China News Service, Shenzhen, March 30 (Suo Youwei Wang Zhikang) At 19:00 on the 30th, five cutting-edge medical projects from the Future Space Hospital of Shenzhen University of Technology were successfully launched into space on a test spacecraft at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. In the next three years, the on-orbit (test) test was completed, marking an important step for the world's first future space hospital to move from idea to reality.
Shenzhen University of Technology is the first university in the world to propose the concept of "future space hospital" and put it into practice. In July 2025, it signed a contract with the Microsatellite Innovation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build a future space hospital. It aims to improve the health protection of astronauts and human health, expand on-orbit medical health monitoring and life system support capabilities, focus on advanced disease prevention and treatment, break the limitations of aerospace, medicine, biology, etc., carry out research and development in the fields of cutting-edge space life and health protection, and prepare space health support for non-astronaut space travel, galaxy exploration and other space health protection.
Comprehensive plasma therapy device for refractory wounds. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen University of Technology
"In the context of increasingly fierce competition in global space exploration, China continues to exert efforts in this field and continues to fill technological gaps. The health challenges faced by astronauts in space have also become a key direction for scientific research." Zhu Di Jian, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shenzhen University of Technology, said that the school brings together the aerospace science and technology power of medical devices, biomedicine, innovative medical technology and the Microsatellite Innovation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build a future space medicine platform in order to help China occupy the initiative and dominant position in this field.
Xu Zhiming, executive director of the Future Medicine Center and dean of the Clinical School of Medicine at Shenzhen University of Technology, was the first person to put forward the idea of a future space hospital. According to him, the construction of the future space hospital will be divided into three steps: in the early stage, cutting-edge medical projects will be transformed into aerospace engineering and placed on a light boat cargo spacecraft, plus this successful launch The first step is to conduct subsequent on-orbit (test) tests; the second step is to build a future space hospital post station after the on-orbit (test) test is successful, and carry out space emergency rescue and space scientific research practices; the third step is to build a future space hospital medical cabin on the moon or other planets to explore the health protection of human beings on the moon and space travel.
Contact ultraviolet non-invasive phototherapy device. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen University of Technology
The contact ultraviolet non-invasive phototherapy device is one of the projects undergoing on-orbit testing this time. It was developed by Gu Ying, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Future Medicine Center of Shenzhen University of Technology. It can simulate the specific waveband in sunlight that promotes the synthesis of vitamin D. It is regularly used by astronauts on the space station or deep space vehicle, and can safely and efficiently maintain vitamin D levels in the body and prevent deficiency diseases. At the same time, in a microgravity environment, the reduction of bone load leads to rapid loss of bone density (about 1%-2% per month). Maintaining appropriate vitamin D levels through this phototherapy device can directly support calcium metabolism and form a synergy with space exercise and drug intervention to form a more comprehensive bone health protection system.
The comprehensive plasma treatment device for refractory wounds, jointly developed by Xu Zhiming and Chen Zhitong, a researcher at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National High-Performance Medical Device Innovation Center, was also launched simultaneously for on-orbit (test) testing.
"In the microgravity environment of space, the distribution of human body fluids and abnormal blood circulation may cause the wound healing speed to be significantly slowed down, and it is easy to develop into chronic wounds." Xu Zhiming said that the plasma comprehensive treatment device for refractory wounds can directly promote cell proliferation and collagen synthesis by releasing reactive oxygen/nitrogen particles, accelerate tissue regeneration, and combat delayed healing caused by microgravity. The equipment does not need to rely on liquid or gel media. The plasma acts on the wound surface in the form of gas to avoid liquid splashing or contaminating the cabin environment in a weightless environment. At the same time, the equipment can not only treat skin ulcers, but also be used for surface disinfection of instruments, achieving "one machine for multiple purposes."
In the future, Shenzhen University of Technology will continue to use the Shenzhou spacecraft to carry out on-orbit experiments to serve the four major scenarios of the space station, moon landing, Mars exploration and future space travel, and promote the extension of space medical achievements from aerospace-specific to people's livelihood empowerment. (over)
