Shenzhou-19 crew marks over 130 days in orbit, advancing scientific experiments

China

Shenzhou-19 crew marks over 130 days in orbit, advancing scientific experiments

2025-03-16 14:13 Last Updated At：16:37

The Shenzhou-19 crew has spent more than 130 days aboard China's space station, advancing key scientific experiments, maintaining equipment, and conducting medical evaluations.

The mission's three astronauts - Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze - have been living and working on the Tiangong Space Station throughout this period.

Over the past week, operations inside the national space laboratory have seen marked progress, with the crew conducting multiple scientific experiments, environmental monitoring, and equipment maintenance.

In the field of space medicine, they further examined the kinematic characteristics of astronauts during long-duration missions. This process utilized a structured-light 3D camera to capture motion data of astronauts in microgravity, enabling the analysis of movement patterns and offering valuable insights for future operations.

The crew has also conducted a study investigating changes in operational force under typical postures in orbit, as well as microgravity physics experiments. Additionally, they conducted self-checks on the space radiation biology exposure experiment module, which supports research on radiation damage, genetic mutations, protective drugs, and biological risk assessments on human beings and living organisms.

Other completed tasks include replacing samples for containerless experiment cabinets.

As part of their schedule, the astronauts underwent in-orbit medical emergency training to refine their skills, get familiar with equipment placement, and adapt rescue techniques to the microgravity environment.

They also filled out cognitive workload and fatigue assessment forms to contribute data on the impact of long-term spaceflight on operational performance.

Another key feature has been regular health monitoring, including dynamic electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure checks, alongside exercise routines to counteract the effects of weightlessness. They also cut their hair during their stay at the space station.

The Shenzhou-19 crew, was sent into space on Oct 30, 2024 for a six-month mission, which includes 86 space science research and technology experiments, as announced by China Manned Space Agency prior to the launch.

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday launched the first phase of a new claims system that will allow importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Companies and their customs brokers can submit refund requests through CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal using a newly developed tool known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, starting Monday.

Once a claim is validated, CBP will recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment. The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, local media reported Monday.

Valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, CBP said, though more complex cases could take longer.

CBP is rolling out the refund process in phases. Court filings show that more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly 166 billion U.S. dollars.

The Supreme Court ruled in February that U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under IEEPA are unconstitutional. It is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over such taxes.

Following the ruling, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade directed CBP to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.