Three Chinese astronauts set up WiFi in the country's space station core module Tianhe on Friday morning.
Screenshots from CCTV News
The astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, went into space by the Shenzhou-12 spaceship launched on Thursday morning and entered the core module in the afternoon.
"With WiFi, astronauts can communicate with people on the ground, and even their families. They can communicate smoothly and make video calls," said Sun Jun, chief engineer of the space station mission at the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center.
Information technology applied on the core module allows broader bandwidth between space and Earth. There is also a private voice channel for the astronauts, where they can call their family members to share their feelings of living in space.
Wireless communication is also equipped with Bluetooth technologies, by which astronauts can talk with each other and with the ground more easily.
In addition to basic network communications, astronauts can also use smart home applications in the space station. They can adjust light in the cabin by handheld terminals, providing a cozier living environment.
"China's application of these new technologies in the space station is better than others," said Bai Linhou, deputy chief designer of the space station at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
Chinese astronauts can feel more comfortable working and living in the cabin, according to Bai.
(Compiled by Zhang Jian)
