Exciting news from the cosmos! China's newest astronaut crew has officially arrived at their celestial home.

The Shenzhou 20 mission, featuring a dynamic trio of space explorers, docked with China's Tiangong space station today, April 24, 2023, at 11:49 a.m. EDT (1549 GMT), kicking off an ambitious six-month stay in orbit.

Launched earlier from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center aboard the Long March 2F rocket, Shenzhou 20 lifted off at 5:17 a.m. EDT (0917 GMT; 5:17 p.m. Beijing time). The mission took orbit quickly and efficiently, showcasing China's advancements in space technology.

Leading the mission is Commander Chen Dong, a seasoned astronaut on his third journey into space. He is joined by rookies Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, making this a blend of experience and fresh enthusiasm for space exploration.

Their arrival means that they are now reunited with the three-person crew of Shenzhou 19, who are currently aboard Tiangong. However, this collaboration in orbit will be short-lived, as Shenzhou 19 is slated to return to Earth on April 29.

Shenzhou 20 marks the ninth successful astronaut mission to the Tiangong space station, which is a sophisticated T-shaped marvel weighing about 20% of the International Space Station. Since its assembly was completed in October 2022, space officials have hinted at potential expansions, promising even more ambitious projects in the future.

Notably, the launch and docking of Shenzhou 20 coincides with a key anniversary in space history: on this day in 1990, NASA's famed Hubble Space Telescope was launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery, changing our understanding of the universe.

With Shenzhou 20 now part of these historic efforts, the future of space exploration looks brighter than ever for China!