Space tests to aid blood and brain research

The Shenzhou XXIII mission crew has carried out a number of science and technology tasks since its arrival at the Tiangong space station a little over a month ago, the China Manned Space Agency has announced.

To support space medical experimentation, the Shenzhou XXIII astronauts — mission commander and spaceflight engineer Colonel Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Colonel Zhang Zhiyuan and science payload specialist Lai Ka-ying — assisted one another to conduct ultrasound examinations on multiple body parts including the neck, wrist and abdomen.

The collected data is being used for research on blood vessel and blood flow characteristics, as well as the remodeling of sensitive muscle groups.

Zhu's team used a robot called Xiaohang to perform touch interaction tests. The results will help optimize the motion planning algorithms for in-orbit robots in future missions.

The astronauts also used electroencephalogram acquisition devices to conduct multiple experiments that cover visual-motor processing and behavioral responses to lighting conditions.

In addition, the crew members applied near-infrared brain functional imaging equipment to gather relevant data to help researchers explore the impact of long-duration spaceflights on astronauts' brain functional networks, as well as the brain's spontaneous adjustment and adaptation mechanisms in response to external environmental changes in space.

In the field of microgravity physics, Zhu and his teammates installed and repaired several world-class experimental apparatus.

Moreover, they used a diagnosis instrument, which incorporates diagnostic methods in traditional Chinese medicine, to collect physiological data, providing solid support for researchers to monitor astronauts' health in long-duration spaceflight, according to a news release from the space agency.

Apart from their routine duties, the Shenzhou XXIII astronauts used a hot air oven to prepare a dish that no crew had ever attempted — roasted pumpkin.

In 2025, astronauts from the Shenzhou XX and Shenzhou XXI missions demonstrated to the public how they used this specially designed oven to cook grilled chicken wings and steak, enjoying the first-ever space barbecue in front of the camera with great relish.

According to Liu Weibo, an engineer at the Astronaut Center of China, this world-first "space oven" can extract cooking fumes and collect food residues inside its chamber, while sealing food in place and heating it evenly.

Before China, the United States had delivered an oven in 2019 to the International Space Station and had astronauts bake cookies in microgravity as part of an experiment.

However, the cookies they made were never eaten and were instead sent back to Earth for research purposes.

The Shenzhou XXIII crew launched into space on May 24 and arrived at the Chinese space station the next day, marking China's 17th manned spaceflight and also the 11th crewed mission aboard the Tiangong.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn