In a milestone for China's space program, the Shenzhou-20 crew successfully conducted their fourth extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the China Space Station early Friday. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie spent six hours executing critical tasks, supported by the station's robotic arm and ground teams.
The mission, completed at 1:35 a.m. Beijing time, underscores China's growing technical prowess in orbital operations. The CMSA emphasized the astronauts' work will enhance the station's capabilities for scientific experiments and long-term habitation.
This achievement comes as China accelerates its space station program, with plans to expand international research collaborations. Analysts note the repeated EVAs demonstrate improved reliability in China's crewed spaceflight systems, a key factor for investors monitoring the country's $1.5 trillion space economy.
Since its 2022 completion, the China Space Station has hosted over 1,000 experiments across disciplines including biotechnology and microgravity physics. The Shenzhou-20 crew, now halfway through their six-month mission, is scheduled to conduct additional spacewalks before returning to Earth in October.
