China's Shenzhou XIII crew starts second spacewalk

China's Shenzhou XIII mission crew started their second extravehicular activity, or spacewalk, on Sunday evening, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The spacewalk started at 6:44 pm, with Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu the first to exit the space station core module Tianhe.

Major General Zhai Zhigang, the mission commander, will embark later. The two are scheduled to adjust the position of a panoramic camera, examine a foot restraint device and test their spacesuits and robotic arm.

Senior Colonel Wang Yaping will stay inside the Tiangong space station to support the extravehicular operations, the agency said.

The operation is the first spacewalk by Ye, who became a member of China's second group of astronauts in May 2010.

The Shenzhou XIII mission was launched on Oct 16 by a Long March 2F carrier rocket that blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert, with the crew soon entering the Tiangong space station. They are scheduled to spend six months working in the station, making it China's longest space mission.

At present, the astronauts have traveled in space for 72 days. They completed their first spacewalk on Nov 8, with Wang, 41, becoming China's first female spacewalker.

During the first spacewalk, Zhai and Wang mounted new components on the robotic arm and used the arm to practice extravehicular maneuvers. They verified the arm's capabilities and its compatibility with the needs of astronauts, examined the safety and performance of support devices and also tested the functions of their extravehicular suit.

Shenzhou XIII is the fourth spacecraft to visit the Tiangong station, and also the second crewed ship to transport astronauts to the orbiting outpost.

The first astronauts inside Tiangong - Major General Nie Haisheng, Major General Liu Boming and Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo - finished their 92-day mission in mid-September. They performed two spacewalks.

Video courtesy to CCTV News