(cnhubei.com) Nie Haisheng, one of the two Chinese astronauts who piloted spacecraft Shenzhou-6 on China’s second space flight mission, celebrated his 41st birthday in space on October 13, 2005.

A special birthday party was held in Zaoyang of central China’s Hubei Province, Nie’s hometown. A local food company specially made a birthday cake with a decorative pattern of the Shenzhou-6 for Nie. “We are proud of Nie Haisheng and wished him a happy birthday”, Song Aijie, a working staff of the company said.

Some of Nie’s former classmates produced a model of the Shenzhou-6 spacecraft made of radish. “We made it for 7 hours, hoping Nie Haisheng a happy birthday,” one of the classmates said.

His daughter Nie Tianxiang sang him with a happy birthday song on telephone at Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Centre the day before which moved the father to tears.