The maiden voyage of China’s first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 will be used as an opportunity to test a medicine designed to treat bone loss.

Tianzhou-1’s main mission is to test propellant refuelling technology, which is crucial for the construction and operation of China’s planned space station.

But scientists will use the micro-gravity environment to test the effect of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB) in preventing osteoporosis, said research leader Chen Guoqiang, who is also director of the Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology at Tsinghua University.

“One day of bone loss in space is equivalent to a year on earth,” said Chen. “We found that 3HB can promote bone formation.”

Scientists have already simulated experiments in a micro-gravity environment on the ground by hanging mice up by their hind legs. They found that those given 3HB had normal bones, while those without suffered serious bone loss.

However, since Tianzhou-1 cannot carry animals, scientists will compare cell samples that have and haven’t been treated with 3HB. Microscope images of the samples will be transmitted to earth.

“After more than a decade of research we have one chance to conduct an experiment in space. We cherish the chance. We hope Chinese scientists will have more opportunities to conduct experiments in China’s space station in future,” Chen said.

Research shows astronauts suffer an average monthly bone loss of 0.5 to 2% in space, especially in weight-bearing bones such as the tibia, femur and vertebrae.

But the scientists believe their research will also have implications for normal people on the ground as well.

Osteoporosis is the seventh most common disease in the world. Each year it causes 8.9 million cases of fractures worldwide, and China itself has 90 million osteoporosis sufferers.

With ageing populations osteoporosis cases will continue to rise, and experts estimate the number of patients in China will reach 200 million in 2050, accounting for 13.2% of the total population.

“We hope to solve this global problem,” Chen said.