As China celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival, the Shenzhou-20 crew aboard the Tiangong space station marked their first traditional holiday in orbit with a special Earth-bound message. Mission commander Chen Dong and crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie have now completed over one month of their six-month expedition, having successfully performed the mission’s first spacewalk and initiated multiple scientific experiments.
Mission progress and cosmic perspectives
Commander Chen reported steady progress on all planned activities including crew rotation with Shenzhou-19 and extravehicular operations. “We’ve conducted series of experiments in biotechnology and life sciences,” Chen stated. Crewmember Chen Zhongrui described adapting to microgravity: “Seeing Earth glowing in the cosmic darkness truly reveals the significance of space exploration.” Wang Jie emphasized the continuous challenges, noting each completed task represents personal breakthrough.
Orbital festival observations
The crew’s holiday transmission included views of zongzi (traditional rice dumplings) specially prepared for the occasion, with the astronauts reflecting on celebrating without Earth’s gravitational pull. Mission controllers confirmed the crew will continue planned experiments and cargo operations throughout their remaining orbital stay, maintaining Tiangong’s role as a platform for space science advancement.
Related Topic:
- Global Luxury Travel Market to Surpass $2 Trillion by 2035
- EU Digital Product Passport Set to Transform Travel Retail by 2026
- Devon and Cornwall Poised for Record-Breaking Tourism Surge in 2025
