Chinese astronauts completed the country's first spacewalk outside their space station, marking an important milestone in the country's rapidly developing space program.
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the spacewalk is only the second by Chinese astronauts since the Shenzhou 7 crewed mission in 2008, which was completed outside of a spacecraft.
China launched three astronauts into space - Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo - in June. According to the CMSA, two of them exited the Tiangong or Heavenly Palace core module of the space station.
They tested new-generation spacesuits, fitted equipment, raised a panoramic camera, and tested the station's robotic arm during the spacewalk.
"The safe return of astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo to the Tianhe core module marks the complete success of the first spacewalk in our country's space station construction," the space agency said per Phys.org.
China to Make Another Spacewalk in 3 Months
The organization also stated that another spacewalk would take place during the astronauts' orbital voyage, which will be China's longest crewed mission at three months. In December, the country's scientists successfully landed exploration rovers on the moon, and in May, they did so on Mars.
China launched the first core module, Tianhe or Harmony of the Heavens, on April 29 as part of its plans to build a fully crewed space station by December 2022. According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the module is the country's largest spaceship to date, with a total length of 16.6 meters (55 feet) and a living space of 50 cubic meters (1,765 cubic feet).
China has previously sent two space labs into orbit, the Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2, both of which served as test beds for the larger space station that the country is currently constructing.
Chinese astronauts have been barred from the International Space Station (ISS) for a long time due to political and legal constraints imposed by the United States. Russia, a long-time ISS participant, has also withdrawn from the project and is considering establishing its own space station by 2030.
While China is not currently considering foreign participation in the creation of the space station, non-Chinese astronauts will "definitely" be welcomed in the years to come, according to Zhou Jianping, chief designer for the country's manned space program.
Zhou told CNN many countries had expressed a desire to do that. He added they're open to that possibility.
About Shenzhou 12 Mission
The latest crew put in nearly 6,000 hours of training, NDTV said.
China Space Agency plans to have 11 launches by 2022, including three more crewed missions. To expand the station, they will deploy two lab modules, as well as supplies and astronauts.
China's desire to build its own orbiting outpost was fueled by a US ban on Chinese astronauts participating in the International Space Station, a joint venture of the United States, Russia, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
The International Space Station is set to be decommissioned in 2024, though NASA has stated that it could remain operational until 2028.
Tiangong is expected to last at least ten years, and China has stated that foreign participation is encouraged.
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