A high-tech vegetable factory at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China is producing fresh food to ensure the healthy dietary and well-being of China's astronauts during their space mission.
The China Manned Space Agency announced on Tuesday that the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 04:27 Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, with three Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze on board.
To ensure the astronauts to taste fresh vegetables during their six-month stay in space, researchers and scientists established a vegetable factory in 2021 at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the iconic hub of China's space exploration.
Despite no soil or sunlight, vegetables are thriving inside the factory thanks to a sophisticated hybridity of technologies.
"There are four major systems working together here, namely artificial lighting, nutrient solution, cultivation and environment and temperature control. The artificial lighting system mimics sunlight, while the nutrient solution system replaces the traditional soil and substrate. The factory takes up a smaller space, but its output is relatively high," said Yuan Bin, a staff member of the vegetable factory.
Resembling a space-age garden, the vegetable factory features a sterile environment that ensures the safety of the food produced inside.
"No pesticides or fertilizers are used throughout the entire vegetable growth process, and there are no pests or diseases. This guarantees the absolute safety of [the astronauts'] food. Once the astronauts arrive, we will harvest the vegetables on-site to ensure they receive the freshest produce possible," Yuan said.
A variety of vegetables and fruits can be found in the vegetable factory, including cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and even watermelons.
"We primarily provide two types of vegetables for [the astronauts] to take into space, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. They are ripe, and taste sweet and juicy," said Yuan.
The vegetable factory also includes a packing line, where staff members package vegetables into small containers with salad sauces.
For Yuan, the upcoming Shenzhou-19 mission is the eighth manned space mission that he has supported. He said these packages of fresh vegetables also embody his wish for the mission.
"I wish for the complete success of the Shenzhou-19 mission and hope that China's space program continues to advance and reaches new heights," said Yuan.
High-tech vegetable factory ensures healthy dietary for astronauts in space
The "soft landing" of the China-EU electric vehicle case will greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
He Yongqian, the spokeswoman, made the remarks after China and the European Union (EU) agreed on the necessity of providing general guidance on price undertakings for Chinese companies exporting battery electric vehicle (BEV) passenger cars to the EU.
"China and the EU simultaneously announced on Monday that they had achieved positive outcomes following multiple rounds of consultations on the EV case, a development that has drawn wide attention at home and abroad. Industry players from both sides have 'highly welcomed and fully endorsed' the outcome, saying the 'soft landing' of the case is expected to greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment. Some EU politicians have described it as a positive step toward building a sustainable China-EU trade relationship, and said it demonstrated that resolving trade differences through partnership remains feasible," she said.
"Against the current international backdrop, China and the EU, acting in a spirit of mutual respect and within the framework of WTO rules, have properly addressed the EV case, which is of significant positive importance. The outcome will not only contribute to the sound development of China-EU economic and trade ties and help safeguard the stability of the global automotive industrial and supply chains, but will also send a clear and strong signal that both sides are willing to uphold a rules-based international trading order, setting a good example for countries to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and injecting greater certainty and positive energy into global economic growth," she said.
"China appreciates the spirit of dialogue showed by the EU side and stands ready to work with the EU, building on the current positive outcomes, to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides, maintain dialogue and communication, and support stable industrial and supply chains on both sides, continue to deepen cooperation on the basis of market principles, and make active contributions to the global green transition," she added.
"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman
"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman
