China awards medals to Shenzhou-18 mission astronauts
China has celebrated the astronauts of the Shenzhou-18 mission by awarding them medals in recognition of their achievements.
TroibNews 
On Thursday, the three crew members of China's Shenzhou-18 mission—Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu—received medals for their significant contributions to China's space program.
Ye Guangfu was awarded a second-class aerospace achievement medal, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu were honored with third-class aerospace achievement medals and the title of "Heroic Astronaut." Ye, an experienced astronaut, had previously been bestowed with the honorary title of "Heroic Astronaut" in 2022.
This recognition came as a decision from the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.
The Shenzhou-18 mission, which launched on April 25, 2024, marked Ye's second journey to China's space station, where he spent approximately six months. During his previous mission, Shenzhou-13, he also lived in the space station for six months, making him the first Chinese astronaut to spend over a year in orbit.
For both Li Cong and Li Guangsu, Shenzhou-18 represented their inaugural space flight. Li Cong, the crew's youngest member, performed all assigned tasks effectively, while Li Guangsu achieved a notable milestone by installing the first space debris protection device on the space station during his first spacewalk.
Throughout the Shenzhou-18 mission, the three astronauts executed two extravehicular activities and nearly 100 space science experiments and in-orbit application payload tests/experiments.
The astronaut team made their return to Earth on November 4, 2024, after setting a record with 192 days spent in orbit.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Ye Guangfu was awarded a second-class aerospace achievement medal, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu were honored with third-class aerospace achievement medals and the title of "Heroic Astronaut." Ye, an experienced astronaut, had previously been bestowed with the honorary title of "Heroic Astronaut" in 2022.
This recognition came as a decision from the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.
The Shenzhou-18 mission, which launched on April 25, 2024, marked Ye's second journey to China's space station, where he spent approximately six months. During his previous mission, Shenzhou-13, he also lived in the space station for six months, making him the first Chinese astronaut to spend over a year in orbit.
For both Li Cong and Li Guangsu, Shenzhou-18 represented their inaugural space flight. Li Cong, the crew's youngest member, performed all assigned tasks effectively, while Li Guangsu achieved a notable milestone by installing the first space debris protection device on the space station during his first spacewalk.
Throughout the Shenzhou-18 mission, the three astronauts executed two extravehicular activities and nearly 100 space science experiments and in-orbit application payload tests/experiments.
The astronaut team made their return to Earth on November 4, 2024, after setting a record with 192 days spent in orbit.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
