Video from the China National Space Administration shows taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station using a small oven to roast chicken wings and later hydrated beef. A caged tray prevents pieces from drifting while the oven produces golden-brown results that commander Chen Dong shares with the crew. The clip went viral in China and on Western platforms; the oven reportedly arrived with Shenzhou-21, which set a reported docking-speed record. The six-month mission will also include experiments in gardening, zero-gravity Tai Chi and space poetry.
China Installs Oven on Tiangong — Taikonauts Roast Wings and Beef in Orbit
Video from the China National Space Administration shows taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station using a small oven to roast chicken wings and later hydrated beef. A caged tray prevents pieces from drifting while the oven produces golden-brown results that commander Chen Dong shares with the crew. The clip went viral in China and on Western platforms; the oven reportedly arrived with Shenzhou-21, which set a reported docking-speed record. The six-month mission will also include experiments in gardening, zero-gravity Tai Chi and space poetry.
01:12, 05.11.2025Science
Taikonauts Cook in Space as Tiangong Gains an Oven
Video released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows crew members aboard the Tiangong space station using a small onboard oven to roast chicken wings and later hydrated beef in microgravity.
The footage, taken aboard China's low-Earth-orbit research platform launched in 2021, captures the astronauts—often called taikonauts—arranging both drumettes and flats on a tray. The tray's cage-like frame secures each piece so the food cannot drift away before the crew slides it into an oven that resembles a front-loading clothes dryer more than a conventional kitchen appliance.
When the wings emerge, they display a golden-brown finish. Flight commander (and apparent onboard chef) Chen Dong shares the results with his crewmates, who sample the bone-in wings before loading the tray with sizable pieces of hydrated beef for a second batch.
“Wow, the International Space Station next door is still eating diarrhea-like stuff, while we’ve already evolved to eating kebabs!” — Comment from Chinese social media
The clip quickly went viral on Chinese-language platforms and was reshared on Western sites such as Reddit and TikTok. While reactions ranged from amusement to national pride, the episode underscores the human comforts astronauts seek on long missions and the incremental improvements in space food preparation.
Context and other demonstrations
Details about the oven are limited; Chinese media report the appliance arrived with the Shenzhou-21 mission, which recently delivered three astronauts to Tiangong and was reported to set a national docking-speed record. In 2023, taikonauts aboard Tiangong also demonstrated how flames behave in microgravity by lighting a candle in a controlled video, highlighting both scientific curiosity and trust in onboard fire-suppression systems.
Like other Tiangong rotations, this crew's stay is expected to last about six months. According to payload specialist and materials researcher Zhang Hongzhang, the mission will include a range of unconventional experiments, from Chinese gardening and zero-gravity Tai Chi to space poetry.
Why it matters: The oven video is a lighthearted example of how life-support amenities are evolving on China's orbital station, reflecting broader efforts to make long-duration spaceflight more comfortable and closer to everyday life on Earth.