Chinese astronauts win international awards

Wang Yongzhi, a former chief designer of China's manned-space project, received the Crystal Helmet Award at the closing ceremony of the 27th annual congress of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) on Monday in Beijing.

China's first astronaut Yang Liwei was granted the Leonov Medallion, while Wang Yaping, the only female astronaut on the Shenzhou-10 space mission in June 2013, was honored for her presentation during the six-day session.

The ASE said on its official website that it presents the Crystal Helmet to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and understanding of the theme subject of the Congress. The association also awards Leonov Medallions to honor notables who have contributed greatly to the association and its aims.

The event attracted 91 astronauts from 18 countries, including Alexey Leonov, the first human to walk in space, Valentina Tereshkova, the first female astronaut, and Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon.

"When will astronauts return to the moon and even fly to Mars? Today we are facing more challenging tasks", said Leonov.

"I hope to see these veteran astronauts at every annual meeting, and listen to the achievements of new generations," he added.

Astronauts from around the world have expressed interest in China's future space station, hoping to cooperate with their Chinese counterparts on the Tiangong space station.

The astronauts visited schools, communities and enterprises, meeting with students, researchers and ordinary Chinese people to share their space flight experiences.

The 28th ASE congress will be held in Sweden.