Space get-togethers

The Shenzhou XVIII trio arrived at the Tiangong station on April 26 and were warmly greeted by their peers in the Shenzhou XVII flight. The two crews posed for a group photo. The Shenzhou XVII crew held a handover ceremony with the Shenzhou XVIII crew and transferred the keys of the country's space station to the latter on April 28.

The Shenzhou XVIII crew welcomed the Shenzhou XIX astronauts, the eighth group of inhabitants of the Chinese space station, on Oct 30. The six astronauts will work together for about five days, and the Shenzhou XVIII crew will depart for Earth on Nov 4.