After completed a rapid autonomous rendezvous and docking with the space station assembly, the crew of Shenzhou-18 entered the orbital module via the return module of the spacecraft. At 05:04 am on April 26, 2024 (Beijing time), the crew of Shenzhou-17, who were performing missions in orbit, successfully opened the door of their "home" to welcome their counterparts from Shenzhou-18 to settle in the Tiangong space station. Later, the two crews took a group photo to report safety to the people across China who were concerned about them.

The two crews will carry out an in-orbit rotation in the space station. During this phase, the six astronauts will work and live in the space station together for about five days to complete all scheduled missions.