Shenzhou XIX crew completes successful spacewalk outside Tiangong station
Mission commander Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe and crew member Lieutenant Colonel Song Lingdong successfully returned to the Wentian science module at 9:57 pm after completing several assignments in coordination with Lieutenant Colonel Wang Haoze, who remained inside the station to provide operational support.
The EVA, facilitated by ground controllers and the station's robotic arm, focused on key objectives, including the installation of space debris shield devices and inspection of extravehicular equipment conditions, the agency detailed. The operation marked China's 18th spacewalk and was its longest to date.
This mission was Cai's third EVA, following two spacewalks during his Shenzhou XIV mission in 2022. Song, meanwhile, achieved a milestone as the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to perform a spacewalk.
Launched on October 30 aboard a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Shenzhou XIX crew - the eighth group to inhabit Tiangong - arrived at the orbital station the same day, relieving the Shenzhou XVIII team.
In their 49 days aboard the station, the crew has executed various operations, including station maintenance, spacesuit testing, emergency drills, and medical aid rehearsals. According to the agency, the astronauts are set to perform additional spacewalks, scientific experiments, and payload deployment tasks before their return to Earth, scheduled for late April or early May.
Tiangong, orbiting approximately 400 kilometers above Earth, consists of a core module and two science capsules, with regular visits from crewed and cargo spacecraft. Weighing about 100 metric tons, the station serves as a key national platform for scientific and technological research and is expected to remain operational for at least a decade.