Chinese Astronauts Achieve Record-Breaking Spacewalk Duration

In an impressive feat for China's space program, two astronauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station completed a remarkable nine-hour spacewalk, comfortably surpassing the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes held by American astronauts since 2001.

The astronauts, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, embarked on their challenging extravehicular activities as part of the Shenzhou-19 mission. Their work involved vital tasks such as installing protective equipment against space debris and inspecting the station's exterior, marking a significant stride in China's ambition to enhance its presence in space. They were supported by a third astronaut, Wang Haoze, who remained inside the station throughout the spacewalk. The team is set to spend six months in orbit conducting experiments and performing additional spacewalks, as China aims for future lunar missions. Despite achieving this milestone, the Chinese space agency has not yet officially claimed the spacewalk as a world record, possibly awaiting international acknowledgment.

The astronauts initiated their mission with the intention of maintaining and constructing facilities aboard the Tiangong Space Station, further strengthening China's technological capabilities in the domain of space exploration. Notably, the long history of spacewalks began in 1965 with the first astronauts stepping outside their spacecraft, and China's initial foray into this realm occurred in 2008 when a Chinese astronaut completed a 19-minute spacewalk. The ongoing efforts of the current mission reflect China's aspiration to expand its exploration horizons, including the potential for sending astronauts to the moon in the near future.