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According to a report by the official party outlet 12371 (共产党手机报), China has awarded taikonaut Zhang Lu (张陆) the “Second-Class Medal for Aerospace Merit” (二级航天功勋奖章) in recognition of his service to the crewed spaceflight program. The decision was made and publicly announced by the leadership; the source notes the official date of the award.
Zhang Lu was part of the Shenzhou-15 crew that launched in November 2022 to the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station and spent about six months in orbit. Together with colleagues Fei Junlong (费俊龙) and Deng Qingming (邓清明), the crew carried out several spacewalks and prepared the station for the subsequent crew.
The award follows the established Chinese practice of honoring astronauts with military decorations after successful missions. The medal is part of the state recognition system for outstanding contributions to the crewed spaceflight program and receives extensive coverage in state-guided media.
The details are based on the August 2026 report by the official party outlet; no further specifics about the ceremony were provided there.