In a landmark ceremony on Thursday, China's Shenzhou-18 astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu were honored with prestigious medals for their remarkable contributions to the nation's space exploration efforts.
Ye was awarded a second-class aerospace achievement medal, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu received third-class aerospace achievement medals along with the honorary title of \"Heroic Astronaut.\" Ye, a veteran astronaut, had previously been bestowed with the honorary title of \"Heroic Astronaut\" in 2022.
The decision to confer these honors was made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.
Launched on April 25, 2024, the Shenzhou-18 crewed spacecraft marked Commander Ye's second journey to China's space station, where he spent approximately six months. Previously, he had resided on the space station during the Shenzhou-13 mission, making him 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 spaceflight mission. Li Cong, the youngest crew member, successfully completed all assigned tasks, while Li Guangsu installed the first space debris protection device on the space station during his maiden spacewalk.
Throughout the mission, the trio conducted two extravehicular activities and carried out nearly 100 space science experiments and in-orbit application payload tests.
After a record-breaking 192 days in orbit, the astronauts returned to Earth on November 4, 2024.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
