As millions on Earth gathered for family reunions during Lunar New Year celebrations, the Shenzhou 21 crew created cosmic history by observing the festival 390 kilometers above the Chinese mainland. The astronauts marked the Year of the Horse with a specially prepared space menu featuring symbolic dishes adapted for microgravity conditions.
Mission footage released this week shows crew members exchanging digital red envelopes containing mission milestones and enjoying freeze-dried dumplings reconstituted with onboard water supplies. A highlight of the orbital feast was the appearance of miniature rice cakes coated in edible adhesive to prevent crumb dispersion, followed by commemorative ice cream desserts stored in thermal-stable pouches.
"Maintaining cultural traditions during long-duration missions helps preserve team morale and psychological well-being," stated a spokesperson from China's human spaceflight program. The crew reportedly conducted a live video call with the Chinese premier, sharing their unique perspective on Earth's curvature while displaying hand-written Spring Festival couplets secured with Velcro.
This year's celestial celebrations underscore China's growing capabilities in long-term space habitation, with nutritional scientists emphasizing the meal's balanced 2,800-calorie composition optimized for extravehicular activity schedules. The event has drawn particular interest from Asian diaspora communities, with social media platforms flooded with creative adaptations of the space menu for terrestrial New Year gatherings.
