Millions across Asia witnessed a celestial New Year's greeting as the China Space Station traversed skies from the Himalayas to the Pacific on January 1, 2026. Social media platforms flooded with amateur footage showing the orbital outpost gleaming like a moving star above Shanghai's neon skyline and Taipei's night markets.
The China Manned Space Agency confirmed the station completed 15.7 orbits around Earth on New Year's Day, passing over the Chinese mainland twice during prime viewing hours. This comes as the station enters its fourth year of continuous crewed operations, having hosted 12 astronaut teams since 2023.
"This visible pass symbolizes our commitment to peaceful space exploration," said CMSA spokesperson Zhang Wei during a press briefing. "In 2026, we plan to complete the final expansion module and welcome our first international researchers."
Residents in Hong Kong and the Taiwan region joined mainland counterparts in observing the event, with astronomy clubs organizing coordinated viewing parties. The phenomenon occurs as cross-strait scientific cooperation enters a new phase, with Taiwan-based researchers participating in three ongoing space medicine experiments.
