China’s Shenzhou-23 crew completes 60 days in orbit

BEIJING: The three astronauts aboard China’s Shenzhou-23 mission have completed 60 days in orbit, carrying out scientific studies, station maintenance and health monitoring work at the country’s space station, the China Manned Space Agency said.

Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying recently finished a study examining how long-duration spaceflight affects the gut microbiome. Using a space Raman spectrometer, the crew conducted research on microbiome changes and nutritional metabolism to assess how intestinal flora shifts under extended orbital conditions and how those changes influence nutrient metabolism.

The astronauts also performed a force control test designed to study changes in fine motor control and adaptive learning during long-term missions. In addition, they carried out in-orbit rendezvous and docking training, including image recognition exercises under different initial conditions with a metacognitive training system.

Alongside the experiments, the crew continued routine upkeep of the space station complex and in-orbit health management tasks, the agency said.

2026 research call opened

The CMSA has also opened a call for proposals for the space station’s 2026 scientific research and application programme. The agency said the programme is built around three broad fields: space life sciences and biotechnology, space microgravity physics, and new space technologies and applications.

It includes 23 research directions, among them frontier exploration in space life sciences, studies into material preparation processes under microgravity, and in-orbit manufacturing and construction technologies.