Space devices help taikonauts maintain their health in zero gravity
BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- As China works to send more taikonauts on long-term missions in space, ensuring their well-being has become a matter of public concern. The cutting-edge devices aboard the Tiangong Space Station have proved to be invaluable tools in maintaining the safety and health of the these taikonauts in a zero-gravity environment.
The China Manned Space Agency has recently unveiled fascinating footage of a taikonaut crew engaging in rigorous workouts in space to mitigate the physiological impacts of prolonged exposure to microgravity.
The agency said that taikonauts in orbit need one to two hours of exercise daily to counteract the effects of microgravity, which include muscle loss, abnormal heart rates and immune system disorders. The three-module space station has fitness areas stocked with various equipment, including rowing machines, treadmills and resistance devices, so that taikonauts can stay fit.
The crew members in orbit were also seen wearing specially designed uniforms equipped with elastic resistance bands that enable them to experience elastic force, inducing muscle tension and counteracting the detrimental effects of a weightless environment on muscle.
During spaceflight, medical staff on the ground can continuously monitor the body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and other physiological indicators of any taikonaut in orbit in real-time, and they maintain regular communication.
During the Shenzhou-11 mission in 2016, China tested its first space-Earth telemedical consultation system. The orbiting taikonauts transmitted their physiological data from the spaceship, allowing doctors on Earth to provide diagnoses and prescriptions, which were subsequently returned to the crew in space.
The Chinese "space home" also features an onboard clinic for its residents, providing various devices that monitor vital signs regularly. Additionally, the clinic is able to track organ functions and offer emergency first aid and trauma medical supplies, according to the space agency.
Available devices include cardiopulmonary resuscitators and ultrasound machines, and they are designed to be more compact than normal to save space aboard the orbiting station.
The real-time data of taikonauts is accessible thanks to wearable monitoring equipment. Even if a spacecraft enters the blackout zone -- a zone that a spacecraft passes through when it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, where communication with the ground is interrupted -- the equipment on taikonauts' suits can store their data for future analysis by ground personnel.
The Tiangong Space Station also offers a unique service in space that is not available to their peers aboard the International Space Station: traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment. In their latest video update, the Shenzhou-17 taikonauts can be seen using a TCM diagnostic instrument to test their health. And in 2022, the Shenzhou-13 crew was spotted receiving acupuncture in zero gravity, garnering millions of views on social media.
(Editor:Fu Bo)
Related articles
Ant sets the record straight: TV star breaks his silence on THAT tattoo
Ant McPartlin has broken his silence after revealing he'd welcomed his first child with his wife Ann2024-05-20Alleged Rushdie attacker, awaiting trial in New York, could still face federal charges, lawyer says
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — The lawyer for the New Jersey man charged with stabbing author Salman Rushdie2024-05-20- A bus carrying 20 passengers plunged into a river in St Petersburg killing at least three people, Ru2024-05-20
BoE holds interest rates at 16
The Bank of England held interest rates at their 16-year high of 5.25 per cent today - but hinted th2024-05-20Rinus VeeKay overcomes early crash with final flourish to make Indianapolis 500 pole shootout
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rinus VeeKay changed his fortunes with one late, daring Indianapolis 500 qualify2024-05-20Virginia budget leaders reach compromise with governor on state spending plan
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia budget negotiators and Gov. Glenn Youngkin have reached a compromise o2024-05-20
atest comment