At 21:57 (Beijing Time) on December 17, 2024, Chinese astronauts on the Shenzhou 19 mission successfully completed their first extravehicular activity (EVA), setting a new record by staying outside the Tiangong space station for 9 hours . This historic achievement not only marked a breakthrough in the Chinese space program, it also cemented astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze as protagonists of a significant breakthrough in space exploration .
A joint effort at the Tiangong space station
Astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong performed critical tasks during their spacewalk, including installing space debris protection devices and inspecting extravehicular equipment and facilities. These efforts were carried out with the support of the Tiangong space station’s robotic arm and under the supervision of scientists on Earth.
Astronaut Cai Xuzhe, who returned to space after participating in the Shenzhou 14 mission, once again demonstrated his prowess in extreme conditions. Meanwhile, Song Lingdong made history by becoming the first Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s to perform an extravehicular activity .
Chinese astronauts set a record that defies limits
The 9-hour spacewalk, surpassing the previous record of 8 hours and 56 minutes set by NASA astronauts in 2001, marks an important step in the development of China’s space program. The mission also represents a successful test of the second-generation Feitian spacesuits, designed to withstand up to 8 hours of work in outer space .
The successful extravehicular activity is part of a series of missions that the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has planned for the near future. In addition to spacewalks , Shenzhou 19 astronauts will conduct a variety of scientific experiments and technical tests inside and outside the space station.
With this success, the Shenzhou 19 mission reaffirms itself as a key step in China’s space program, which continues to expand its capabilities in space exploration. The crew is scheduled to perform more extravehicular activities and scientific experiments during their stay at Tiangong, as part of an ongoing effort to push the boundaries of space research.
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Source: CMSE
Photos: Shutterstock | CMSE