Overview
- The Astronaut Center of China released video of taikonauts cooking New Orleans–style chicken wings and black pepper steak in the new oven during the crew handover.
- Delivered by Shenzhou‑21, the appliance reaches about 190°C, is rated for roughly 500 cycles, and keeps food secured with locking racks and rotating baskets to prevent floating.
- Designers cite residue capture, multi‑layer filtration, high‑temperature catalysis and cool‑touch surfaces to enable smokeless, microgravity‑safe baking.
- Officials say the upgrade expands the onboard menu to more than 190 items with a 10‑day rotation, complementing Tiangong’s vegetable garden that has produced about 4.5 kg of crops.
- Separately, CMSA postponed the Shenzhou‑20 crew’s return after a suspected small debris strike on their spacecraft, with safety checks ongoing.