China launches Shenzhou-18 carrying 3 astronauts and 90 experiments | will also breed aquatic vertebrate in micro gravity

image credit CMSA

On Thursday, China launched the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, marking a significant milestone in the country's space exploration program. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that the launch took place at 20:59 p.m. Beijing Time, carrying Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu to China's space station, Tiangong. Astronaut Ye Guangfu has participated in the Shenzhou-13 manned space flight mission, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu are among the country's third batch of astronauts and will carry out a space flight for the first time," said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-18 spaceship, sitting atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was transferred to the launching area on April 17, with pre-launch function checks and joint tests conducted to ensure the spaceship's readiness.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship will perform a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe about six and a half hours into the mission, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

They will take over the command of China's Tiangong space station after completing an in-orbit handover with their colleagues of the Shenzhou-17 mission who has been on the space station since Oct 26 last year and are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 30. The new crew will stay in orbit for approximately six months, returning to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in late October.

During their time in orbit, the Shenzhou-18 crew will receive the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship and the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, and will meet with the Shenzhou-17 crew, who are currently working at the space station, before the latter returns to Earth on April 30. The crew will perform multiple tasks, including experiments and tests in space science and application, two to three extravehicular activities (EVAs), cargo transportation, and popular science education and public welfare activities. With over 90 experiments spanning multiple disciplines such as physics, material science, and life sciences, the mission aims to delve deeper into understanding microgravity and its affects.

One of the mission's highlights is China's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research program, which aims to create a self-sustainable aquatic ecosystem in orbit using zebrafish and goldfish algae as the research objects. This research will help make a breakthrough in breeding vertebrates in space. Another highlight of the mission is the world's first in-orbit study on plant tip stem cells, aimed at deciphering the intricate mechanisms of plant evolutionary adaptation to gravity. This research holds immense promise for advancing our understanding of plant biology and cultivation techniques in space, laying the groundwork for sustainable space agriculture.

The CMSA also announced that the selection of its fourth-batch taikonauts is nearing completion, with new members set to join the team and work on follow-up space station missions and China's manned landing on the moon. China also plans to promote the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in its space station flight missions, welcoming new members from different backgrounds to the China space station in the near future.

Furthermore, China is preparing for its first manned lunar landing by 2030, with all systems under development and construction as planned. The Long March-10 carrier rocket, the Mengzhou (Dream Vessel) manned spacecraft, the Lanyue (Embracing the Moon) lunar lander, and the landing suits have completed their design and are undergoing production and testing.