China's space adventure just leveled up! The return capsule of the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft has landed, delivering a stellar 31.5 kilograms of space samples to eager scientists in Beijing. 🌌
After an epic six-month mission aboard China's space station, astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin touched down at 5:46 p.m. Beijing Time on Tuesday. Just eight hours later, the cosmic goodies were handed over to the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Talk about fast delivery! 🚚
The treasure trove includes samples from 23 scientific experiments, featuring 32 types of life samples like human bone cells, bone marrow stem cells, protein crystals, living organic molecules, and seeds. 🌱 But that's not all! There are also 18 kinds of material samples, including containerless materials, high-temperature materials, and materials exposed outside the cabin. Scientists are over the moon with excitement! 🔭
What's next? Researchers will dive into biological analyses like transcriptome sequencing and proteomics detection. By studying how cells behave in microgravity, they hope to uncover new clues for disease prevention and intervention back here on Earth. 🌍
They're also set to diffract proteins to capture ultra-precise 3D structures. This could be a game-changer for developing new drugs and vaccines. Science FTW! 💊
The Shenzhou-17 crew arrived in Beijing early Wednesday morning, welcomed as heroes after their stellar journey. With these new samples, China's scientific community is gearing up for groundbreaking discoveries. Stay tuned, space fans! 🚀
Reference(s):
Samples from China's Shenzhou-17 mission delivered to scientists
cgtn.com
