Chinese astronauts set spacewalk record

Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong from the Shenzhou-19 mission completed a historic spacewalk, setting a new world record with a duration of 9 hours and 6 minutes. The extravehicular activity (EVA) surpassed the previous record of 8 hours and 56 minutes held by US astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms since 2001.

Operating from China's Tiangong space station, the astronauts conducted essential maintenance work, including installing equipment to protect the station from space debris and performing exterior inspections. The mission, which launched on October 30, includes a third crew member, Wang Haoze, who remained inside the station during the spacewalk to assist her colleagues.

Following the achievement, astronaut Song reflected on the experience, expressing appreciation for both the spectacular views and the significance of human space exploration. The mission marks another milestone in China's expanding space program, which began its spacewalking history in 2008 with a modest 19-minute EVA.

The Shenzhou-19 crew, including China's first female space engineer, is scheduled for a six-month stay aboard Tiangong. Their mission encompasses various scientific experiments, including studying the effects of reduced magnetism and microgravity on fruit flies, along with additional planned spacewalks and technical operations.

China's space agency initially reported the duration without explicitly claiming it as a world record, possibly awaiting international verification. This achievement represents another step in China's ambitious space program, which aims to eventually send astronauts to the moon.

For historical context, the first-ever spacewalk was performed by a Soviet astronaut in 1965, lasting 16 minutes, followed shortly after by an American astronaut.