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According to a decision published in the People’s Daily, China’s leadership has conferred the honorary title “Hero Astronaut” on Zhang Hongzhang (张洪章) and awarded him the third-class spaceflight merit medal (三级航天功勋奖章) for his contribution to the country’s crewed space program.
Zhang Hongzhang is one of the astronauts who took part in a recent mission to the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) space station. The honor follows the established pattern of China’s crewed space program: after the completion of a long-duration mission aboard the station, the participating astronauts are publicly recognized at the highest party level to underscore the program’s national significance.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) and the state aerospace contractor CASC share operational responsibility for the Tiangong station, which has been assembled in low Earth orbit since 2021 and has remained continuously crewed in its core configuration since late 2022. The award also highlights the program’s role as a flagship national prestige project for China.
The decision was communicated through the state news agency and the official party newspaper; details on the scope and duration of Zhang’s mission were not specified in the report.