Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
China's Tiangong space station has embarked on a pioneering aquatic ecological research project, with four zebrafish and four grams of goldfish algae launched into space on April 25 aboard the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft.
The goal is to establish a self-cycling aquatic ecosystem in microgravity, marking a first for vertebrate-raising experiments in orbit. The project aims to study the impact of the space environment on vertebrate growth, development, and behaviour.
Experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) report that the zebrafish are in good condition after over three weeks in orbit. This successful establishment of a self-sustaining aquatic habitat is a significant breakthrough.
Astronauts aboard Tiangong have collected water samples twice and replaced the fish food box once, revealing some directional behaviour anomalies in the zebrafish, such as inverted swimming and rotary movement in microgravity.
Photo: X/@AJ_FI
Zebrafish are considered ideal model animals for research on human diseases due to their genetic similarity to humans. The experiment's findings could advance understanding of human health and disease processes.
Like astronauts, the zebrafish had to pass through rounds of selection to become 'aquanauts,' highlighting the rigorous process to ensure their suitability for the experiment.
Observing the zebrafish and analysing collected samples could provide valuable insights into maintaining life support systems for extended space missions and future space settlements.
The project paves the way for future studies on the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on complex organisms, contributing to the broader field of space biology.
As Tiangong continues its orbit, the zebrafish will remain under close observation by researchers, who are eager to unlock the secrets of sustaining life in space and apply these findings to future space exploration endeavours.