China to Conduct 'Human Body Experiment' in Space... Astronauts to Stay One Year to Observe Physical Changes

Collecting Human Body Data for Long-Term Space Stays

China plans to conduct an experiment in which astronauts will stay in space for one year. As the US-China space race intensifies, this project aims to collect human body data needed for future long-term astronaut missions.

On the 25th (local time), Chinese state-run media, including China Central Television (CCTV), reported that the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou 23 successfully docked with the Tiangong space station.

On the 25th (local time), three astronauts of Shenzhou 23 entered the Tiangong space station and met with the Shenzhou 21 crew who had been staying there. After taking commemorative photos, the two teams began the official handover of duties. The Shenzhou 21 crew had been at Tiangong since November last year. Xinhua Yonhap News

Shenzhou 23, a Chinese spacecraft, docked with the core module of the Tiangong space station, carrying three astronauts: Commander Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Li Zhaying.

The mission of these three astronauts is to stay at the Tiangong space station for one year. The goal is to understand how the microgravity environment of space affects the human body. The human body data they collect is expected to be used by Chinese space authorities to prepare for future long-term space stays. In addition, the astronauts will carry out more than 100 separate scientific projects in areas such as life sciences, space medicine, microgravity, and fluid physics.

Regarding this, a spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency stated at a press conference, "The goal is to accumulate data on what changes occur in the human body during long-duration spaceflight and to verify health safeguards for astronauts undertaking long missions." Space is an environment exposed to cosmic radiation and has weak gravity, which can affect bones, muscles, and other parts of the human body.

Some observers have analyzed this project as a preliminary stage in the lunar exploration competition between the United States and China. This is because NASA is also collecting human body data in preparation for long-term stays on the Moon. In April, NASA sent four astronauts near the Moon on the Artemis II mission to focus on studying the effects of low gravity and radiation on the human body.

NASA also conducted an experiment using so-called "organ-on-a-chip" devices made from astronauts' cells to analyze how the deep space environment affects human internal tissues. Artemis III will conduct lunar lander docking training next year, and in 2028, NASA plans to launch Artemis IV to carry out a crewed lunar landing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.