The Shenzhou-19 crew has successfully completed China's longest spacewalk, marking a significant achievement in the nation's space exploration journey. At 9:57 p.m. Beijing Time on Tuesday, astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong carried out a record-breaking nine-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) aboard China's orbiting space station.
This EVA not only sets a new duration record for Chinese astronauts but also features a historic first: Song Lingdong became the first Chinese astronaut born in 1990 to perform a spacewalk. Supporting the mission from inside the station, Wang Haoze played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the operation.
During the mission, Cai and Song installed space-debris protection devices, utilizing the station's robotic arm with assistance from ground-based teams. Their efforts are a testament to the collaborative spirit and technical prowess driving China's advancements in space technology.
Commander Cai expressed his enthusiasm upon completing the mission, stating, \"Congratulations to Song Lingdong for completing your first spacewalk and becoming the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs. My appreciation also goes to Wang Haoze inside the module and to the extensive support of Shuguang and the entire technical team.\"
Reflecting on the mission, Cai added, \"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.\"
This mission marks Cai's second EVA, following his initial spacewalks during the Shenzhou-14 mission two years ago. Looking ahead, the Shenzhou-19 crew is scheduled to conduct a series of space-science experiments, technical tests, additional EVAs, and install new payloads outside the space station, further contributing to China's expanding presence in space.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
