The Shenzhou-20 crew on board China's orbiting space station Tiangong extended their greetings to the motherland and the Chinese people in celebration of the National Day, which falls on Oct. 1.
The crew, namely astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, are dressed up in red tops with the words reading "The motherland is the light that illuminates everything" and "I love you, China", demonstrating their love and deep affection for the motherland, which stretches across the vast expanse of space.
"From personally witnessing the successful in-orbit assembly of the T-shaped configuration of the three modules of China's space station to the impressive achievements in its application and development today, I deeply feel that these accomplishments are inseparable from the dedicated efforts of the entire project team and, more importantly, the attention and support of the people across the country. Here at the Chinese space station, we wish prosperity and strength to our great motherland and happiness and good health to all the ethic groups in China," said Chen Dong, who is celebrating the National Day in space for the second time.
Chen Dong, the crew's commander, had previously participated in the manned spaceflight missions of Shenzhou-11 and Shenzhou-14, and he celebrated the National Day in space for the first time during the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022.
Chen Zhongrui wears a red sweatshirt with the words "Devote my youth to the great motherland", expressing his steadfastness and loyalty as a space traveler to the motherland.
"We have spent five months in the Tiangong space station, successfully completing four spacewalks. Every time I look down at our motherland while wearing the extravehicular spacesuit, my heart is filled with pride and honor. Nowadays, our 'space vegetable garden' has yielded a bountiful harvest, testifying to the miraculous power of space exploration. We are grateful to our country for providing us with the platform to pursue our dreams. We will certainly live up to this trust and safeguard the space home for the Chinese people," said Chen Zhongrui.
Wearing a sweatshirt with the words reading "Wishing a brighter future to the motherland," Wang Jie sent his best wishes to the motherland.
"On the occasion of the National Day, we aboard the Chinese space station feel a surge of emotions. As a young astronaut, my space trip is so fulfilling. Please rest assured, the motherland and the people, that we are feeling great in the space station. Next, we will continue to carry out various scientific experiments and make all necessary preparations to welcome the Shenzhou-21 crew, successfully completing our leg in the Shenzhou family's relay in space," said Wang Jie.
"We wish our great motherland peace and prosperity from the Chinese space station. I love you, China," the crew said together.
Shenzhou-20 crew sends video greetings from space to mark China's National Day
