JIUQUAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Shenzhou-23 crew, during their upcoming mission, will carry out experiments involving "artificial embryos," rare-earth alloys and novel batteries, while contributing data on long-duration space residency, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Saturday.
The crew will conduct more than 100 new science and application projects, focusing on frontier fields such as space life science, materials science, microgravity fluid physics, aerospace medicine and new space technologies, CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo said at a press conference held one day prior to the launch of the Shenzhou-23 mission.
The mission will utilize zebrafish embryos, mouse embryos and stem cell-derived "artificial embryos" to explore the establishment of a space embryonic research system ranging from lower vertebrates to higher mammals, said Zhang.
In space material science, their research will focus on producing advanced materials, including high-performance rare-earth permanent magnets and lightweight high-entropy alloys, and studying how to regulate their performance, according to Zhang.
The mission will leverage the year-long flight of one astronaut to explore human adaptability and performance limits, aiming to establish a multi-system, multi-omics atlas of human body in space.
An in-orbit verification of a new type of space energy storage battery will also be conducted, and the results are expected to be applied to future upgrades of the space station's capabilities, said Zhang.
The crew will also conduct extravehicular activities (EVAs), handle cargo transfers, as well as install and retrieve external facilities. Aside from operational tasks, they will also engage in science education.
China's Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:08 p.m. Sunday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. ■
