Full coverage: China Tiangong-2 Space Lab Launch
Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong spent their fourth day onboard China's Tiangong-2 spacelab. They've already carried out a number of science experiments during their short time in space. The two men will live inside Tiangong-2 for an entire month.
Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong are already busy conducting experiments in China's space lab and sending data back down to earth. The two men regularly check their emails using a computer that they brought into outer space. The deputy director of China's Manned Space Office and China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, has been keeping in contact with them.
"The work on the lab is going exactly as planned. From the data we have received, life up there -- including water intake, food consumption and the health condition -- is all good," said Yang Liwei.
Yang said it's not easy to work in space. It takes more time to conduct some experiments on the lab than on earth. The two astronauts are working in sync with their colleagues on the ground. They rest one day a week.
"We are giving more freedom to the astronauts. We give them their work, and they decide how to complete the tasks over an 8-hour work day," said Yang Liwei.
The two astronauts are being kept up to date on news from earth during their month on Tiangong-2. Astronauts in the future may stay even longer. So being able to stay in touch with family and friends is a necessity.