China’s space programme achieved a milestone on Tuesday as two astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station set a new world record for the longest spacewalk, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The nine-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) by Shenzhou-19 crew members Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong surpassed a 22-year-old record held by the US.
Cai and Song spent nine hours outside Tiangong, a feat praised as a “full success” by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The two astronauts stepped out of the Wentian lab module, secured by safety cables. They were supported by crewmate Wang Haozhe, who remained inside the station. Tiangong’s robotic arms and ground control teams also contributed to the mission’s success.
Song Lingdong made history with this spacewalk, becoming the first Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s to complete an EVA. Mission commander Cai Xuzhe also drew on his experience, having previously completed a 5.5-hour spacewalk during the Shenzhou-14 mission in November 2022.
The previous record was established on March 11, 2001, when American astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms spent eight hours and 56 minutes outside the space shuttle Discovery during a mission to the International Space Station.
Earlier this year, Shenzhou-18 astronauts Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu set China’s previous EVA record by spending eight hours and 23 minutes outside Tiangong. The second-generation “Feitian” spacesuits they wore can support up to eight hours of activity. This is a major improvement over the first-generation suits, which were used in China’s first spacewalk in 2008. Back then, the spacewalk lasted just 20 minutes.
The Shenzhou-19 crew has a busy schedule ahead, with more EVAs, experiments, and tests. They arrived at the Tiangong space station in late October and are set to return to Earth in April or May 2025, landing in Inner Mongolia.
