The Shenzhou 13 astronauts aboard the Chinese area station took the very first spacewalk of their mission Sunday (Nov. 7), marking the countrys very first spacewalk by a female astronaut. The three Shenzhou 13 crewmembers– commander Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu– came to the Tianhe area station module hours after launch on Oct. 15. The China Manned Space Agency announced strategies for the spacewalk in a statement (Chinese) on Friday (Nov. 5). At the time, the firm did not supply information on the accurate timing or goals of the spacewalk, nor which crewmembers would start the extravehicular activity. On Sunday, CMSA announced that the spacewalk was underway and it was being carried out by astonauts Zhai Zhifang, the Shenzhou 13 mission commander, and Wang Yaping, the nations second female astronaut to fly in space. Wang is now Chinas very first female spacewalker. Their spacewalk was anticipated to last 6 hours.Related: The latest news about Chinas space programWang Yaping became Chinas second woman in area in 2013 aboard the Shenzhou 10 objective. Zhai, on the other hand, became the very first Chinese astronaut ever to perform a spacewalk during the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008. Ideas that Wang would perform the spacewalk appeared last week in CCTV interviews by Chinese area officials. ” The Shenzhou 13 astronauts have completed their settling-in settings. And they have actually unpacked the brand-new extravehicular fit we just sent up with the Tianzhou 3 freight spacecraft and finished numerous tests to make certain the space match is well set for extravehicular activities,” Wu Hao, an assistant scientist of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, informed CCTV.Astronaut Wang Yaping salutes throughout the team statement for Shenzou 13 by the China Manned Space Agency in October 2021. (Image credit: CMSE) Two matches were sent aboard Tianzhou 2 to support Shenzhou 12 spacewalks, but the extra suit suggested it could be one particularly for Wang.Two to 3 extravehicular activities are prepared for the six-month-long Shenzhou 13 objective, according to a pre-launch interview at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Major objectives were stated to include installing an adaptor to permit Tianhes big arm to connect to another, smaller sized arm that will be on a future module.The Shenzhou 13 team have been throughout their 3 weeks in orbit. The mission is prepared to last twice as long as the three-month-long Shenzhou 12, Chinas previous longest mission.During this time the astronauts have actually effectively moved supplies from the Tianzhou freight spacecraft docked with Tianhe, including carrying out upkeep, performing everyday workouts to counter the impacts of microgravity and conducting medical exams and clinical experiments, the CMSA statement noted. Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, making his first trip to space, also evaluated the microbial content of water aboard Tianhe, video footage launched today revealed.The team likewise got ready for and drilled for emergency operations consisting of evacuation and very first help. On the ground at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, a Long March 2F rocket and the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft are in a state of near-readiness in the case of an emergency in orbit.Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
On Sunday, CMSA revealed that the spacewalk was underway and it was being performed by astonauts Zhai Zhifang, the Shenzhou 13 objective leader, and Wang Yaping, the countrys 2nd female astronaut to fly in area. Their spacewalk was anticipated to last six hours.Related: The latest news about Chinas space programWang Yaping became Chinas 2nd woman in area in 2013 aboard the Shenzhou 10 mission. (Image credit: CMSE) Two suits were sent aboard Tianzhou 2 to support Shenzhou 12 spacewalks, but the extra suit recommended it might be one particularly for Wang.Two to three extravehicular activities are planned for the six-month-long Shenzhou 13 mission, according to a pre-launch press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch.