Shenzhou XVI crew members awarded for explorations

The Shenzhou XVI crew members Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao received awards from the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, China Central Television reported on Thursday.

Major General Jing Haipeng received the "Special Grade Aerospace Merit Medal". Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and Professor Gui Haichao have been honored with the title of "Hero Astronaut" and received the "Third Grade Aerospace Merit Medal".

The three crew members of the Shenzhou XVI, Major General Jing Haipeng, the mission's commander Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and Professor Gui Haichao, spent a historic five months in the space station last year. They arrived at China's Tiangong space station in May last year, in the nation's 11th manned spaceflight and the fifth crewed mission to the space station.

Jing and spaceflight engineer Zhu are members of the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Division, while Gui, who served as the mission's payload specialist, is a doctoral supervisor at the Beijing-based Beihang University's Department of Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle Technology.

The Shenzhou XVI mission marked Jing's fourth journey into space, making him China's most experienced astronaut.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn