The first three astronauts to be stationed on China's new Tiangong Space Station wished the Communist Party of China a happy 100-year anniversary in a video from space on Tuesday.
Saluting in front of both the Chinese flag and the flag of the Communist Party on the space station's Tianhe core module – which was launched into orbit in April – astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Hongming, and Tang Hongbo wished a "happy anniversary to the great Communist Party of China."
The astronauts – who are all members of the CPC – moved into the core module just two weeks ago to work on the in-development space station and will stay in orbit for three months.
Due to their party membership, the Global Times newspaper reported last week that some people online have "floated the idea of establishing a space Party branch," which would be entirely possible as "the number of Party members in space have met the minimum requirements for the establishment of a Party branch," which is three.
China's communist party was founded on July 1, 1921 and its 100-year anniversary is set to take place on Thursday.
Fireworks, redesigned buses, and elaborate drone displays have all been used to celebrate the upcoming centenary so far, while the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, paid his respects by visiting the grave of Karl Marx in London.
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