On August 15, astronaut Chen Dong conducted his 20th extravehicular activity (EVA) of the Shenzhou-20 mission aboard the Chinese mainland's orbiting space station, wearing extravehicular spacesuit B.
Over four years, suit B has maintained an average of five spacewalks per year, highlighting the station's growing operational tempo.
This milestone makes suit B the first on the outpost to support 20 EVAs within its initial four-year service window, meeting and exceeding its design expectations.
According to Zhang Wanxin of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, suit B has been donned by 11 astronauts across eight manned missions, carrying out critical work outside the cabin.
Built with a three-year in-orbit lifespan and designed for at least 15 EVAs, the second-generation Feitian extravehicular spacesuit is now the first flight product in the Chinese mainland to undergo an extended in-orbit lifespan assessment.
On July 15, the Tianzhou-9 cargo craft delivered two new Feitian suitslabeled D and Ewhich have been unpacked, inspected, and are ready for future spacewalks.
Compared to the first-generation models, these second-generation suits offer longer life, enhanced safety, and more efficient support for astronauts' tasks, boosting the station's construction and operational capacity.
Reference(s):
Chinese spacesuit reaches 20 spacewalks, extending in-orbit lifespan
cgtn.com
