Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong have etched their names in spaceflight history by breaking the world record for the longest single extravehicular activity (EVA). During the Shenzhou 19 mission, they spent an impressive nine hours and six minutes outside the Tiangong space station. This milestone surpasses the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes set in 2001 by NASA astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms aboard the International Space Station.
Monumental Milestone for Shenzhou 19
The Shenzhou 19 mission, which docked with the Tiangong station on October 29, 2024, is a six-month-long endeavor featuring three crew members: Cai, Song, and Wang Haoze. The spacewalk, conducted from late Monday night, December 16, into the early hours of Tuesday morning, December 17, showcased China’s growing prowess in space exploration.
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Cai and Song executed their EVA tasks with support from crewmate Wang Haoze, who remained inside the station, as well as assistance from Tiangong’s robotic arm and ground control teams. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), they installed a space debris protection device, inspected and disposed of extravehicular equipment, and completed other critical maintenance tasks.
Record-Breaking Event
The spacewalk began at 11:51 p.m. EDT on Monday when Cai, the commander of Shenzhou 19, exited Tiangong’s Wentian module. Song joined him 90 minutes later, at 1:32 a.m. The astronauts returned to the module at 8:57 a.m. on Tuesday, officially clocking their EVA at nine hours and six minutes. This EVA marks the 17th spacewalk conducted outside the Tiangong space station and sets a new benchmark for human endurance and technical achievement in space.
Song Lingdong’s Historic First
At just 34 years old, Song Lingdong achieved another milestone by becoming the first Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s to perform a spacewalk. A former fighter pilot in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, Song’s participation underscores the increasing role of younger astronauts in China’s ambitious space program.
China’s Spacewalk Evolution
China’s spacewalking capabilities have evolved significantly since the first-ever Chinese EVA in September 2008, when astronaut Zhai Zhigang spent just under 20 minutes outside the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft. Earlier this year, Shenzhou 18 astronauts Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu spent eight hours and 23 minutes outside Tiangong, setting the stage for the Shenzhou 19 team’s record-breaking achievement. This success highlights advancements in China’s second-generation “Feitian” spacesuits, capable of supporting up to eight hours of external work—double the capacity of their predecessors.
Tiangong Space Station
Launched in April 2021, Tiangong’s core module, Tianhe, forms the heart of the T-shaped space station. It was joined by the Wentian and Mengtian modules in 2022, completing the orbital outpost about 380 kilometers (236 miles) above Earth.
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With further EVAs planned and numerous scientific experiments and technical tests on the agenda, the Shenzhou 19 mission is set to continue breaking new ground. The crew is scheduled to return to Earth in late April or early May 2025, landing at the Dongfeng site in Inner Mongolia.