New scientific experimental samples from China's space station return to Earth

BEIJING -- The fifth batch of scientific experimental samples from China's Tiangong space station has arrived in Beijing, following the return of the Shenzhou XVI crew on Tuesday.

Samples of 19 scientific experiments, weighing around 25 kilograms, were brought back to Earth, including liver cells, protein and nucleic acid, Arabidopsis plants, rice seeds, radiation-resistant microbes and some chemical materials.

They have been delivered to the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Scientists will conduct life and material experiments to study the impacts of a microgravity environment on these samples, the academy said.

The return capsule of the Shenzhou XVI manned spaceship, carrying taikonauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Tuesday morning, after they completed a five-month space station mission.