Mouse births pups after returning from space mission in China, paving way for future research

Beijing, Dec. 27 — During a short‑term mission to China’s orbital laboratory, a female mouse from a quartet of rodents has successfully given birth to nine healthy pups after returning to Earth.

The pair of male and female mice were launched aboard the Shenzhou‑21 crewed spacecraft on Oct. 31 and lived in a specially designed habitat on the space station until they returned on Nov. 14, according to Xinhua reports. Once back on Earth, the female became pregnant and delivered nine pups on Dec. 10. Six of the newborns survived, a rate that scientists consider normal. Observations show the mother nursing normally, and the pups appear active and healthy.

“This mission showed that short‑term space travel did not impair the reproductive capability of the mouse,” said Wang Hongmei, researcher at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). “It also provides invaluable samples for the investigation of how the space environment influences early developmental stages in mammals,” she added.

The experiment marked China’s first use of mammalian models for scientific study in orbit, with the mice spending five to seven days in microgravity before the crew vehicle docked.

Mice are a cornerstone in life‑science research because of their high genetic similarity to humans, small size, rapid reproductive cycle, and ease of genetic manipulation, explained Huang Kun, a specialist from the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization at CAS. “These traits make them ideal for studying physiological and pathological processes, as well as the growth, development, and reproduction of living organisms in space,” he said.

The project, co‑led by the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics and the Institute of Zoology, employed continuous, multi‑dimensional video surveillance throughout the mice’s stay. Li Tianda, an associate researcher at the institute, noted that the facility’s lighting cycled on at 7 a.m. and off at 7 p.m., preserving the same circadian rhythm they would experience on Earth.

Food for the rodents was specially formulated to be nutritionally balanced while resisting crumb formation, accommodating their gnawing habit. An engineered airflow within the habitat directs hair, feces and other debris into a collection bin, maintaining a clean, hygienic environment, Li added.

By gathering preliminary data on stress responses and adaptation mechanisms in microgravity, the scientists aim to decode how weightlessness and confined space affect mice behavior.

After completing their orbital stint, the “mice astronauts” returned aboard Shenzhou‑20 for further analysis. Earlier animal studies in China’s space lab had involved zebrafish and fruit flies.

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