Tiangong Begins Monitoring Greenhouse Gases With Shenzhou-23 Assistance
Tiangong TV: July 5th 2026.
Another week has passed on Earth and in orbit, meaning another episode of ‘Tiangong TV’ has been published by the China Manned Space Agency, detailing the activities of Shenzhou-23’s Zhu Yangzhu (朱杨柱)1, Li Jiaying (黎家盈)2, and Zhang Zhiyuan (张志远)3. Of notable interest this week are the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s (香港科技大学) MUSICO instrument4 starting its greenhouse observations and the crew making use of the space station’s famous oven to bake a few cakes.
Attached below is a translated transcript of the newest episode:
Inside the Chinese space station, 400 kilometers away, the Shenzhou-23 crew is methodically carrying out various in-orbit tasks. Let’s take a closer look.
Last week, three taikonauts, in collaboration with ground-based researchers, completed the in-cabin assembly and testing of the MUSICO instrument as well as its installation outside the space station5. This compact, high-resolution, and high-precision instrument can accurately monitor carbon dioxide and methane concentrations in key low and mid-latitude regions across the globe. It is expected to provide valuable space-based observational data for global greenhouse gas source tracing and ecological and environmental research.
Multiple experiments in the fields of microgravity physics and fluid physics are proceeding in an orderly manner. Tasks completed according to plan include experiment cabinet maintenance and alignment operations, the replacement of soft-matter materials, and the swapping of experimental module samples. The crew also replaced experimental samples in the fluid physics experiment cabinet, cleaned the containerless cabinet’s experimental chamber, performed maintenance on the motor of the central mechanism, and cleaned the window cover lenses.
In addition, a series of experiments on lighting environment factors was conducted. By adjusting and manipulating the lighting environment inside the module and conducting taikonaut performance tests before and after these adjustments, teams investigated the impact of the lighting environment in special spaces on human psychological perception and work efficiency.
The crew is diligently carrying out tasks related to the maintenance of the space station complex platform and meticulously cleaning the interior environment to ensure a tidy and safe living and working space. At the same time, they are using relevant equipment to measure their personal noise exposure levels.
Shenzhou-23’s crew continues to conduct in-orbit health monitoring. Last week, the three taikonauts collected, centrifuged, and stored blood samples. They underwent cardiovascular function tests, intraocular pressure and fundus examinations, and ultrasound scans of multiple body areas. They also completed bone density measurements and used the space body weight scale to measure their body mass while in orbit, comprehensively monitoring physiological changes in the microgravity environment.
Additionally, the crew is actively engaging with in-orbit exercise using various equipment to maintain optimal physical and mental health, ensuring the efficient progress of their mission.
Currently, the Shenzhou-23 crew's scheduled tasks are progressing smoothly, and their life in space is rich and fulfilling. See you next week!
If there are any problems with this translation please reach out and correct me.
Tiangong TV Episode July 5th 2026 produced by the China Manned Space Agency, cloned to YouTube for viewing on the Western internet and archival.
Commander of the mission for his second spaceflight, having flown as part of the Shenzhou-16 mission, for 153 days from May 30th 2023 to October 31st 2023. Born in September 1986, he is from Peixian (沛县), in Jiangsu (江苏) province, and was selected as part of China’s third taikonaut group in 2020.
Before becoming a taikonaut, he worked as an Associate Professor of aerospace engineering within the People’s Liberation Army, where he achieved the rank of Colonel. Since December 2006, Zhu Yangzhu has been a member of the Communist Party of China. He has been awarded the title of ‘Heroic Astronaut’ too.
Mission Specialist for the mission, she is flying for the first time following selection as a fourth batch taikonaut in 2024. Born in November 1982, she is from the Hong Kong (香港) Special Administrative Region.
Prior to being selected, she was a Chief Inspector of the Hong Kong Police Force, reaching the rank of Superintendent, and holds a PhD in computational and information science-related subjects.
Spacecraft Pilot of the mission, he is in space for the first time after being selected as part of the third group in 2020. Born in June 1986, he is from Gansu (甘肃) province.
Before being selected as a taikoanut as part of the third group, he served in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force as a pilot, where he achieved the rank of Colonel. He has been a member of the Communist Party of China since 2011.
MUSICO stands for ‘Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory’. It was delivered via Tianzhou-10 in May.
Via Mengtian’s cargo-only airlock.