BEIJING - Scientific endeavors aboard China's space station are expected to bear fruit, as the Shenzhou XIV taikonauts have devoted more time to microgravity experiments on the Tianhe orbiting core module since entering it a month ago.
China's space station is designed to be a versatile space lab, capable of accommodating 25 experiment cabinets for scientific exploration. The China Manned Space Agency has released video updates from space, showing that the station's core module is packed with research equipment, and the experiments in orbit span a range of disciplines, including microbiology, physics and medicine.
The three-member crew has conducted microbial tests in water, air and surface samples to make sure that they are safe and comfortable during the six month spaceflight. They also installed a device for carbon dioxide reduction and regeneration in their orbiting home.
The trio was seen undergoing eye examination and medical aid training in the latest update.
Commander Chen Dong was spotted testing a spacesuit, preparing for the upcoming spacewalks out of lab module Wentian, which is scheduled to be launched this month.
The experiment cabinets installed on Wentian will allow the taikonauts to perform experiments on molecules, cells, tissues and organs by using various online detection methods such as visible light, fluorescence or microscopic imaging.
The experiments and construction of the space station for the trio have not been all about it. They are also keeping a decent work-life balance in orbit.
Recent videos captured them doing workouts on treadmills and exercise bikes to reduce the impact of microgravity exposure on the body.
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A female taikonaut Liu Yang, wearing a light pink waistcoat, was seen folding colorful paper stars for leisure and collecting them in a glass bottle. Since China shared it on Tuesday, the video has drawn more than 1.2 million hits on the microblogging site Sina Weibo.
Some media reports linked Liu's pastime activity to what she said before the mission -- write blessings to her children '' in the stars during the space trip. A social media user said she was expecting her to bring back a bottle full of stars.
The deputy chief designer of China's manned space program taikonaut system, Wu Dawei, praised the Shenzhou 14 crew as a young, lively and rigorous team with good physical, operational and psychological conditions. Three taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe were sent to its space station combination for a six month mission after China launched the Shenzhou XIV spaceship on June 5. The crew will witness two lab modules, the Shenzhou - 5 cargo craft and Tianzhou - 15 crewed spaceship, docking with the core module of the space station.