China honors Shenzhou-21 mission astronauts with medals

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Three astronauts from the Shenzhou-21 crewed mission were awarded medals for their service to China's space endeavors on Thursday.

Zhang Lu was honored with a second-class aerospace achievement medal, while Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang received third-class medals and the honorary title of "heroic astronauts."

The awards were given by the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.

Zhang Lu, the mission commander and a veteran astronaut on his second spaceflight, holds the record for the most spacewalks by a Chinese astronaut.

Wu, the spaceflight engineer of the crew, is the youngest Chinese astronaut so far to carry out extravehicular activities.

Zhang Hongzhang, the payload specialist of the crew, oversaw a slew of scientific experiments in the space station, including the projects he co-designed.

The Shenzhou-21 crew spent 210 days in orbit, from their launch on Oct. 31, 2025 to their return on May 29, 2026, setting a new record for the longest single crew stay by Chinese astronauts.