Chinese astronauts went on spacewalk from new space station | Watch video
PremiumTwo Chinese astronauts went on spacewalk from new space station which is due to be completed this year
As China is excluded by the United States from International Space Station who accuses its military of running the country's space programs, China expedited building its own space station. The two Chinese astronauts also went on a spacewalk on Saturday. The new space station is scheduled to be completed this year.
China's Assistant Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying tweeted a video of the spacewalk. “Second spacewalk of Taikonauts! Spectacular footage of #Shenzhou14 crew completing the second, 5-hour extravehicular activities," she tweeted.
The state media informed that astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Chen Dong installed pumps, a handle to open the hatch door from outside in an emergency and a foot-stop to fix an astronaut's feet to a robotic arm, on the station.
This was the second spacewalk during the six-month mission that will oversee the completion of the space station in China. In July, a 23-ton module, which is the first laboratory, was added to the station. Another one is scheduled to be installed later this year.
Liu Yang, the third member of the crew supported the duo from inside. He was part of the first spacewalk with Chen conducted about two weeks ago. The three-member mission will be joined by three more at the end of the mission.
Tiangong Space Station is China's new permanent space station after two temporary stations with the same name- Tiangong 1 and Tiangong 2. China plans to build Tiangong as a complete space station with its own power, propulsion, life support systems and living quarters.
China also hopes that Tiangong will replace International Space Station (ISS) which is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2031.
China is the third country to send its astronauts into space after the US and USSR (now Russia). It has sent various missions to the moon and Mars and achieved success in its space missions.
The US sees a strategic challenge with China's space ambitions. The US is insecure about China's growing influence in the area of space and both countries trade accusations at each other for weaponizing space.
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