Shenzhou XXIII crew marks one month in orbit with baked pumpkin, science experiments

BEIJING -- The three astronauts of the Shenzhou XXIII spaceflight mission, Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, have completed their first month aboard China's Tiangong space station, according to a video released by the China Manned Space Agency.

A highlight of the month-long "space business trip" is that the crew has unlocked a new culinary experience in orbit – freshly baked pumpkin. A video released by the CMSA on Sunday shows the astronauts placing sweet pumpkin chunks into a space oven, bringing a touch of home-cooked warmth to life aboard the orbital outpost.

Over the past week, the crew has maintained a busy and productive schedule conducting scientific experiments. In the field of space medicine, they used an ultrasound diagnostic device to scan one another's necks, wrists and abdomens. The data collected will support research on pan-vascular blood flow spectroscopy, spatiotemporal blood flow mapping, and the remodeling of muscle groups sensitive to microgravity.

The crew also interacted with the space robot, conducting touch-based tests to collect data to help optimize motion planning for in-orbit robots.

Research into in-orbit electroencephalogram (EEG) testing has progressed smoothly, with the astronauts using EEG equipment to conduct experiments on visual-motor processing and behavioral responses under different lighting conditions, the CMSA said.

As part of their health management program, they used a traditional Chinese medicine diagnostic device to collect physiological data, providing researchers with information to support health monitoring during long-term space missions, the video showed.

China launched the Shenzhou XXIII crewed spaceship on May 24. The mission includes a one-year in-orbit stay experiment, which will provide crucial data for future long-duration space exploration.