China's Shenzhou-21 astronauts have steadily carried out a series of tasks aboard the Tiangong space station over the past week, including in-orbit experiments, equipment maintenance and health monitoring, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Sunday.
The crew, comprised of mission commander Zhang Lu and astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, have spent more than four months in orbit and remain in good health, according to the CMSA.
Inside the station's core module, cherry tomatoes cultivated using a water aeroponic device are thriving. The astronauts documented the plants with photos, harvested ripe fruit and sealed both plants and produce separately for preservation.
Building on the success of the cherry tomato cultivation, the team will conduct aeroponic experiments with wheat, carrots, and both medicinal and edible plants as planned. These trials aim to validate key technologies and expand the range of crops and technical capabilities for space cultivation.
In the field of space materials science, the crew completed several tasks, including cleaning the experimental chamber in the unpressurized compartment, replacing experimental samples, maintaining the electrodes of the central mechanism, and cleaning the window cover of the central mechanism.
They also completed related microgravity combustion science experiments, which included replacing the burner and sampling cover inside the experiment cabinet, as well as vacuumization and exhaust gas discharge.
Additional work included maintenance of the regenerative life support system equipment, microorganism monitoring and assessment and medical training, which helps familiarize the astronauts with the rescue operation methods and force application characteristics in a microgravity environment.
The Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct 31, 2025, sending the three astronauts to the orbiting space station on a six-month mission.
Shenzhou-21 crew advances space experiments, equipment maintenance on Tiangong
Shenzhou-21 crew advances space experiments, equipment maintenance on Tiangong
