Shenzhou-18 Crew Prepares for Earth Return | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Crew Prepares for Earth Return | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-18 crew aboard China's orbiting Tiangong space station is preparing for their return mission while wrapping up remaining experiments. The three astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, were sent into space for a six-month mission in April this year. Their return will take place after completing a handover with the Shenzhou-19 members at the space station.

Over the past week, the astronauts continued to carry out experiments in space material science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion science. They replaced the plug-in burner of a combustion cabinet gas experiment and samples from a fluid physics experiment cabinet as planned.

In addition, the crew members completed experimental tasks related to the study of astronaut psychological and behavioral ability.

In terms of emergency decision-making research, they used test software to complete basic cognitive ability tests, risk cognition tests, decision-style tests, and comprehensive decision-making tasks. The ground staff used the test results to carefully evaluate the astronauts' in-orbit emergency decision-making ability and to measure influential  factors, such as in-orbit time, emotional states, and workload on the test results for emergency decision-making abilities.

In terms of in-orbit emotion recognition and evaluation research, the ground staff evaluated the emotional state of the astronauts through questionnaires, color preference tests, and emotional picture tests. They also explored the impact of medium- and long-term flight on the emotional state of astronauts.

Furthermore, the Shenzhou-18 crew conducted rendezvous and docking training. 

The astronauts used the metacognitive training system to complete image recognition and operation testing under different initial conditions, confirming the overall accuracy and reliability of their operational skills.

In preparation for the return, the crew completed in-orbit data cleaning and transmission to ground stations, material inventory and sorting, equipment status checking, and they gathered items for return.

As for regular medical examinations, the astronauts had basic physical checks, ambulatory electrocardiographic blood pressure monitoring, 12-lead Electrocardiogram tests, plus non-invasive cardiac function and ultrasound examinations.

While keeping up physical exercise, the astronauts used microgravity physiological protective equipment, including acupoint stimulation clothing and bone loss countermeasure instruments to reduce the health impacts of their long-duration mission in a microgravity environment.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 27, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号#Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LongDurationSpaceflight #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video