Top Chinese leaders attended a grand gathering Saturday morning in Beijing to celebrate the country's successful manned space flight in mid-October.
Leaders met the two astronauts who orbited the earth aboard Shenzhou-VI, and professionals and officials involved in the space program at the Great Hall of the People.
Shenzhou VI lifted off on a Long March 2F carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Oct. 12 for a five-day mission carrying astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng.
Having two crew on board is a departure from October 2003, when Yang Liwei spent 21 hours on a s mission that made China only the third country after the United States and the former Soviet Union to achieve the feat.
Astronauts awarded "Hero" title
