Tianhe core module in the context of "Tiangong Space Station"

The Wentian laboratory cabin module (simplified Chinese: 问天实验舱; traditional Chinese: 問天實驗艙; pinyin: Wèn tiān shíyàn cāng; lit. 'Quest for the Heavens laboratory cabin module'), is a major component of the Tiangong space station. It is the first of the station’s Laboratory Cabin Modules and the first module added to the Tianhe core module.

Wentian was launched on 24 July 2022 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site and docked with Tianhe later that day. The crew of Shenzhou 14 entered the module for the first time a few hours later. On 30 September 2022, the module was relocated to the starboard port by the station’s indexing robot arm to prepare for the arrival of the Mengtian.

Mengtian (simplified Chinese: 梦天; traditional Chinese: 夢天; pinyin: Mèng Tiān; lit. 'Dreaming of the Heavens'), officially the Mengtian laboratory cabin module (Chinese: 梦天实验舱), is a major module of the Tiangong space station. It is the second Laboratory Cabin Module launched, after Wentian, and the second module to extend the existing Tianhe core module of the station. It was launched into orbit from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on 31 October 2022, successfully docking with Tianhe forward port at 20:27 UTC on the same day.

On 3 November 2022, Mengtian was relocated to the larboard port at 01:32 UTC by indexing robot arm. On the same day at 07:12 UTC, the crew of Shenzhou 14 opened the hatch and entered the module for the first time.

The Tiangong space station (Chinese: 天宫空间站; pinyin: Tiāngōng kōngjiānzhàn; lit. 'Heavenly Palace space station'), is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by China Manned Space Agency. Tiangong is a modular design, with modules docked together while in low Earth orbit, between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface. It is China's first long-term space station, part of the Tiangong program and the core of the "Third Step" of the China Manned Space Program; it has a pressurised volume of 340 m (12,000 ft), slightly over one third the size of the International Space Station. The space station aims to provide opportunities for space-based experiments and a platform for building capacity for scientific and technological innovation.

The construction of the station is based on the experience gained from its precursors, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2. The first module, the Tianhe core module, was launched on 29 April 2021. This was followed by multiple crewed and uncrewed missions and the addition of two laboratory modules. The first, Wentian, launched on 24 July 2022; the second, Mengtian, launched on 31 October 2022.