New Delhi: China’s Shenzhou-18 crew, with astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, are expected to return to earth after their six-month mission on November 4th. This revelation was made by the China Manned Space Agency during a press briefing, adding that, after the crew transfers the spacecraft control to Shenzhou-19 on orbit, the crew will return to Earth at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia. This year’s Shenzhou-18 has been productive in several scientific and technical outcomes since it was launched in April. Presently, the crew is in good health and has just prepared for the upcoming return mission.
The Shenzhou-18 crew members have been performing different scientific activities in the Tiangong space station, especially in space material science, microgravity fluid physics, and combustion science. Among their studies, the astronauts performed China’s first aquatic ecological experiment in space, an experiment that aimed at studying the behaviour of fish in space.
They bred zebrafish in a facility that mimics microgravity, and the fish was seen swimming in the wrong direction—upside down, with rotation and circular patterns, which would not be seen in normal gravity on Earth. The study seeks to establish how vertebrate growth, development, and behaviour are influenced by space conditions, and the study also offers information on the cycling of materials in closed ecological systems, which is crucial in supporting long-term space missions.
Extraordinary Spacewalks for China’s Astronauts
As part of the mission, the crew set new records for China’s space program, including two spacewalks in May and July. For instance, the first of them established a new record for China as they spent almost 8.5 hours in the open space—the longest single extravehicular activity by China’s astronauts. Spacewalks let the crew repair equipment, check its functionality, and contribute to China’s experience in long-duration space missions.
Last preparations and data sharing
Before their return, which has been scheduled recently, the crew managed to perform several significant operations, such as in-orbit data removal and sending, equipment inventory, and rearrangement. These steps help them make sure all their data, samples, and equipment from their experiments are well labelled and well stored in readiness for analysis when they get back. The water samples, fish eggs, and videos captured from the zebrafish experiments will be studied by the scientists in the future to investigate how space environments affect biological and ecological processes.
The Shenzhou-18 mission has built up China’s research capability in space science and provided important data that will assist in future long-duration space missions. As the crew members get ready for their return, it has been seen that China’s interstellar capabilities have increased and the country is more inclined towards scientific progress in microgravity conditions.
