China
China launched a Long March 8A carrier rocket on Sunday from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan, sending an internet satellite group into space.
The rocket lifted off at 10:03 and successfully placed the 28th group of low-orbit internet satellites into their preset orbit.
China launches new internet satellites
The Shenzhou-23 crew aboard China's Tiangong space station carried out space science experiments, station maintenance, and health checks over the past week, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Five months into their mission, the three astronauts -- Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying -- have steadily advanced space science and experiment tasks.
Last week, the crew conducted several experiments on space life science and human research.
As part of the "multi-person collaborative interface experiment," the astronauts wore all-in-one virtual reality headsets to conduct behavioral tests, with individual perception experiments and two-person collaborative experiments being carried out concurrently.
The crew completed the fifth installation of the material exposure experiment apparatus outside the space module with ground support and coordination.
Currently, the space station is conducting its fourth round of extravehicular exposure experiments, which encompass eight scientific research projects and 26 sample units. Depending on specific research requirements, these samples will undergo exposure experiments in orbit for a duration of one or two years.
For space station maintenance, the astronauts conducted routine inspections and servicing of the regenerative environmental control and life-support system and related equipment.
They also carried out tests on microbial samples collected from water dispenser outlets and cleaned the cabinet interior on schedule.
For health monitoring, the trio performed ultrasound examinations of areas including the neck and abdomen. They also exercised using equipment such as a bone-loss countermeasure device and a neuromuscular stimulator.
The three astronauts were sent into space aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft on May 24.
Shenzhou-23 crew conduct space science experiments, equipment maintenance, health checks
