A Chinese animated cartoon shows what astronauts on Tiangong will see in space.The Shenzhou 12 mission was completed with three Chinese astronauts Nie Haishieng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo. They docked with Tianhe's core module on June 17. According to state media, they will be there for three months.China Media Group's cartoon depicts the crew as pandas floating in space. It is accompanied by a new song with lyrics that are adapted from the lullaby Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.Video: China's first space station crew enters Tianhe moduleAn adorable cartoon depicting everyday life in China's Tiangong space station, with Shenzhou 12 astronauts acting as pandas. (Image credit CCTVHere is a part of the official translation in English if you wish to sing along"Working in Space is hard.Be healthyYou can choose from hundreds of delicious dishesYu Xiang Rou Si Kung Pao ChiRice cookies are so deliciousYou and I are happy pandas."The song pays tribute to the robotic arms and wifi that were installed on the space station to keep crew members connected to Earth. They are able to perform scientific and maintenance tasks.Shenzhou 12, China's inaugural crewed mission since 2016, will involve "a range of tasks like repair and maintenance," Yang Liwei (director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office), stated in an English-language report by state media provider CGTN this month.China will complete construction of its space station by 2022. It will also send periodic supply ships to the station for crew supplies. SpaceNews reports that the station will last for 10 years. Future launches are expected to include international science payloads, Chinese experimental modules, and foreign astronauts.Image 1 of 4 A still taken from an adorable cartoon depicting Chinese daily life at the Tiangong space station. It features Shenzhou 12 astronauts dressed as pandas. (Image credit to CCTV) Image 2: 4 A still from an adorable Chinese cartoon depicting daily life at the Tiangong space station. Shenzhou 12 astronauts are playing pandas. (Image credit to CCTV) Image 3 from 4 A still from an adorable Chinese cartoon depicting daily life at the Tiangong space station. Shenzhou 12 astronauts are the pandas. Image 4 of 4. Credit to CCTV. A still from an adorable Chinese cartoon depicting daily life at the Tiangong space station. Shenzhou 12 astronauts are pandas. (Image credit CCTV)Russia indicated earlier this month that it might send cosmonauts to the Tiangong space station, but negotiations with China are still in their early stages. Russia is a participant in the International Space Station Program, but China isn't an ISS participant due to a 2011 ban on NASA bilateral agreements. This was due to concerns about China’s security and military practices.Roscosmos Director-General Dmitry Rogozin said this month that Russia may withdraw from the ISS agreement in 2024. This would presumably make it easier to reach a Chinese agreement. New NASA administrator Bill Nelson and Pam Melroy, the deputy administrator of NASA, have expressed concern about China's more aggressive and ambitious activities in space during recent Congressional hearings. Melroy was a nominee at that time for the position.China's space activities have been notable in recent years. In 2019, China landed the first ever rover to the far side of Mars, and earlier this year, it placed the first Chinese rover to Mars. China was also condemned for allowing the core of the Long March 5B rocket, which is a massive Long March 5B rocket, to fall uncontrollably to Earth in May after Tiangong's launch. There were no casualties in the rocket's fall.Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Spacedotcom
