The three crew members of China’s Shenzhou-18 mission — Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu — were honored on Thursday with medals for their contributions to China’s space program.
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 had previously earned the “Heroic Astronaut” title in 2022 as a veteran astronaut.
The awards were conferred by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.
China launched the Shenzhou-18 crewed spacecraft on April 25, 2024. This was Ye Guangfu’s second mission to China’s space station, where he stayed for six months. He previously spent six months aboard during the Shenzhou-13 mission, becoming the first Chinese astronaut to have lived in orbit for over a year.
For Li Cong and Li Guangsu, Shenzhou-18 marked their first spaceflight mission. Li Cong, the youngest crew member, successfully completed his tasks, while Li Guangsu installed the space station’s first space debris protection device during his debut spacewalk.
During the mission, the crew performed two spacewalks and conducted nearly 100 space science experiments and in-orbit application tests.
The Shenzhou-18 astronauts returned to Earth on November 4, 2024, after spending a record-breaking 192 days in orbit.
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