A short video aired by China Media Group unveiled the whole process of the handover between China’s Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 crews at the space station, including samples and equipment for scientific experiments.
The Shenzhou-19 spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 04:27 on Oct 30.
The Shenzhou-19 crew - Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze - successfully reached their destination and joined their Shenzhou-18 colleagues - Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu - on the same day after the spaceship completed a rapid automated rendezvous and docking with Tianhe core module of China's Tiangong space station.
During the in-orbit rotation, the astronauts cooperated in an orderly manner to complete the handover procedure, including the transfer and sorting of items brought by Shenzhou-19, the operating precautions of the equipment on the space station, and important ground calls and requirements, to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent work.
The scientific experiments on the space station were also handed over smoothly. The Shenzhou-18 crew helped the new trio in transferring and placing the experimental components and samples brought by Shenzhou-19 to the space station.
The scientific projects to be carried out by the Shenzhou-19 crew include cell experiments, focusing on the effects of the microgravity environment on cell growth, differentiation and function.
So far, China has implemented many space medical cytology experimental projects in orbit, providing an important research platform for the physical health protection of astronauts.
During the rotation, the two crews also carried out routine medical examinations, including mass measurements, muscle ultrasound examinations, and bone density measurements. The Shenzhou-18 crew shared the experience in using relevant equipment and instruments.
The two crews held a handover ceremony in the core module on Nov 1. The Shenzhou-18 astronauts passed the key to the new trio and signed confirmation documents together.
After the handover, the Shenzhou-18 crew made preparations for the return trip, and the three astronauts returned to Earth on Nov 4 after completing their planned tasks aboard the space station.
CMG video unveils handover process between Shenzhou-18, Shenzhou-19 crews
A new chapter has been opened in the decades-old campaign of fighting desertification in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as the 3,046-km green belt encircling the Taklimakan Desert in the region was completed on November 28, 2024.
The Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "sea of death," covers 337,600 square kilometers and its circumference measures 3,046 km, making it the largest desert in China and the second-largest drifting desert in the world.
It has taken more than 40 years to fully enclose the desert with a green belt. This incredible achievement is part of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world's largest afforestation initiative. The program was launched in 1978 and is scheduled to be completed by 2050.
Xinjiang's commitment to fighting desertification did not waver following the green belt's completion. Instead, the region is continuing to expand and fortify the belt to achieve broader ecological management objectives.
Despite subzero temperatures and recent snowfall, the relentless work at the sand control site persists.
In Yutian County on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are busy leveling a 530-hectare piece of sandy land for the forthcoming ecological conservation endeavors.
"It's been almost a month, and we'll work for another three or four days, and then we'll have leveled it out here," said a bulldozer driver working on-site.
In Luopu County also on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are preparing red willow branches in nurseries for planting across more than 400 hectares of desert in the coming spring. Indigenous sand-fixing plants like sacsaoul and red willow are poised to assume important roles in fighting desertification the upcoming year.
The green belt surrounding the Taklimakan Desert not only emphasizes ecological conservation but also highlights economic progress. Through photovoltaic projects, the region is pioneering a novel ecological management strategy aimed at achieving dual objectives of environmental preservation and economic prosperity. This approach not only aids in fighting desertification, but also promises economic benefits, propelling sustainable development in the area.
Presently, the construction of a photovoltaic project within the Taklimakan Desert is busy underway, with workers installing solar panels. By spring, sand fixing plants like alfalfa and Chinese fountain grass will be planted below these panels, making the project a good example for the exploration of a new win-win model of ecological governance and economic development in Xinjiang.
Xinjiang opens new chapter in fighting desertification
