China Sets New Spacewalk Record: A Milestone in Space Exploration

China has achieved a major milestone in space exploration with two astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station completing a nine-hour spacewalk, setting a new global record. This significant achievement underscores China’s growing presence in space and highlights its ambitions for future lunar exploration.

Historic Spacewalk

• Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong set a new global record with a 9-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the Tiangong space station.
• The spacewalk was confirmed by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) as a “full success.”

Surpassing a Two-Decade-Old Record

• The record surpasses the previous 8 hours and 56 minutes held by U.S. astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms on March 12, 2001.
• This marked the longest EVA since that mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Astronaut Milestones

• Cai Xuzhe: Mission commander Cai Xuzhe completed his second spacewalk, following a 5.5-hour EVA in November 2022.
• Song Lingdong: This was Song Lingdong’s first EVA, making him the first Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s to perform an extravehicular activity.

Support and Coordination

• The astronauts were tethered by safety cables during the EVA, with robotic arms assisting their work. Wang Haozhe, stationed inside Tiangong, provided coordination and support throughout the activity.

Upcoming Spacewalks and Missions

• More spacewalks and scientific experiments are planned for the ongoing mission, with the Shenzhou-19 crew returning to Earth in 2025.
• The spacewalk also set a new Chinese record, surpassing the 8-hour, 23-minute spacewalk by astronauts Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu in 2022.