On November 14, 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew touched down safely in Inner Mongolia, accompanied by "mice astronauts." Launched on October 31, these rodent explorers spent nearly two weeks in orbit — almost twice the originally planned duration — aboard China’s Tiangong space station.
Immediately after landing, scientific teams conducted on-site analyses, observing the mice’s behavior and collecting key physiological and biochemical data. Researchers monitored heart rate variability, bone density shifts and muscle mass to assess how microgravity and radiation impact mammalian biology over extended periods.
Preliminary findings are encouraging: the mice showed robust adaptation to weightlessness, with only minor changes in muscle atrophy and bone structure. These insights provide a solid foundation for larger-scale mammalian studies in orbit, paving the way for future human missions that will require a deep understanding of life in space.
In addition to the life-science samples, the return capsule carried combustion experiment materials designed to improve fire safety protocols on long-duration flights. Engineers will now evaluate how flames behave in microgravity, a critical factor for ensuring crew safety on deep-space missions.
This milestone underscores the Chinese mainland’s rapidly advancing space program and highlights the growing role of small animal research in unlocking the mysteries of space biology. As agencies around the world explore sustainable life-science experiments in orbit, these tiny astronauts mark a significant leap toward more ambitious explorations.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
