On October 30, China’s Shenzhou-19 spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station, marking another milestone in the nation’s growing space program. Chinese astronauts, known as “taikonauts,” Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong carried out an extensive extravehicular activity (EVA) aka spacewalk while their crewmate, Wang Haoze, remained inside the station.
During the spacewalk, Cai and Song installed protective equipment on Tiangong’s exterior and performed crucial maintenance before safely returning to the station.
“I have exited the cabin and feel great,” Song said at the beginning of the EVA, according to a video released by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Spacewalk Details
The two taikonauts focused much of their nine-hour EVA on installing protective devices to shield the Tiangong space station from space debris. They also conducted inspections and maintenance on the station’s exterior systems.
The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) detailed the mission’s achievements in a WeChat update on Tuesday, stating that the team “worked closely together, and with the support of the space station’s robotic arm and ground scientific researchers, completed the installation of the space station’s space debris protection device, the inspection and disposal of extravehicular equipment and facilities, and other tasks.”
