China tests astronaut emotional resilience on long‑duration Tiangong mission

China’s manned space agency announced that the Shenzhou‑23 crew aboard the Tiangong space station has finished a series of assessments on emergency decision‑making and emotional‑state monitoring. The three astronauts, including a female crew member from Hong Kong, have been on the station for nearly two months; one will remain in orbit for a full year to lead the country’s first human‑research program on long‑duration spaceflight.

The crew used brain‑wave sensors and virtual‑reality headsets to record emotional responses, part of more than 100 scientific projects operating on Tiangong. Additional work includes installing a device to study bio‑radiation exposure, an external camera on a laboratory module, load‑testing equipment, and a trial of a new orbital energy‑storage battery. Shenzhou‑23 was launched on 24 May, and previous Chinese crewed missions lasted about six months. The programme aims to build physical and mental resilience for future deep‑space exploration.