China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has released its first comprehensive report detailing the progress of scientific research and applications conducted aboard the country’s space station. Since its full completion on December 31, 2022, the station has yielded 34 groundbreaking results across various scientific disciplines.
The report highlights significant achievements in three main areas:
- Space Life and Human Research: 13 results, including the development of germplasm resources of rice and ratoon rice in space, and the first differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into hematopoietic stem/precursor cells in a space environment.
- Microgravity Physical Science Research: 12 results, such as the creation of the world’s first cold atom interference gyroscope operating in space microgravity.
- New Space Technology and Application Research: 9 results, including the establishment of the first high-throughput in-orbit microbial control test platform and achieving the longest operational period for a water ecosystem in orbit.
These achievements are built upon 181 scientific and application projects implemented aboard the space station as of December 1, 2024. The extensive research involved nearly two tonnes of scientific materials sent to orbit, the return of approximately 100 types of experimental samples, and the accumulation of over 300 terabytes of scientific data.
The contributions come from 63 scientific research teams across China, resulting in the publication of more than 500 high-level SCI papers and the acquisition of over 150 patents.
Looking ahead, the space station is set to carry out more than 1,000 research projects over the next 10 to 15 years. The CMSA emphasized the commitment to actively promote scientific popularization and international cooperation in these endeavors.
Since entering the application and development stage on December 31, 2022, China’s space station has been operating smoothly, completing multiple manned missions. These include four manned flight missions, three cargo supply missions, and four spacecraft reentry missions.
To date, five trios of Chinese taikonauts have either stayed or are currently aboard the space station, conducting a total of 10 extravehicular activities. The CMSA also confirmed that candidates for the fourth cohort of Chinese taikonauts have been selected, signaling continued advancement in the nation’s manned spaceflight program.
Reference(s):
China releases first report on space station research and application
cgtn.com
