China's Shenzhou-18 crew to raise fish in space

(ECNS) -- Aquatic ecological experiments will be carried out in China's Tiangong space station after it welcomes the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, scheduled for launch at 8:59 p.m. Beijing time on Thursday, according to a press conference held on Wednesday at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province, northwest China.

Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director of China Manned Space(CMS), said that the crew of Shenhzou-18 will carry out China’s first in-orbit ecological experiment, using zebrafish and coontail to establish a stable closed-loop aquatic space ecosystem. This will mark a breakthrough in raising vertebrates in space.

The crew will also conduct the world's first in-orbit research on plant stem cell functions, revealing how plant evolution adapts to gravity.

Other 90 experiments will be conducted, covering microgravity fundamental physics, space materials science, space life sciences, aerospace medicine, space technology, and other fields, according to Lin.