China’s Shenzhou-21 'Space Mouse' Delivers Healthy Pups After Earth Return, Scientists Call It 'Milestone'

In a development that could significantly advance research on life in space, one of the mice that travelled aboard China’s Shenzhou-21 spacecraft has given birth to healthy pups after returning to Earth, Chinese scientists confirmed on Friday.

The experiment involved four mice, two male and two female sent into orbit on October 31 as part of a survival and adaptation study aboard China’s space station. The animals were housed in a specially designed small-mammal habitat and brought back to Earth on November 14.

Healthy Birth After Space Mission

Following the return, one female mouse conceived and later delivered nine pups on December 10. Six of the newborns survived, a rate researchers described as normal under laboratory conditions. Scientists monitoring the animals said the mother is nursing normally and the pups are active, alert and developing well.

According to the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the outcome confirms that short-term spaceflight did not adversely affect the reproductive ability of the mice.“This provides extremely valuable data for understanding how the space environment influences early mammalian development,” said Wang Hongmei, a researcher at the CAS Institute of Zoology.

How They Lived In Space?

The mission was not without complications. Changes to the return schedule of another spacecraft extended the mice’s stay in orbit, creating concerns over food and water supply. In response, scientists on the ground activated emergency protocols and worked closely with astronauts on board the station.

Water was supplied using an external interface connected to the feeding system, while researchers tested alternative food options drawn from the astronauts’ menu. After ground verification, soy milk was selected as a safe emergency substitute.An artificial-intelligence-based behaviour analysis system tracked the mice’s movement, feeding and sleep patterns in real time, allowing scientists to accurately predict consumption levels and manage supplies during the crisis.

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Mice are considered key model organisms in life sciences due to their genetic similarity to humans, short reproductive cycles and adaptability to controlled experiments. Scientists say these traits make them ideal for studying how microgravity, radiation and confined environments affect growth, behaviour and reproduction.The Shenzhou-21 mission marked China’s first space experiment involving mammals, following earlier studies with zebrafish and fruit flies.

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Scientists believe the findings could eventually help prepare humans for longer space missions, including future lunar and deep-space exploration, by offering insights into how life adapts beyond Earth.