

Unlike a home microwave that guzzles
power, this one runs on extremely low

wattage, and it's built to withstand
launch vibrations and radiation without

frying its circuit.

On the International Space Station,
astronauts use a warm water rehydrator.

takes about 30 minutes to heat a meal.

Tiangong's microwave can cook dinner for
three in just seven minutes.

It may sound trivial, but in space,
that's revolutionary.

Hot food is comfort, and for taikonauts
on months -long missions, that warmth

isn't just physical, it's psychological.

Living in zero gravity looks effortless,
until your muscles forget what standing

up means.

Without regular training, astronauts
lose muscle mass, bone density, and

circulation strength at alarming rates.
So aboard Tiangong, exercise isn't

optional. It's mandatory.

Every taikonaut spends at least two
hours a day working out.

Their gym might be the smallest in the
universe, but it's surprisingly

In the Tianhe core module, a compact
treadmill and cycling station are bolted

directly into the floor grid.

Elastic harnesses keep the crew anchored
as they jog, and soft straps reduce

vibration so the entire station doesn't
start bouncing with each stride.

In the Mengtian module, there's a rowing
and resistance machine, China's answer

to the ISS's massive ARED, or Advanced
Resistive Exercise Device, which can

simulate up to 600 pounds of resistance.

Tiangong's system is smaller, sleeker,
and far more efficient, offering the

muscle activation in a fraction of the
space.

Look closely at footage from inside
Tiangong and you'll notice something

Footholds and straps line the floors and
walls.

Unlike the free -floating astronauts of
the ISS, taikonauts often prefer to stay

anchored, giving their brains a stable
down reference that reduces

disorientation. And while official
details are limited, CNSA prototypes

hinted at smart exercise suits, clothing
embedded with gentle resistance bands

that keep muscles engaged even during
routine work.

Think of it as a wearable gym, a subtle
futuristic upgrade to fight the toll of

microgravity. In Tiangong, every
heartbeat, every flex of muscle, every

sweat is part of a grand experiment, not
just to survive in space, but to learn

how humans can truly live there.

At its core, Tiangong isn't just a home
in space, it's a laboratory for the

future of humanity beyond Earth.

Every wall, every panel, Every piece of
equipment here is designed to explore

how life and matter behave in
microgravity. Across its three modules,

houses 23 internal experiment racks and
50 external platforms for instruments

mounted on the hull. That's a dense
scientific payload for a station of this

size. Nearly every cubic meter serves a
purpose.

The fields of research are vast, fluid
physics, where scientists observe how

liquids move without gravity's pull.

Combustion, testing how flames behave
when there's no up or down.

Material science, studying alloys and
semiconductors that can only form in

microgravity. And biology and medicine,
exploring how human cells adapt, or fail

to, in the vacuum of space.

One of Tiangong's most fascinating
features lies in the Mengtian module, a

dedicated airlock system for
experiments.

Here, Astronauts can set up scientific
packages inside the module, then load

them into a sealed compartment.

With the push of a button, the chamber
depressurizes and opens to space, where

robotic arm either retrieves or installs
the experiment on the station's

exterior. No bulky spacewalk required.

Inside, the crew is also working on
space agriculture, cultivating lettuce

leafy greens in small hydroponic trays.

The goal isn't just food, it's
sustainability.

Future experiments will test oxygen
recycling systems that integrate with

growth, creating the foundation for a
closed life support loop on long

missions. But Tiangong isn't operating
in isolation.

In 2023, nine international research
projects were approved in collaboration

with the United Nations Office for Outer
Space Affairs and the European Space

Agency. These include studies on
radiation shielding, protein

and cosmic dust analysis.

proof that China's heavenly palace is
slowly opening its doors to the world's

scientists. From the outside, Tiangong
may look small, but inside, it carries

the ambitions of an entire civilization
and the data that could define

humanity's future among the stars.

Well, I have hinted on this earlier, but
let's zoom in further. If science is

Tiangong's heart, then its robotic arms
are the hands that make it all possible.

The station is equipped with three EVA
suits.

Stored in the Wentian module's airlock,
each custom -tailored for its wearer and

rated for up to eight hours of
continuous use.

Spacewalks, or EVAs, extravehicular
activities, are now a regular part of

Tiangong's operations, from installing
new equipment to testing repairs in the

harsh vacuum of space.

Supporting them are the station's two
mechanical giants.

The Tianhe core module carries a 10
-meter long robotic arm, while Wentian

a 5 -meter arm of its own.

but when combined, they form a single 15
-meter system, rivaling the legendary

Canadarm 2 on the International Space
Station.

These arms are not just for heavy
lifting.

They can precisely grasp experiment
modules, assist taikonauts during

spacewalks, or even reposition small
spacecraft docking with Tiangong.

During recent EVAs, the arms were used
to install handrails and connectors

across the station's exterior, allowing
astronauts to move safely between

modules during future maintenance.

Each arm segment can pivot, rotate, and
extend with millimeter precision, guided

by operators inside the station or by
mission control on Earth.

In theory, these robotic limbs could one
day grapple entire modules, helping

assemble the next generation of Chinese
orbital infrastructure or even assist

with spacecraft docking autonomously.

They are extensions of human hands,
reaching farther and working longer than

astronaut could.

Together, they make Tiangong not just a
home, but a living machine, evolving one

orbit at a time.

Tiangong may look complete, but this is
only the beginning.

China's space agency has already
unveiled Phase 2, a plan to double the

the station over the next few years.

A new multi -docking adapter will be
added to the front of the Tianhe core

module, allowing for three additional
laboratory modules to connect.

This would expand Tiangong from its
current three -module configuration to

increasing its total habitable volume
from roughly 20 % to nearly 40 % of the

International Space Station.

Once finished, the new setup would
resemble two T -shapes stacked together,

cross -shaped structure that not only
looks elegant but dramatically increases

docking ports for visiting spacecraft
and experiments.

To build it, China plans to reuse its
powerful Long March 5B rockets, the same

boosters that launched the original
modules in 2021 and 2022.

Engineers are also considering
incorporating a backup copy of the

module, which was built as a contingency
unit during the first phase.

If attached, it would serve as a
secondary command and living hub, giving

Tiangong even greater redundancy and
flexibility.

But expansion isn't just about hardware,
it's about people.

China has confirmed that the first
international astronaut from Pakistan is

already in training to join a future
mission.

Talks are underway with other countries.

as China aims to make Tiangong a
platform for global cooperation, open to

partners who've never before had access
to crude orbital research.

Orbiting nearby, a new eye on the cosmos
is preparing to join them.

The Xuntian Space Telescope, sometimes
called the Chinese Hubble, is slated to

launch around 2026.

It will carry a 2 -meter primary mirror
and an astonishing 2 .5 -gigapixel

camera with a field of view 300 times
wider than the Hubble Space Telescope.

Unlike Hubble, Xuntian will share
Tiangong's orbit, allowing it to

dock for refueling, maintenance, and
upgrades, something no Western telescope

has ever been able to do.

Together, Tiangong and Xuntian will form
the core of China's orbital science

ecosystem, combining human presence with
robotic observation, a partnership

between machine precision and human
intuition.