The Mengtian lab module docks with China's Tiangong space station combination. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - The Shenzhou XIV astronauts successfully entered the Mengtian lab module of China's space station Tiangong at 3:12 pm (Beijing Time) on Thursday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

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Following up, the Shenzhou XIV crew in the space station will welcome the subsequent arrival of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and Shenzhou XV crewed spaceship, the agency said.

The Shenzhou XIV and Shenzhou XV crew members will then conduct the first in-orbit crew rotation in China's space history.

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China launched the space lab module Mengtian on Oct 31, taking the construction of the country's space station into the final stage.