Progress in Research on Materials Under Microgravity in China

Research on materials under microgravity in China began in the 1980s, sparked by Prof. Lanying Lin (academician of CAS), Prof. Xiji Wang (academician of CAS), Prof. Guirong Min (academician of CAS), and Prof. Huabao Lin (academician of CAS), and others. The first semiconductor crystal, first optical crystal, and first alloys were grown in space on board a recoverable satellite in 1987. Since then, microgravity materials science became a new scientific branch in China.Scientific and technical activities on space crystal growth and solidification are carried out through two major programs: ground-based studies and orbital experiments. The main results obtained during 2001-2003 are reported below.