Space breeding arrangements have been made, and the crew of Shenzhou 16 will choose an opportunity to carry out extravehicular activities for bacterial species | Shenzhou | activities

According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, since the successful entry of the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft into the space station complex on May 30, 2023, the crew has been in orbit for more than 50 days,

One third of the 5-month space research trip has been completed, and the various space science experimental tasks undertaken are steadily advancing. The crew of Shenzhou 16 will choose the opportunity to carry out extravehicular activities.

The Shenzhou-16 astronaut crew is a new combination of three types of astronauts: space pilots, space flight engineers, and payload experts. It is the first crew to be deployed after the completion of the National Space Laboratory.

Since entering the space, facing heavy space science experimental tasks, the crew has quickly adapted to the environment and entered a state. They have carried out a series of space science experiments in the fields of life ecology, space microgravity physics, and participated in the installation of space radiation biology exposure experimental devices for the Dream Space Experiment Module and gas cylinders for the space station's electric propulsion system. Among them, the extravehicular radiation biology exposure experiment was carried out for the first time in China. Using this radiation device for research will provide strong support for radiation damage, genetic variation, radiation protection drug preparation, and radiation risk biology assessment of human organisms. It is of positive significance to ensure the long-term health stay of astronauts in orbit and promote the implementation of manned lunar landing plans. Through the installation of gas cylinders for the electric propulsion system in orbit, it was adopted for the first time. The "air exchange" method has completed the replenishment of electric propellants, which will be used for long-term orbit maintenance of the space station, improving the economy and efficiency of space station operation.

At present, the crew of Shenzhou-16 astronauts is in good condition, the space station assembly is operating stably, and it is ready to carry out extravehicular activities.

Aerospace breeding cultivates stable and high-yield varieties of morel mushrooms

Yesterday, the China Manned Space Engineering Office released the list of space breeding experimental projects for the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft. In fact, since the implementation of the manned spaceflight project, all previous flight missions have arranged space breeding and carrying experimental projects. Recently, the scientific research team of the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully screened and bred new varieties of morchella with excellent characteristics from the Morchella strains carried on the Shenzhou 12.

Morchella mushroom is a delicious and economically valuable edible mushroom, mainly grown in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Shaanxi and other regions. Its growth requires high requirements for light, air, humidity, soil, etc. During the cultivation process, it also faces problems such as strain degradation, unstable mushroom production, and low yield. With the widespread application of aerospace breeding in agricultural production, researchers have sent the strains of Morchella into space and successfully bred large and fragrant high-quality varieties from 263 Morchella strains carried by Shenzhou 12.

Zhao Qi, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences: The comparison between the morel mushrooms that have not been raised to the sky and those that have been raised after being carried by Shenzhou 12 is particularly evident. Those who have never been to the sky, ranging from 7 centimeters to 8 centimeters; Those who have gone up to the sky have already exceeded 10 to 11 centimeters. The previous variety could only achieve a maximum yield of less than one ton per acre, but through our use of this variety, the new variety will produce thicker and larger meat, increasing the weight per unit area. As a result, the overall cultivation area will increase the weight. So far, the highest yield of this new variety has reached 1.6 tons per acre.

Space breeding, also known as space breeding, is the process of allowing crop seeds to travel to space on a return spacecraft. By utilizing special environmental factors such as cosmic rays, microgravity, and high vacuum, a very small number of these seeds undergo genetic mutations, and then return to land. After multiple generations of screening and cultivation by scientists, stable new varieties are ultimately formed. Aerospace breeding not only improves yield per mu, but also enhances the taste of morel mushrooms. It is reported that the gene expression of flavor substances in morel mushrooms has increased, resulting in a stronger aroma. It can be said that the morel mushrooms that have gone through the sky are even more fragrant.

Zhao Qi, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: We have currently screened 8 out of the 263 strains carried on the Shenzhou 12. We are ready to promote them to the market in the future, so that growers can gain more benefits, and let us, a rare species of morel, enter the dining table of thousands of households.