Meanwhile on the first day of 2022, the crew members on the China Space Station held a live discussion with college students from Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao. Li Jianhua has more.

This is how they celebrate the New Year in orbit – the three taikonauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station marked the first day of 2022 with a live discussion with college students on Earth.

Having stayed in space for over two months, the crew answered a wide range of questions from these doctoral candidates, including how they cope with harsh working conditions in space, how they view fame and wealth, and how women can find their feet in space exploration programs.

Li Haoran from Tsinghua University said he was inspired by these astronauts, and wanted to work for China's aerospace program in the future.

LI HAORAN Doctoral Candidate, Tsinghua University "Since I was a little child, I've aspired to be an aerospace engineer. The Shenzhou-13 mission inspired me to apply for China Aerospace this year. The spirit of space is crystallization of wisdom and sweat of generations of astronauts and designers. Young people should pass on this spirit. It will encourage our study and research."

Wang Yaping, the first female astronaut to be on the China Space Station and the first Chinese astronaut to do a spacewalk, is considered by many to be an inspiration for women who want to work in the field.

DAI WEN Doctoral Candidate, Tsinghua University "The rapid development of aerospace industry in China makes me feel I was born at the right time. We should learn from our predecessors and astronauts and be down-to-earth and study hard."

This is the second time that the Shenzhou-13 crew interact live with students on Earth.

They held a class for primary and high school students less than a month ago, showing them how physics experiments are done in zero gravity.

PROF. YANG YUGUANG China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation "Young people have major roles in our science research and also our daily missions. You can see the command, the flight control, and those in charge of communication in the astronaut system, many of the staff are young people. So let young people know and have better understanding of space activities, especially manned space activities are critical for our future development."

China launched the Tianhe core module last year, and is planning to complete the Tiangong Space Station by the end of this year. LI JIANHUA, CGTN, BEIJING.