Shenzhou-21 crew extend Spring Festival greetings from space station

As millions across China are gathering for family reunions to mark the Spring Festival, the vastness of space is also filled with a strong festive atmosphere. The Shenzhou-21 crew, currently in orbit aboard the Chinese space station, has extended their New Year greetings to the motherland and people.

The crew consists of mission commander Zhang Lu and astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. They have spent over three months in orbit, and are all in good condition.

"This is my second time spending the Chinese New Year in space, with a sense of calm and also attachment. We've put up Spring Festival couplets and Fu characters to decorate the space station in vibrant red, full of festive spirit. Looking through the porthole at the twinkling lights of our motherland far below, I miss it and am filled with pride and glory. I wish everyone all the best and peace in the Spring Festival!" said Zhang Lu.

Zhang Lu performed his first spaceflight with Shenzhou-15, where he led a record-breaking number of extravehicular activities (EVAs).

"It's my first time to celebrate the Chinese New Year in space. I feel both fresh and proud! Recently, we successfully completed our extravehicular activities and some other tasks, taking each step with firm resolve. In the Year of the Horse, let's continue to strive for our dreams and work hard for happiness with an enterprising spirit like a galloping horse. I also wish all dream chasers safety, prosperity, and ever-growing success!" said Wu Fei.

The Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct 31, 2025. The crew onboard completed their mission's first series of extravehicular activities on Dec 9.

"Spending the Spring Festival in space is the most precious experience for me. Currently, various in-orbit experiments are progressing steadily, and many advancements are encouraging. In the new year, we will continue to explore the heavens, writing new chapters in the vast cosmos. We also wish our motherland prosperity in sci-tech and our people good health. May every effort be rewarded," said Zhang Hongzhang.

The Spring Festival is China's grandest and most representative traditional holiday, marking the beginning of the traditional Chinese New Year. The Year of the Horse will begin on Feb. 17.

"We are in the Chinese space station, wishing all the people luck, happiness and good health in the Year of the Horse!" they said.

Shenzhou-21 crew extend Spring Festival greetings from space station

China's domestically developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber holds broad application prospects in strategic emerging industries, according to its developer.

The country on Wednesday unveiled SYT80, a domestically developed T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, marking a major breakthrough in the China's high-performance carbon fiber technology.

This new material has achieved a hundred-tonne-level annual production capacity, making China the first nation to mass-produce this caliber of fiber, according to its developer, China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd. (CNBM).

Featuring lightweight and high-strength properties, the fiber's diameter is less than one-tenth that of a human hair, and yet its tensile strength is 10 times that of ordinary steel and its density is only one-quarter of steel's.

"Compared with the previous-generation T1100, T1200 has seen its tensile strength increase by more than 14 percent. With its ultimate lightweight and high-strength characteristics, T1200 can achieve weight reduction of over 10 percent for equipment in related fields. It holds broad application prospects in strategic emerging industries such as commercial aerospace, low-altitude economy, and humanoid robots," said Chen Qiufei, head of T1200 ultra-high-strength carbon fiber research and development at Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Company, a subsidiary of China National Building Material Group.

The new material also possesses many other outstanding properties.

As the fiber undergoes carbonization at nearly 2,000 degrees Celsius during production, its chemical properties remain stable and its corrosion resistance is excellent.

This fiber material also features strong fire and flame retardant properties, offering good safety performance.

The development of this fiber material demonstrates China's fully independent and controllable capabilities across the entire industrial chain of high-performance carbon fiber, spanning technologies and equipment as well as the transition from laboratory research to mass production, said Zhou Yuxian, chairman of CNBM.

China's high-strength carbon fiber shows strong potential in strategic emerging industries