Shenzhou-20 Astronauts Complete Second Spacewalk | China Space Station
The Shenzhou-20 crew on board China's orbiting space station completed their mission's second series of extravehicular activities on Thursday, June 26, 2025, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The astronaut trio—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie—worked for about 6.5 hours and completed the task at 21:29 (Beijing Time), assisted by the space station's robotic arm and a team on Earth.
Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui were tasked with conducting spacewalk operations this time.
At 15:04, Chen Zhongrui opened the hatch and became the first crew member to exit the cabin during this mission.
After Chen Zhongrui climbed to the tip of the robotic arm, his crewmate Chen Dong, who was positioned at the hatch, passed the airlock protective device to him. Then, Chen Zhongrui began the installation procedure.
About two hours later, Chen Dong also exited the cabin. Working in coordination, the two astronauts installed automated foot restraint adapters and interface adapters on the extravehicular platform.
With the new set of equipment, subsequent spacewalks are expected to be shortened by approximately 40 minutes, the CMSA said.
"This equipment is an innovative design developed by our space station team specifically to improve extravehicular activity efficiency. In the previous spacewalks, astronauts had to install foot limiter and operation platform on the robotic arm's end effector before and after exiting the module, and then rely on the arm to transport them to the work site. With the new automated foot limiter being installed, the robotic arm can now pre-position itself at the work site with all necessary equipment before the astronauts exit. This eliminates manual installation, significantly improving operational efficiency for our astronauts," said Li Xuedong, lead designer of the space station system at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
After the robotic arm captured the automatic foot limiter adapter, Chen Dong conducted mobility verification tests between designated work sites.
Then, the foot restraint adapter assembly was installed to the airlock's hatch toolbox via robotic arm, while astronaut Wang Jie coordinated the operation from inside the Tianhe core module.
The Shenzhou-20 crew also completed the installation of a debris protection device and the inspection and maintenance of external equipment.
Finally, Chen Zhongrui and Chen Dong returned to the Tianhe core module safely, successfully completing the mission's second round of extravehicular activities.
"The universe is vast and silent, but not lonely. Countless stars light up the night sky, just like countless space workers who have been standing with us and supporting our progress. I salute all space workers," said Chen Zhongrui from the space station.
"Thank you, Shenzhou-20 crew. You are the brightest stars in the sky. We will always be with you," said the ground team.
The crew is currently making steady progress on a range of space science experiments. In the next phase, they will focus on conducting research and technology tests in key areas, such as space life sciences, microgravity fundamental physics, space materials science, space medicine, and advanced aerospace technologies.
China launched the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: June 27, 2025
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