China’s Shenzhou-19 crew has set a new national record for the longest spacewalk, successfully completing a nine-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) from the country’s orbiting space station at 9:57 p.m. Beijing Time on Tuesday, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced.
This milestone EVA was notable not only for its duration but also for featuring the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s.
Astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong ventured outside the space station to install space-debris protection devices, with crucial support from astronaut Wang Haoze inside the station, as well as assistance from the station’s robotic arm and ground teams.
At the conclusion of the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew shared their satisfaction and gratitude. “Congratulations to 02 (Song Lingdong) for completing your first spacewalk and, moreover, for becoming the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs,” said Cai Xuzhe, the mission commander. “My appreciation also goes to the full collaboration of 03 (Wang Haoze) inside the module and to the extensive support of Shuguang and the entire technical team.”
Cai, who completed his second EVA following his initial spacewalk during the Shenzhou-14 mission two years ago, expressed growing confidence in conducting extravehicular activities. “From the assigned tasks to the more flexible assignments, we feel greater and greater confidence in conducting extravehicular activities. China’s space station will always remain something to look forward to,” he added.
The Shenzhou-19 crew is scheduled to carry out a series of space-science experiments and technical tests. They will also undertake additional EVAs and install payloads outside the space station, according to the CMSA.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
