Recently, China's aerospace science and technology has ushered in two major progresses. On the one hand, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft has successfully brought back the sixth batch of samples for scientific experiments on the space station, and on the other hand, the Chang'e-6 mission is about to start on May 3, which is expected to further promote China's lunar exploration program.
Shenzhou-17 brought back precious scientific samples
On April 30, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft returned safely to Earth carrying important scientific experiment samples. The samples included 32 samples from human osteoblasts, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to protein crystals, as well as 18 material samples, with a total weight of 31.5 kilograms. The samples cover 23 scientific experiments in the fields of life sciences and materials science.
The life samples were transferred to the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing in the early morning of May 1. Scientists will conduct in-depth analysis of these samples, including transcriptome sequencing and proteomic testing, to explore the biological mechanisms of cells in microgravity environments, which is of great significance for disease prevention and intervention research. In addition, through crystal diffraction analysis of protein samples, scientists hope to obtain more accurate information about the 3D structure of proteins, which can help in the development of drugs and vaccines.
Material samples will also be brought back to Beijing for detailed analysis, and scientists will study the effects of gravity on the growth and composition of materials, which is expected to lead to breakthroughs in areas such as the preparation of new materials and even the resource utilization of lunar soil.
Preparations for the Chang'e-6 mission
At the same time, preparations for the launch of the Chang'e-6 mission are also in full swing. The China National Space Administration has announced that Chang'e-6 is scheduled to launch on May 3, which will be the second launch of the Long March 5 launch vehicle. The mission will use the "narrow window multi-orbit" launch technology to ensure that the probe can successfully enter the lunar orbit within the optimal time window.
The goal of Chang'e-6 is to carry out sample returns on the far side of the Moon, which will provide new data and materials for scientific research on the Moon. At present, the all-region joint training between all systems has been completed, and the preparatory work before the launch is progressing steadily.
Looking to the future
These two major developments not only demonstrate China's strength in the field of aerospace science and technology, but also lay a solid foundation for future scientific research and space exploration. With more scientific data and sample analysis, we can expect more scientific breakthroughs in areas such as biomedicine, materials science, and the utilization of lunar resources. At the same time, the successful launch of Chang'e-6 will further advance China's position in international lunar exploration.