China's Shenzhou-23 crew has completed the collection and storage of samples from a space rice experiment aboard the China Space Station, the China Manned Space Agency announced recently. The experiment is expected to achieve the world's first continuous in-orbit cultivation of two consecutive generations of rice, helping researchers study how long-term microgravity affects rice growth and genetic stability.

As deep-space exploration advances, in-space food production has become a key research priority. Crops that cannot adapt to space conditions may experience genetic degradation across generations. The experiment sends rice seeds to the space station to examine their growth and reproduction in orbit.

Researchers have established a controlled cultivation environment on board, with regulated temperature, humidity, and lighting. The experiment will span the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 mission cycles, with plans to cultivate the second generation of rice in orbit.