Shenzhou XV crew have first spacewalk

The Shenzhou XV mission crew, who have been flying with the Tiangong space station for more than two months, have carried out their first spacewalk, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The agency said in a news release early on Friday morning that mission commander Major General Fei Junlong and Senior Colonel Zhang Lu completed a seven-hour spacewalk that started on Thursday afternoon and they returned to the Wentian science module at 12:16 am on Friday. The third crew member, Senior Colonel Deng Qingming, stayed inside the station to provide support, it added.

During the operation, Fei and Zhang fulfilled several tasks such as installing equipment on the space station's exterior.

This was the first spacewalk since the Tiangong station was completed and started its formal operations at the end of 2022, the agency noted.

Moreover, extravehicular installation work has recently started in order to mount scientific devices on the exterior of Tiangong, it added.

According to the China Academy of Space Technology, a major contractor in the Tiangong program, the Shenzhou XV crew used the robotic arm designed and built by the academy when they mounted extended pump sets and foot restraints outside the station.

The academy noted that Fei and Zhang made a lot of movements around all the station's three major sections during the spacewalk.

Pang Zhihao, a retired researcher at the academy and a renowned writer on spaceflight, said it was difficult and challenging for the astronauts to move the large-sized foot restraints and install them because such acts need a lot of strength and skill.

"This was the first spacewalk for Fei and Zhang and it required them to make many moves while wearing their heavy extravehicular suits. In addition, they needed to 'walk' around the entire station. So the operation was never easy. I am glad they finished it smoothly," he said.

By Friday morning, the Shenzhou XV crew had been inside the Tiangong station for 72 days.

Fei's team arrived at the station on Nov 30. They are scheduled to stay until May, when the Shenzhou XVI crew are due to take over.

The Shenzhou XV astronauts are tasked with conducting several spacewalks to mount equipment outside the station, installing and testing scientific cabinets, and conducting scientific experiments and technological demonstrations.

As one of the largest ever space-based assets, the Tiangong station currently consists of the Tianhe core module, the Wentian and Mengtian science capsules, the Shenzhou XV crew spacecraft and the Tianzhou 5 cargo ship.

Chinese astronauts have so far carried out nine spacewalks.