China's Shenzhou-13 taikonauts on board the country's space station offered a sneak peek into the major research facilities in the core module of the station during a livestreamed science class on Wednesday afternoon.
Click here for CGTN's livestream of the space lecture.
There are two large research facilities in the Tianhe core module – the high microgravity science laboratory cabinet and the container-free material science laboratory cabinet.
Each science laboratory cabinet is like a highly functional mini-lab that can support experiments in certain disciplines.
During the class, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu displayed the two laboratory cabinets, explained their functions and showcased the experiments that have been done with the equipment.
The first batch of in-orbit experiment samples from the container-free material science laboratory cabinet had been brought back to the ground by the Shenzhou-12 crew last September, and was delivered to research institutions for further study and analysis.
China plans to launch the Mengtian and Wentian lab modules later this year, when a T-shape complex will be formed and the construction of the space station will be completed.
The two lab modules will be equipped with more than ten science laboratory cabinets, and will be able to host over 1,000 scientific experiments in various areas, Ye said.
It will be a space science lab for both Chinese and international scientists, he added.
The scientific facilities will support a large number of research projects in fields such as space life, fluids, space materials, fundamental physics and combustion, Zhou Jianping, the chief designer of China's manned space program, told CGTN in an interview earlier this month.
The experiments include raising fish, growing vegetables, setting up the most precise clocks in space, developing new materials, studying physical laws and exploring how humans can survive in space for long periods, Xinhua reported earlier.
Read more: China Space Station: What scientific experiments will be done there?