Shenzhou-16 crew enter space station, complete handover in five days

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 30, 2023 shows the Shenzhou-15 crew putting up couplets to welcome the Shenzhou-16 crew inside the core module Tianhe of China's space station. (Xinhua/Li Jie)

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-16 spaceship entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio on Tuesday, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.

The Shenzhou-15 crew opened the hatch at 6:22 p.m. (Beijing Time). The three space station occupants greeted the new arrivals, and they took group pictures.

The space get-together kicked off the second in-orbit crew rotation in China's space station.

According to the China Manned Space Agency, the six astronauts will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work.

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 30, 2023 shows the Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-16 crew taking group pictures inside the core module Tianhe of China's space station. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 30, 2023 shows the Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-16 crew taking group pictures inside the core module Tianhe of China's space station. (Xinhua/Li Jie)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 30, 2023 shows the Shenzhou-15 crew waving to the Shenzhou-16 crew from the core module Tianhe of China's space station. (Xinhua/Li Jie)