The crew of the crewed “Shenzhou-21” mission, currently aboard China’s “Tiangong” orbital station, has reported obtaining their initial successful harvest of “space tomatoes.” According to China Central Television (CCTV), the astronauts cultivated cherry tomatoes employing an aeroponic setup, subsequently photographing and selecting the ripe produce before sealing and packaging the plants along with their yield for ensuing research.
In the near future, the crew intends to conduct comparable trials involving wheat, carrots, and medicinal herbs. The objective of these efforts is to validate essential technologies and broaden the selection of crops suitable for cultivation in microgravity environments, alongside boosting the performance of bioregenerative life support systems for extended voyages into space.
The aeroponic apparatus, engineered by specialists at the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, functions by misting water as a fine aerosol. This methodology allows for a marked improvement in water utilization efficiency and facilitates the creation of ideal growth conditions for plants in space.
In addition to these agrobiological investigations, the “Shenzhou-21” crew is concurrently engaged in tasks related to material physics, maintaining the regenerative life support equipment, and conducting routine monitoring of the station’s microbiological status. The astronauts are also undergoing medical evacuation drills and performing blood tests to track their physiological health.
The “Shenzhou-21” mission commenced its journey from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 31, 2025. The crew executed their inaugural spacewalk on December 9. The information and practical knowledge acquired will be instrumental in refining autonomous life support and food production technologies intended for prospective future expeditions.
About the Author
