Shenzhou-19 crew's first spacewalk a complete success: China Manned Space Agency

The Shenzhou-19 crew members on board China's orbiting Tinagong space station successfully 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.

"The installation of the protective panels this time is mainly to protect the cables and pipelines of the thermal control equipment outside the Tianhe module from debris. During the development phase, the ground researchers conducted a full-process simulation verification of the entire task. The visibility, accessibility, and operability were all verified through ergonomic evaluations and underwater tests," explained Meng Lingzi, a staffer of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing on Tuesday.

Cai and Song were assigned the EVA duty, while Wang assisted the pair throughout the mission from the space station.

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.

"Today, the astronauts performed exceptionally well. This extravehicular activities (EVAs) lasted for nine hours, the longest among the 17 EVAs we have been overseen. From the moment they opened the hatch and ventured outside, their spirits were high, and they remained energetic until returning to the module. They successfully completed all the planned tasks and felt very excited about it," said Wu Hao, a staffer at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Beijing.

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's first spacewalk a complete success: China Manned Space Agency

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