On April 24, the main event of the 2024 "China Aerospace Day" was held in Wuhan, Hubei. At the launching ceremony, the 2024 China Space Foundation Award was announced. Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China's manned space project, China's first astronaut and aerospace hero, won the "Qian Xuesen Highest Achievement Award".
In his acceptance speech, Yang Liwei said sincerely: "Manned spaceflight is the cause of 10,000 people and one gun, although this award is given to me today, but this honor belongs to thousands of astronauts who have worked hard and silently contributed to the manned space industry, and it is the dedication of each of you that has lifted the space home of today's Chinese and traveled the sky." ”
On October 15, 2003, the Shenzhou V manned spacecraft was successfully launched, Yang Liwei became the first Chinese to visit space, and China also became the third country in the world to independently master manned space technology. Yang Liwei greeted the people of the world from space and displayed the five-star red flag and the United Nations flag side by side in the capsule. This picture went down in history.
The title of "astronaut" in China
from Qian Xuesen
For the motherland's aerospace industry, Qian Xuesen, the "father of China's aerospace", is a great pioneer, and many aerospace terms were created by him, including the title of "astronaut".
In the Spring Festival of 2004, Yang Liwei went to visit Qian Xuesen with the person in charge of the manned space project, and Qian Xuesen cordially encouraged him: "What you are doing successfully now is more complicated than what I have done, so you have surpassed me! ”
Source: Beijing Daily