It's a "dream come true" for the Shenzhou-14 crew as they entered the Mengtian lab module, the last major module for China Space Station Thursday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the space station had come into its basic structure, a neat T-shape, after a "transposition" process.

One of the China Space Station designers told CGTN that the station's T-shape configuration is meaningful in many ways.

Tang Yi, head designer with China Space Station System of the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), said the design aims for "harmony in space, ground and people."

"In space, the assembly would be able to orbit in a reliable, stable configuration and posture," Tang said. "In communication with ground, China Space Station is designed to bypass signal obstruction so that it can always be linked to the ground."

As for astronauts, or the people, "the three-module means ample room to roam for three, or even six astronauts onboard without feeling cramped," Tang added.

Tang also said that designers have anticipated the space station's future on the outset. "We've designed it so it can extend and upgrade, including what's inside the modules, much of China Space Station's equipment can change and upgrade."

For Gao Yanchao, also with CAST and works with the space station's information and electricity flow, Thursday was also a big day. "Perhaps the most important day for me in ten years," He said. 

The team has started to examine the plan that will enable a "reliable, flexible, and efficient" information management for the T-shaped CSS around ten years ago. "We've been through countless experiments and tests, and today's in-orbit performance will made me perhaps too excited to get sleep tonight," Gao said on Thursday.

Zhang Yuedong, deputy chief of Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, said the flight control team was excited and happy too, with all of Thursday's moves and plans carried out smoothly.

"The flight control team, all of us have been working non-stop and have been 100 percent focused on the job for this day … and for the China Space Station's safe and stable orbital flight."

Zhang said the ground team would continue to work extra hard anticipating future arrangements.

"For the next step, we will examine and evaluate the T-shaped assembly's functions, and continue to watch its moves, including the space environment it is flying in. We will make sure CSS and its T-shaped configuration have a safe and smooth presence in space."

(Cover: The transposition of the Mengtian lab module was completed at 9:32 a.m. BJT, November 3, 2022. /CFP)