by China said two of its astronauts completed a nine-hour spacewalk on Tuesday, a figure that surpasses the U.S. record for the world’s longest spacewalk set in 2001 and marks the latest milestone in the country’s ambitious space program.
According to the China Manned Space Agency, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, crew members of spaceflight Shenzhou-19, completed the nine-hour spacewalk, better known as a spacewalk, just before 10 p.m. Beijing time.
According to NASA, the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes was set on March 12, 2001 by US astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms.
Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong completed a nine-hour spacewalk just before 10 p.m. Beijing time on Tuesday, the Chinese space agency said. – Chinese Manned Space Agency
China has made significant efforts to establish itself as a major player in space – an area that nations, including the United States, are increasingly considering not only for scientific reasons but also for resources and national security.
The Chinese space agency has carried out a series of increasingly complex robotic lunar missions in recent years, including the first return of lunar samples from the far side of the moon earlier this year.
It is also aiming to become the second country after the US to land on the moon and has unveiled a specially designed spacesuit for the mission, which is scheduled to take place by 2030.
CNN’s Simone McCarthy contributed reporting.
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