China's Mengtian lab module docks with space station combination

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2022 shows Mengtian lab module carrying out rendezvous and docking with the front port of Tianhe core module. The Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with China's Tiangong space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with China's Tiangong space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Mengtian, Tiangong's second lab module, docked with the front port of Tianhe, the space station's core module, at 4:27 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time) after it entered the planned orbit, the CMSA said. The whole process of rendezvous and docking took approximately 13 hours.

Later, Mengtian will conduct transposition as planned, according to the CMSA. The Mengtian module, together with Tianhe core module and Wentian lab module, will then form the space station's basic configuration in T shape.

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2022 shows a view inside Tianhe core module after Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with the front port of Tianhe core module. The Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with China's Tiangong space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2022 shows that Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with the front port of Tianhe core module. The Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with China's Tiangong space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)

This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2022 shows Mengtian lab module carrying out rendezvous and docking with the front port of Tianhe core module. The Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with China's Tiangong space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)

This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2022 shows Mengtian lab module carrying out rendezvous and docking with the front port of Tianhe core module. The Mengtian lab module has successfully docked with China's Tiangong space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)