To create blood stem cells in space, Chinese researchers claim to have completed a first-of-its-kind experiment.
The test was carried out following the Tianzhou-6 cargo ship’s docking with the space station. Three taikonauts, or Chinese astronauts, and the cells were returned to Earth on Sunday by the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft.
Blood Stem Cells Produced for the First Time in Space
In the experiment, pluripotent stem cells—a special kind of stem cell that can transform into any type of major human cell—were sent to the Wentian lab module on the space station, where some of them were successful in transforming into hematopoietic stem cells, a different kind of stem cell that produces blood cells.
In this manner, scientists created blood cells in space for the first time.
The scientific discipline of regenerative medicine, which aims to regenerate human organs, tissues, and other body components to repair original parts damaged by aging, illness, or accident, depends on stem cells.
As cells can be impacted by the microgravity environment in space, just like the complete human body, studying stem cells in space is a prominent topic in this field of study.
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Chinese Scientists Achieve Breakthrough
One of the goals of China’s human space mission, according to Cang Huaixing, chief researcher for the station’s scientific investigations at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is the search for potentially livable planets.
The fundamental goal of our research is to learn how to travel, survive, and have children in an environment with heavy radiation and microgravity.
It’s also important to note that the nation’s Stirling thermoelectric convertor successfully completed its in-orbit verification.
According to the China Manned Space Agency, the heat-to-electricity converter demonstrated a globally superior conversion efficiency during its seamless operation (CMSA).
China has successfully conducted in-orbit testing on liquid metal heat management on its space station during the Shenzhou-15 mission.
The controlled melting, expansion, and convection heat transfer of bismuth-based metals in microgravity were all confirmed by these tests.
As of May 29, the Shenzhou-15 crew had completed 38 space scientific experiments encompassing life ecology, material science, and fluid mechanics, 28 space medical studies, and 8 human factors engineering research activities.
These experiments yielded useful experimental data.
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