Shenzhou-18 task set new record for longest spacewalk by Chinese astronauts
The Shenzhou-18 crew aboard the Chinese space station in orbit completed their 1st spacewalk at 6:58 pm on Tuesday (May 28, 2024) Beijing time (7:58 am Brasília time), according to the China Manned Space Agency .
Astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu worked for about 8:30 hours completing various tasks, including installing space debris protection devices, and were assisted by the space station’s robotic arm and a team on Earth.
The task set a new record for the longest spacewalk by Chinese astronauts.
Ye and Li Guangsu, the 2 crew members assigned to spacewalk duty, have already returned safely to the Wentian laboratory module.
This marked Ye’s 2nd EVA (extravehicular activity), following his initial spacewalk during the Shenzhou-13 mission, while Li Guangsu embarked on a spacewalk for the 1st time.
The mission will involve several other tasks, with the Shenzhou-18 crew set to engage in a series of scheduled space science experiments and technical tests, while they will also perform additional extravehicular activities and install payloads outside the space station, according to the special agency.
So far, Chinese astronauts have successfully performed a total of 16 EVAs. On September 27, 2008, astronaut Zhai Zhigang on the Shenzhou-7 mission made history as the first person from China to perform a spacewalk, which lasted approximately 19 minutes.
The Shenzhou-15 crew achieved a milestone by carrying out four spacewalks, marking the highest number of EVAs by a single crew of Chinese astronauts.
The Shenzhou-17 crew completed, for the first time, in-orbit maintenance of extravehicular installations during their 2nd spacewalk, which lasted approximately 8 hours.
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