Three life science experiments have been successfully conducted aboard China's orbiting Tiangong space station, with biological samples now stored in a low-temperature freezer and scheduled to be returned to Earth aboard a crewed spacecraft in the second half of this year for further analysis.
On July 15, the experimental materials were delivered to the space station by the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft.
The Shenzhou-20 crew, now aboard the space station and comprising astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, then installed the cell experiment units into the Biotechnology Experiment Cabinet's cell and tissue module.
Under remote control from the ground, the system automatically carried out a series of complex procedures, including cell culturing, microscopic imaging, and sample fixation. Then, the astronauts conducted in-orbit sampling and stored the specimens for return.
"These experimental projects involved five types of samples, including organ-on-a-chip and skeletal muscle progenitor cells, among others. All three life science experiments have been successfully completed. The samples are currently stored in a low-temperature freezer and will be returned to Earth aboard a crewed spacecraft for further research," said Jin Xuena, a researcher at the Beijing-based Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a recent interview with the China Central Television.
Chinese researchers have conducted a series of biological studies on the space station, including experiments on plants, cells, fruit flies, and zebrafish.
These studies will provide valuable scientific data that could advance fundamental biological research and support future efforts in disease treatment and drug development.
The Shenzhou-20 crew was launched into space in April this year and is scheduled to return to Earth in late October.
China's Shenzhou-20 crew to bring samples of life science experiments back to Earth
