 "9-hour spacewalk: Chinese astronauts top US record, making space history")
Two Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have set a new world record for the longest single spacewalk, breaking a record that had stood for over 23 years. At 9.57 pm Beijing time on Tuesday, astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong completed a nine-hour extravehicular activity, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Their spacewalk surpassed the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes, set by Nasa astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms in 2001 during a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), reported The South China Morning Post.
The spacewalk is not only a record-breaking feat but also a milestone in China’s space exploration journey. Earlier this year, astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-18 mission had set a new benchmark by spending over eight hours outside the Tiangong space station. The astronauts’ ability to endure longer spacewalks was supported by the second-generation ‘Feitian’ spacesuits, which were capable of supporting up to eight hours of external work, a significant improvement over the previous designs.
A milestone for Song and Cai
The spacewalk was particularly notable for Song Lingdong, who became the first Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s to complete a spacewalk. Song, a former fighter pilot with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, participated as part of the mission.
For mission commander Cai Xuzhe, the spacewalk marked his second extravehicular activity. Cai previously participated in a 5.5-hour spacewalk in November 2022 during the Shenzhou-14 mission. This earlier mission marked the first spacewalk after the completion of Tiangong’s T-shaped configuration in low Earth orbit.
China’s growing spacewalk history
China’s journey into spacewalks began in September 2008 when astronaut Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese astronaut to perform a spacewalk, spending just under 20 minutes outside the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft.
Zhai’s spacewalk was conducted using the first-generation Feitian spacesuit, a far cry from the more advanced second-generation suits now in use. They are designed to withstand longer durations in space.
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Mission support and coordination
Cai and Song’s record-breaking extravehicular activity was made possible through extensive coordination between the astronauts, their crewmate Wang Haozhe, who remained inside the Tiangong space station, and ground control teams. The astronauts were also supported by the space station’s robotic arms, which assisted in the spacewalk and helped ensure the safety and success of the mission. The CMSA declared the extravehicular activity a “full success”, emphasising the critical role of teamwork in achieving such an extraordinary feat.
The Shenzhou-19 mission, which began in late October this year, is far from over. In addition to the record-breaking spacewalk, the astronauts are scheduled to perform more extravehicular activities, along with numerous scientific experiments and technical tests that will contribute to China’s continued space station development.