Astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying on China's Shenzhou-23 mission have harvested the first batch of rice samples grown on the Chinese Space Station. The crop was cultivated from seeds delivered to orbit in May, supporting research into space-based food production for future space exploration beyond Earth's atmosphere.
According to a report by China Central Television, in-situ production involves growing food and maintaining a self-sufficient life support system in space without depending on resupply missions from Earth. Officials view this capability as essential for humanity's deep space exploration efforts.
The crewed Shenzhou-23 spacecraft launched on May 24, carrying the rice seeds and other experimental materials to the space station. Since their arrival, the three crew members have conducted a series of space science operations.
Experiment structure and rice varieties
The project aims to cultivate two consecutive generations of rice in orbit from seed to seed for the first time. Scientists are using the test to study how prolonged exposure to microgravity affects the genetic stability of the crop.
The experiment uses Chinese-developed japonica rice varieties, which feature high adaptability and a growth cycle of three to four months. The seeds are divided into four cultivation units, with six seeds planted in each unit to test two distinct breeding approaches.
One group contains common seeds that have never left Earth. The other group consists of seeds descended from a family of space rice that was harvested in orbit in 2022 and subsequently grown for three generations on Earth.
Reproduction methods and sample return
In the sexual reproduction group, mature rice ears will be harvested and transplanted into new cultivation boxes to produce a second generation. This test will analyze transgenerational memory formed through sexual reproduction to determine if space-exposed seeds adapt better to orbit than terrestrial seeds.
The second group uses a ratoon rice cultivation model based on vegetative reproduction. After the initial crop matures, only the root system is preserved, allowing new shoots to regenerate from the remaining plant tissue and yield another harvest. Researchers will compare the adaptability of vegetative and sexual reproduction in space.
The current work builds on a 2022 experiment on the Chinese Space Station, which marked the world's first seed-to-seed orbital rice test. In that trial, six seeds grown over 120 days produced 59 first-generation space-grown seeds before returning with the Shenzhou-14 crew.
The Shenzhou-23 astronauts will return to Earth with rice ears, seeds, and frozen plant samples for laboratory analysis. Researchers intend to use the findings to select optimal models for future space agriculture.
