China's Shenzhou-21 crew members carried out a series of key tasks aboard the Tiangong space station over the past week, including scientific experiments, station upkeep, and equipment maintenance.
The mission is seen as crucial for advancing long-duration spaceflight and strengthening China's role in global space research, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The crew, consisting of mission commander Zhang Lu and astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, have spent more than three months in orbit, and they will celebrate the Spring Festival in space.
The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, falls on Feb 17 this year and represents the most important holiday for Chinese people.
In the core module, the crew used the metacognitive training system to complete image recognition and operational tests in various initial conditions.They conducted a microgravity intuitive-physics experiment with onboard laptops, collecting behavioral data to examine how extended spaceflight affects instinctive physical representations and recovery mechanisms.
The astronauts engaged in close interaction with their old friend aboard the space station, the intelligent robot "Xiaohang." Through collaborative human-machine interface software, they worked alongside "Xiaohang" to conduct experiments on spatial relationships and multi-modal interaction techniques, exploring ways to optimize human-robot collaboration in space.
The astronauts also participated in a research related to musculoskeletal stress during exercise. Using equipment such as plantar pressure sensors and patch-type ultrasound devices, they collected data on foot pressure, joint kinematics, exercise imagery, and relevant muscle parameters during different running intensities in flight, aiming to establish the mapping relationship between different movement parameters and plantar pressure, as well as to understand the changing characteristics of muscle-tendon interactions.
In a related study, the crew wore specialized biomimetic adhesive shoes to perform lower-limb force stimulation tests, with data collected to explore muscle function retention capabilities.
The crew advanced the in-orbit electroencephalogram (EEG) tests as scheduled. They conducted experiments on the time-varying characteristics of brain networks in space using near-infrared brain functional imaging equipment.
They investigated the effects of long-term spaceflight environments on astronauts' brain functional networks, as well as the brain's spontaneous adjustment and adaptation mechanisms in response to external environmental changes.
In the field of microgravity physics, the astronauts completed multiple tasks, including replacing experimental samples in the fluid physics cabinet, swapping out experimental plug-ins in the combustion cabinet, and cleaning experimental chamber samples in the containerless cabinet.
They also completed maintenance of the regenerative life support system equipment, performed cabin environment cleaning and upkeep, and replaced the cabin foot restraints.
Shenzhou-21 crew advances key spaceflight research on Tiangong
Shenzhou-21 crew advances key spaceflight research on Tiangong
