China has bestowed prestigious aerospace medals upon the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-16 mission, recognizing their significant contributions to the nation’s space endeavors. The awards were presented on Thursday by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.
Jing Haipeng, a seasoned astronaut, received a special-class aerospace achievement medal. Jing has participated in four crewed space missions and served as mission commander three times, making him the Chinese astronaut with the most crewed missions to date.
Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao were each awarded third-class aerospace achievement medals and honored with the title of “Heroic Astronaut.” Zhu is the country’s first spaceflight engineer to undertake a crewed space mission and perform extravehicular activities. Gui is China’s first payload expert to participate in a crewed space mission.
Launched on May 30, 2023, the Shenzhou-16 spaceship transported the trio to China’s space station core module, Tianhe. During their five-month stay, they conducted a series of space science experiments, performed extravehicular activities, and delivered a live educational class from orbit.
The astronauts safely returned to Earth on October 31, 2023. The Shenzhou-16 mission marks the first crewed mission in the application and development stage of China’s space station. It is also the inaugural mission integrating three types of astronauts—pilot, flight engineer, and payload expert—working together in space.
The successful completion of the Shenzhou-16 mission represents a significant milestone in China’s advancing space exploration efforts and underscores the nation’s commitment to peaceful space development.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com