Life remains busy in orbit for China’s astronauts with a range of drills, maintenance and experiments to carry out.
The Shenzhou 18 crew — Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu — currently aboard the Tiangong space station recently went through a depressurization drill, as seen in new footage released by China’s human spaceflight agency on Sept. 15.
The footage shows the three astronauts donning masks attached to air bottles before apparently seeking for the source of a simulated leak. The trio, who have been aboard the Tiangong space station since late April, conducted a similar drill in July with a simulated debris strike and decompression event.
The astronauts conduct system-wide pressure emergency drills to strengthen their emergency response capabilities and their ability to coordinate with teams on the ground.
Related: China’s space station, Tiangong: A complete guide
The footage also shows a Tiangong external payload adapter during egress. These adapters allow for experiments to be conducted in space, in addition to the payload racks inside Tiangong, which host experiments in areas including space materials science, fluid dynamics in microgravity and combustion.
Related to these experiments, the astronauts assessed a pre-cooling device for biological experiment samples. The small refrigeration unit is used to protect samples that are returned to Earth.
Commander Ye Guangfu and his crewmates also went through eye pressure examinations, as well as neuromuscular stimulation, as part of regular steps to monitor and maintain their physical condition.
The crew also engaged in more mundane activities, including arranging equipment and supplies, garbage transfer and storage, in order to maintain a clean environment in the space station.
China completed the construction of the three-module Tiangong station in late 2022. It aims to keep the orbital outpost permanently occupied and running experiments for at least a decade. The Shenzhou 18 crew are scheduled to live aboard the orbital outpost around November, when they will greet the next crew and get ready to depart for Earth.
