Shenzhou-19 mission returns with key space research samples that were swiftly transported to Beijing.
Samples from experiments conducted in space, which returned with the crew of China’s Shenzhou-19 space mission on Wednesday, have been delivered to scientists in Beijing for further examination.
A handover ceremony was held on Wednesday evening at the Chinese Academy of Science’s (CAS) Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, where the samples were distributed to various research teams.
The three astronauts of Shenzhou-19 returned to Earth on Wednesday after completing their six-month space mission. They brought back 37.25 kilograms of samples from 25 experiments in various fields such as space life science, materials science, and new technologies.
Among the samples, 20 are from life science experiments and include bone cells, osteoblasts, human bronchial epithelial cells, embryos from humans and animals, protein samples, and fruit flies. This marks the largest range of biological samples returned since the Chinese space station’s operation began in late 2022.
These biologically sensitive samples were swiftly transported to Beijing right after the spacecraft landed at the Dongfeng site in western Inner Mongolia.
Fruit flies, which are commonly used in such experiments due to their genetic similarities to human disease-causing genes, were among the biological samples returned. Studies on fruit flies have contributed to six Nobel Prizes.
The fruit flies brought back by the Shenzhou-19 crew were descendants of flies previously sent to the space station in November by the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft. These experiments focused on how the flies would reproduce and grow under conditions resembling the Moon or Mars, which have almost no magnetic field and zero gravity.
Three generations of the fruit flies were successfully bred aboard the space station.
Li Yan, a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics at CAS, explained that in space, fruit flies struggle to adapt to the zero-gravity environment and often float or crash. Further analysis revealed abnormal changes in their instinctive behaviors like courtship and feeding, prompting the need for deeper data investigation.
Li also pointed out that as humanity looks toward space exploration, environments like the Moon or Mars, with zero gravity and low magnetic fields, may pose challenges for living beings in terms of survival, reproduction, brain functions, and behavior. Such pre-research is crucial for understanding the mechanisms behind these changes.
In addition to the biological samples, 22 other samples, including high-strength steel and lunar soil reinforcement materials, will soon be sent to Beijing for further study.
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