Shenzhou 16 Astronaut Crew Successfully Completed All Scheduled Tasks for Extravehicular Activities
Beijing, July 20, 2023 – The Shenzhou 16 astronaut crew has achieved a major milestone in their mission as they successfully completed all the scheduled tasks for their extravehicular activities. After about 8 hours of out-of-vehicle activities, astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao worked closely together, making use of the space station’s mechanical arm to accomplish the mission objectives.
The China Manned Space Engineering Office reported that during the out-of-vehicle activities, the crew managed to install and lift the in-orbit support for the panoramic camera B of the core module. Additionally, they successfully unlocked and lifted the panoramic cameras A and B of the dream capsule. The entire process went smoothly, marking a significant achievement for the Chinese space program.
Notably, astronaut Jing Haipeng, who has flown four times in space, made a remarkable contribution to this extravehicular activity. With 15 years of dedication and perseverance, he realized his dream of “spacewalking” from the cabin of Shenzhou 7 to the current mission.
Looking ahead, the astronaut crew has many more exciting tasks to accomplish. As per the plan, they will conduct a wide range of space science experiments and tests. Furthermore, they will participate in the installation of multiple application loads outside the cabin.
The successful completion of the scheduled tasks during the extravehicular activities not only demonstrates the competence and skill of the Shenzhou 16 astronaut crew but also showcases the progress China has made in its manned space missions. The Chinese space program continues to move forward with ambitious goals and groundbreaking achievements.
Reporting for CCTV, Wang Gang, Wang Xiaodan, and Li Xiaodong contributed to this article.