BEIJING: Astronauts on China's new space station conducted their first spacewalk on Sunday, state media reported, as Beijing moves forward with its extraterrestrial ambitions.
This was only the second time the nation's astronauts stepped out of their craft while in space.
Three Chinese astronauts blasted off in June docking at Tiangong Station, where they are to remain for three months in China's longest crewed mission to date.
State broadcaster CCTV said that on Sunday morning, two of them exited the corps cabin.
The first, Liu Boming, was carried via a mechanical arm to a worksite and the second, Tang Hongbo, climbed outside the cabin.
State media said their mission included elevating the panoramic camera outside the Tianhe core module, as well as verifying the robotic arm's transfer capability.
Television footage showed astronauts preparing for a spacewalk, wearing gear, and performing health checks while exercising in the cabin.
The astronauts were later shown opening the cabin door and exiting the module, the first of two spacewalks planned for the mission – both expected to last six or seven hours.
The launch of China's first crewed mission in nearly five years is a matter of great prestige for the country, like Beijing, this month marks the 100th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party with a massive propaganda campaign.
To prepare, the crew took over 6,000 hours of training.
The Chinese space agency is planning a total of 11 launches by the end of next year, including three more manned missions that will deliver two lab modules to expand the 70-ton station with supplies and crew members.
In addition to Liu and Tang, the mission's commander is Ni Haisheng, a decorated Air Force pilot in the People's Liberation Army who has already participated in two space missions.
Posts
