Shenzhou-19 Crew Returns Largest Volume of Experimental Samples in Years
China's Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on April 30, 2025, after completing a six-month mission in space, bringing back the largest volume of experimental samples since the space station began its operational phase in late 2022, a researcher told China Central Television (CCTV).
The return capsule, carrying astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, marking the successful conclusion of their space expedition.
In the interview with the CCTV on the landing site, Jiang Yue, head of the landing site experimental team for the space utilization system at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), explained that the Shenzhou-19 mission brought back valuable samples from life science and material science experiments conducted in microgravity.
"The life science samples brought back this time include human bone cells, lung cells, 3D stem cells, protein crystals that naturally crystallized in microgravity, our adorable space travelers—fruit flies, and frozen embryo cells. The material science experimental samples mainly consist of container-less materials, high-temperature materials, and materials exposed to space conditions," Jiang said.
"The total weight of the samples is 37.25 kilograms, marking the largest quantity and weight of experimental materials returned during the space station's application and development phase," he said.
With the launch of the Shenzhou-15 mission in 2022, China's space station entered a new phase of application and development, set to last more than 10 years. A key focus of this stage is to conduct scientific experiments, and astronauts play a vital role in carrying out these missions.
Jiang also introduced special measures taken to ensure the safety and integrity of the precious experimental samples. Life science samples, in particular, require immediate laboratory processing upon their return.
"Life science experimental samples must be sent back to the laboratory for processing immediately upon landing. After completing their experiments in space, these samples are stored in a minus 80-degree Celsius freezer aboard the space station. They are only taken out a few hours before the return capsule leaves the station. Once we receive the samples from the return capsule, they will be immediately placed in a minus 20-degree recovery and transportation device, which has been specifically designed for the landing field environment," Jiang said.
"We ensure a cold-chain transport throughout the entire process. The samples will be swiftly transported to Beijing, where scientists are eagerly awaiting their arrival. Once the samples are received, they will immediately begin processing and analysis," he said.
Duration: 1 minute, 18 seconds
Release Date: April 30, 2025
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