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Feb 10, 2023
Mission commander Fei Junlong and Zhang Lu performed a seven-hour-long EVA on Feb. 9 (10 February, in China).
Image above: Commander Fei Junlong during the first Shenzhou-15 mission spacewalk, on Feb. 9, 2023, imaged by Wentian module panoramic camera B. Image Credit: CMSA.
Two Chinese taikonauts (astronauts in Chinese) headed outside the China Space Station (CSS) on Thursday (Feb. 9) for a seven-hour-long spacewalk, the first of the ongoing Shenzhou 15 mission.
Shenzhou-15 mission commander Fei Junlong and Zhang Lu exited the Wentian experiment module airlock in the early morning hours of Feb. 9 and returned inside at 11:16 a.m. EST (16:16 GMT) after completing a series of tasks. The third Shenzhou-15 mission member, Deng Qingming, supported his crewmates from inside Tiangong (Celestial Palace in Chinese).
The duo of Fei and Zhang installed external pumps outside Mengtian during the spacewalk, to aid the thermal control and function of the experiment module and the science apparatus mounted on its exterior.
Shenzhou-15 astronauts complete first spacewalk
Video above: According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the first extravehicular activity of the Shenzhou-15 (神舟十五) mission was completed on 9 February 2023, at 16:16 UTC (10 February, at 00:16 China Standard Time), when astronauts Junlong Fei (费俊龙, commander) and Lu Zhang (张陆) safely returned to the Wentian Laboratory Module (问天实验舱).
Fei and Zhang also performed tasks related to Mengtian module payload airlock, which allows taikonauts (astronauts) using the station robotic arms to deploy science payloads and small satellites. Experiments were installed outside Mengtian using the airlock for the first time in January.
Image above: Performing tasks related to Mengtian module payload airlock, using the station robotic arms.
Mengtian module launched in November last year, and its docking at Tiangong module marked the completion of the T-shaped orbital outpost.
China's human spaceflight agency announced that the extravehicular activity had taken place only after its completion. It did not provide a start time for the EVA. The agency had stated somewhat vaguely on Wednesday (Feb. 8) that the planned spacewalk would take place in the near future.
The three Shenzhou-15 crewmates launched to the China Space Station (CSS) on Nov. 29 of last year (2022) and have now spent more than 70 days in orbit. They are expected to conduct two to three further EVAs during their six-month-long mission.
The arrival of Shenzhou-15 at China Space Station (CSS) to join the Shenzhou 14 crew marked China's first crew handover and the start of the operational phase of the newly constructed space station. The country plans to keep the China Space Station (CSS) permanently crewed for at least a decade.
Related articles:
China Space Station (CSS) - Shenzhou-15 docking & Shenzhou-15 hatch opening
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/china-space-station-css-shenzhou-15_30.html
China Space Station (CSS) - Shenzhou-15 launch
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2022/11/china-space-station-css-shenzhou-15.html
For more information about China National Space Administration (CNSA), visit: http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/
Images, Video, Text, Credits: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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