Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, south China - Jan 17, 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of rocket blasting off, in flight
2. People standing with illuminated skyline in background

Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of combination of Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft and Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket on launch pad

Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, northwest China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Shang Peng, professor, Northwestern Polytechnical University (starting with shot 3/ending with shots 5-6):
"We can see our astronauts are doing physical exercises in space for several hours a day. This can exercise their skeletal muscles and also prevent their bone loss effectively."

FILE: In Space - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of astronauts exercising in Tiangong space station
6. Various of astronauts carrying out extravehicular activities

Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of experimental devices

Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, northwest China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
8. SOUNDBITE (Chinese, dubbed with English) Shang Peng, professor, Northwestern Polytechnical University (starting with shot 7/ending with shots 9-10):
"Our experimental equipment in space will guarantee the physical and chemical conditions for cell culture like the replacement of nutrient fluid and the gas for bone cells. They also carry fluorescence microscope and ordinary light microscope to monitor the growth of the cells. Some of this information will be recorded and transmitted to the Earth for analysis in real time and in the future."

Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of surveillance video footage showing scientists working at lab

FILE: In Space - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of views from space station, earth

Beijing, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Animations showing astronaut, earth
12. Animation showing spacecraft in flight

Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, east China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese, dubbed with English) Wang Jinfu, professor, Zhejiang University (ending with shots 14-15):
"We will do further projects in the operation phase of China Space Station. Based on these, we will develop relevant medicines and test them. They will not only help taikonauts in space but also humans on the Earth, particularly the elderly. This will be very meaningful."

Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Various of experimental devices

Beijing, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Animation showing spacecraft in flight

FILE: In Space - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
16. Various of views from space station, earth
17. Astronaut carrying out extravehicular activities

More than 60 science experiment units including that for human bone cells were sent into space after the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft on Thursday completed its status setting and docked with the orbiting Tiangong space station.

At 01:46 Beijing Time, the Tianzhou-7 docked at the rear docking port of the Tianhe core module of the space station, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Manned space exploration has been going on for more than six decades, and much knowledge has been achieved but it is not enough.

For the Tianzhou-7 mission, there will be more life experimental units in zero-gravity, and one on bone mineral density is a key unit that is drawing great attention.

"We can see our astronauts are doing physical exercises in space for several hours a day. This can exercise their skeletal muscles and also prevent their bone loss effectively," said Shang Peng, professor with the Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chinese scientists have been working in this field for more than two decades. For this mission, they have conducted many simulations.

"Our experimental equipment in space will guarantee the physical and chemical conditions for cell culture like the replacement of nutrient fluid and the gas for bone cells. They also carry fluorescence microscope and ordinary light microscope to monitor the growth of the cells. Some of this information will be recorded and transmitted to the Earth for analysis in real time and in the future," Shang added.

Such an experiment is part of a large research project that involves years of participation by many institutions in various sectors, investigating matters such as the reasons for cell differentiation.

"We will do further projects in the operation phase of China Space Station. Based on these, we will develop relevant medicines and test them. They will not only help taikonauts in space but also humans on the Earth, particularly the elderly. This will be very meaningful," said Wang Jinfu, professor with the Zhejiang University in east China.

The Chinese scientists say they are cooperating with colleagues from other countries, hoping to find better ways to address bone loss problems for all.

China on Wednesday launched the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft to deliver essential supplies to astronauts on-board the Tiangong space station in orbit.

The Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket carrying the spacecraft blasted off at 22:27 Beijing Time (1427 GMT) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, according to the CMSA.

After about 10 minutes, the Tianzhou-7 separated from the carrier rocket and entered its designated orbit. The agency declared the launch a complete success.