The Shenzhou-23 crew on board China's orbiting space station Tiangong on Thursday extended their greetings to the motherland and the Chinese people in celebration of the 77th anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China.
"While carrying out missions in space, the national flag is always with us. It constantly reminds us to keep our motherland close to our hearts and to honor our mission. What left the deepest impression on me was the enormous five-star red flag on the exterior of the space station, which I saw during the extravehicular activity. Amid the unfathomable vastness of the universe, that vibrant 'Chinese red' instilled in me unwavering confidence and boundless strength to complete the mission, and it deepened my appreciation of the conviction and responsibility to let the five-star red flag fly high in space," said the commander Zhu Yangzhu.
"From a pilot to an astronaut, I have always worn the national flag on my chest. When I piloted a fighter jet soaring through the skies of our motherland, the flag on my chest accompanied me as I flew across the length and breadth of the country. Later, I put on a spacesuit and set off into space, yet the flag has remained in the same place on my chest, and my original aspiration to serve the country has never changed. The motherland gave me the opportunity to realize my dream of spaceflight. I will devote myself to the cause of spaceflight, serving the motherland with my youth and writing a glorious chapter through hard work," said Zhang Zhiyuan, who is undertaking his first space flight journey.
"From a police officer to an astronaut, it was my motherland that lifted me onto a farther and higher stage. Today, Hong Kong is actively aligning itself with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), integrating into and serving the overall development of the nation. I want to tell the young people of Hong Kong and Macao: dreams know no boundaries, and striving knows no distance. As long as you dare to look up and dare to strive, the motherland will lift up every dream chaser, allowing them to shine their brightest on the fertile ground of a shared home and nation," said Lai Ka-ying, who is the country's first astronaut from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, also the first payload expert flying into space among the fourth batch of astronauts.
The three astronauts were launched aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft on May 24 this year, and then entered the space station Tiangong on May 25. To date, they have been working in orbit for more than four months.
Shenzhou-23 crew sends video greetings from space to mark China's National Day
Shenzhou-23 crew sends video greetings from space to mark China's National Day
