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Sunday, July 04, 2021

First astronauts at China’s new space station conduct spacewalk



First astronauts at China’s new space station conduct spacewalk


Three spacemen blasted off in June, docking at the Tiangong station in Beijing’s longest crewed mission to date. (AP pic)

BEIJING: Astronauts at China’s new space station conducted their first spacewalk Sunday, state media reported, as Beijing presses on with its extraterrestrial ambitions.

It was only the second time the country’s astronauts have stepped out of their craft while in space.

Three Chinese spacemen blasted off in June, docking at the Tiangong station where they are to remain for three months in China’s longest crewed mission to date.

On Sunday morning, two of them exited the core cabin, said state broadcaster CCTV.

The first, Liu Boming, was transported via a mechanical arm to a worksite and the other, Tang Hongbo, moved by climbing on the outside of the cabin.

Their mission involves elevating the panoramic camera outside the Tianhe core module, as well as verifying the robotic arm’s transfer capability, state media said.

Television footage showed the astronauts preparing for the spacewalk by donning gear and conducting health checks while exercising in the cabin.

The astronauts were later shown opening the cabin door and exiting the module, in the first of two spacewalks planned for the mission – both expected to last six or seven hours.

The launch of China’s first crewed mission in nearly five years is a matter of huge prestige for the country, as Beijing marks the 100th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party this month with a massive propaganda campaign.

To prepare, the crew underwent more than 6,000 hours of training.

The Chinese space agency is planning a total of 11 launches through to the end of next year, including three more manned missions that will deliver two lab modules to expand the 70-tonne station, along with supplies and crew members.

In addition to Liu and Tang, the mission’s commander is Nie Haisheng, a decorated air force pilot in the People’s Liberation Army who has already participated in two space missions.

2 comments:

  1. Soon we shall all be singing this :

    起来! 不愿做奴隶的人们!
    把我们的血肉, 筑成我们新的长城!
    中华民族到了最危险的时候,
    每个人被迫着发出最后的吼声。
    起来! 起来! 起来!
    我们万众一心,
    冒着敌人的炮火, 前进!
    冒着敌人的炮火, 前进!
    前进! 前进! 进!

    Arise, you who refuse to be slaves!
    With our flesh and blood,
    let us build a new Great Wall!
    As China faces its greatest peril
    From each one the urgent call to action comes forth.
    Arise! Arise! Arise!
    Millions of but one heart
    Braving the enemies’ fire! March on!
    Braving the enemies’ fire! March on!
    March on! March, march on!

    ReplyDelete