The Shenzhou-19 crew members on board China's orbiting Tinagong space station completed their first extravehicular activities (EVAs) at 21:57 Beijing Time on Tuesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze worked for around nine hours to complete their tasks, including the installation of the space station's debris protection device and the inspection of extravehicular equipment and facilities, with the assistance of a ground team and the space station's robotic arm.
Cai and Song were assigned the EVA duty, while Wang assisted the pair throughout the mission from the space station.
At 12:51, Cai exited the hatch door of the Wentian lab module and successfully attached himself to the robotic arm. Then, with the assistance of Song, he carefully lifted the equipment needed for the mission out of the hatch door. Song exited the lab module at 14:32 to perform his tasks.
The mission of the first extravehicular activities of the Shenzhou-19 crew was a complete success, setting a new record for the duration of EVAs by Chinese astronauts, said the CMSA.
It marked Cai's second EVAs in space, following his initial EVAs during the Shenzhou-14 mission two years ago. Song became the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs, said the agency.
It was the 17th spacewalk carried out by Chinese astronauts.
The Shenzhou-19 crew is set to carry out a slew of scheduled space-science experiments and technical tests, while they will also undertake additional extravehicular activities and install payloads outside the space station, according to the CMSA.
China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship on Oct 30, sending three astronauts -- including the country's first female space engineer -- to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.
Shenzhou-19 crew completes first extravehicular activities
The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) on Tuesday held their 12th theory seminar in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, sharing experience in the improvement of development mechanisms.
Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, a member of the Political Bureau of the LPRP Central Committee and deputy prime minister of Laos, attended the seminar and delivered keynote speeches.
Noting that China and Laos are friendly socialist neighbors, Li said that in recent years, the general secretaries of the two parties have been steering the construction of a China-Laos community with a shared future in the new era and providing guidance for the development of relations between the two parties and countries.
The CPC Central Committee has put forward a series of new strategies since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, leading to historic achievements in China's economic development, Li said.
He said China upholds and is strengthening the Party's overall leadership over economic work, adheres to a people-centered development philosophy, and is continuously improving the institutional mechanisms related to the promotion of high-quality economic development.
China is also coordinating deepened reforms with high-level opening-up, and achieving healthy, sustained economic development while improving the quality of life of its people, Li said.
The Lao side expressed its willingness to work with China to implement the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two countries, as well as its readiness to enhance political mutual trust and deepen exchanges related to publicity, ideology and culture.
Prior to the seminar, Li met with the Lao delegation.
Chinese, Lao political parties hold 12th theory seminar in Xi'an
Chinese, Lao political parties hold 12th theory seminar in Xi'an
