China has honored the three crew members of the Shenzhou-18 mission—Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu—with prestigious medals for their outstanding contributions to the nation's space endeavors.
In a ceremony held on Thursday, Ye Guangfu received a second-class aerospace achievement medal, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu were awarded third-class aerospace achievement medals and the honorary title of \"Heroic Astronaut.\" Ye, a veteran astronaut, was previously bestowed with the \"Heroic Astronaut\" title in 2022.
The commendations were conferred by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, recognizing the trio's significant achievements during the Shenzhou-18 mission.
Launched on April 25, 2024, the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship marked Ye Guangfu's second journey to China's space station. As the mission's commander, Ye lived aboard the station for approximately six months. Combined with his previous six-month stay during the Shenzhou-13 mission, he became the country's first astronaut to have lived in orbit for over a year.
For Li Cong and Li Guangsu, Shenzhou-18 was their inaugural space flight mission. Li Cong, the youngest member of the crew, successfully completed all assigned tasks, while Li Guangsu made history by installing the first space debris protection device on the space station during his first spacewalk.
Throughout their 192-day mission, the Shenzhou-18 astronauts conducted two extravehicular activities and carried out nearly 100 space science experiments and in-orbit application payload tests. Their efforts contributed significantly to the advancement of China's space exploration and scientific research.
The crew safely returned to Earth on November 4, 2024, setting a new record for the longest time spent in orbit by Chinese astronauts.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
