The Shenzhou-20 crew will conduct three new cytology experiments during their mission in China's space station.
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Thursday, sending astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie to space.
The three astronauts took over the space station from the Shenzhou-19 crew on Sunday, after which they will gradually start assigned space experiments, including those related to cell science.
The samples for the cytology experiments were delivered to the spacecraft only 6.5 hours before the launching, while the ground-based researchers simulated the sample loading process before that to make sure the samples can be in the best state.
"We loaded the cells at the last minute before launching, aiming to provide them with the most suitable and optimal environmental conditions. During this process, we try to keep the cells in a dormant state as much as possible, so that their response to the environment can be minimized. After entering the orbit, we have specialized cell culture incubators inside the space medicine experiment cabinet, which are set to 37 degrees Celsius. This is when we activate the cells," said Li Yinghui, a researcher from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
Cytology has always been an important component of China's space medicine experiments. The research primarily focuses on studying the effects of space environment on cells, as well as the characteristics and patterns of cellular responses.
Li introduced the focuses and targets of the three new cytology experiments.
"In space, there have been examples of astronauts developing blood clots, so we are focusing on the mechanisms of thrombosis. We have chosen cardiac muscle cells and endothelial cells to conduct co-cultivation, to observe their interactions under microgravity conditions. Additionally, for the first time internationally, we will co-culture three types of brain region cells, those of cortex, thalamus and cerebellum, into a tri-brain-like organoid to study their interactions from the perspective of motor ability under weightlessness. Furthermore, we have selected classical clinical formulas from traditional medicine. By regulating neural cells, we hope to see whether they can have a better effect on improving memory," said Li.
In previous manned spacecraft missions, China had sent 19 types of cells, including human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, skin stem cells, osteoblasts, human skeletal muscle satellite cells and artificial blood vessel chips, into space.
A total of 22 cytology experiments were conducted in orbit, achieving a series of innovative results in areas such as experimental technology, experimental models and scientific research. Some of these results have already contributed to enhancing public health, providing a research platform for exploring health issues such as osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular decline and cognitive function decline.
Shenzhou-20 crew to conduct three new cytology experiments in space
Honor's humanoid robot, Lightning, which swept the 2026 Beijing E-Town Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon on Sunday, is a natural extension of years of accumulation in consumer electronics technology, said its developers.
A leading smart device provider in China, Honor independently developed the model, which dominated the podium at the event as it was used by all three teams whose autonomous navigating robots ran the fastest times.
At the Honor factory in Pingshan District in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, where robotics engineers developed Lightning. They said the robot's body design incorporates a simulation system that, through artificial intelligence algorithms, can iterate nearly 30,000 design schemes of varying sizes over three months. Complete and mature systems are also in place for battery, communication, and reliability verification.
"We built a simulation lab from scratch. For the robots, we digitize the entire design and put it into a computer. We have our own material library, which can meet the force, thermal, and chemical property demands for each component, under different environments and speeds. We've accumulated about 1000 kinds of materials. For example, if there's a risk with the robot's neck, we just need to change the material code from 001 to 002. Now, through our simulations, we only need one day to perform parallel calculations on 10 different designs, before creating a mold and verifying it in the lab," said Li Zheng, a senior engineer at Honor.
An autonomous robot capable of completing a half-marathon involves a complete industry chain, with core components including high-precision sensors, LiDAR, motors, operating systems, and control algorithms. The development of robotic marathoners have driven an increasing number of component enterprises to get involved.
Manifold, a tech firm established by newly-graduated PhDs, has developed a 3D spatial memory module, which can model an environment in real time and transform it into images that robots can understand. They said several robots running the half-marathon this year adopted their solution.
"Our device can operate within a one-kilometer tunnel with an error margin of only tens of centimeters. For robots, especially in the absence of GPS, this allows them to accurately determine their location. The underlying technology is a multi-sensor fusion technology that we developed in-house," said Qin Youming, CEO and founder of Manifold.
The Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center set up a training camp for the marathon event. Many university students came a month ahead of the event to develop and debug their technologies and algorithms based on open-source robot bodies, databases, and training platforms.
"These high-quality databases and highly open-source control algorithms are actually very helpful to us. We no longer need to build the house from the ground up, but can skip the most basic part," said Sun Jingyu, a student from Shandong University.
"Through this racing event, I believe we can make our robots more reliable and stable, while also supporting high-dynamic, high-load movements. This is crucial for robots' future application in both industrial, commercial and domestic scenarios," said Guo Yijie, head of the innovative humanoid department and the Marathon project of Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.
Engineers share development story behind Beijing humanoid half-marathon champion model
