Shenzhou-20: China reaches for the stars in new space launch

By Wendellyn Mateo

China is no stranger to dreams of taking flight beyond the skies, but unlike many who merely dream, its ambitions are becoming reality – one space launch at a time.

They marked another milestone on Thursday when the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. 

Aboard are three astronauts: mission commander Chen Dong and now certified space explorers Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, who are all set to conduct various activities including space science experiments, application tests and cargo handling as part of China’s quest to reach for the stars.  

In pursuit of science 

While in space, the crew will hold new life science experiments involving zebrafish and streptomyces, as well as planarians – a first for space-based investigation.  

Planarians are known for their regeneration abilities.

“This project will enhance our understanding of fundamental mechanisms of regeneration at the individual level and could provide insights into human health issues related to space-induced injuries,” Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency, told a pre-launch news conference.  

Besides these experiments, the crew will conduct 59 technology tests. These will hopefully pave the way for breakthroughs including in the cultivation of vascularised brain organoid chips and the study of preparing high-temperature superconducting material in space, according to a report from Xinhua.

More than 200 scientific projects have so far been done at China’s self-built Tiangong space station.

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Shenzhou-19 crew passes on torch  

The new team will undergo an in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-19 crew, who are scheduled to return to earth at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Tuesday, April 29.

The Shenzhou-19, which has been in orbit for 175 days, was able to work on 88 space science and technology test projects during their mission, producing over 100 sample units.  

But its most significant accomplishment yet is setting a world record for the longest duration of an extracurricular activity by a single astronaut that lasted for nine hours.  

China’s space dream  

For China, the mission represents another step in its goal to become a global space power. 

It aims to send people to the moon by 2030 and eventually build a lunar base there. 

During the press conference, Lin confirmed progress on plans for the nation’s lunar landing missions, with multiple tests on related spacecraft set to be conducted soon. 

China has also extended potential space cooperation with other nations, particularly on the participation of foreign astronauts in its future space station missions.  

Lin revealed they were training a fourth group of astronauts in fundamental spaceflight theory and other exercises.

The group will include individuals from Hong Kong and Macao who can fly off to space as early as 2026.

Two astronauts from Pakistan will also be trained for space missions, giving one of them a chance to serve as a payload specialist on a future Chinese space station flight. 

President Xi Jinping once dubbed space as a crucial field of scientific and technological progress. 

One’s own achievements, he said, can serve as symbols of the scientific strength of a nation.

“The universe is vast and exploration of it will never end.”

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