By 
November 5th, 2021
Shenzhou-13 crew.
Credit: CCTV/CMSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s trio of taikonauts — Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu – residing in the country’s space station Tianhe core module are preparing for the mission’s first extravehicular activity in the coming days.
All conditions for the crew’s first EVAs are in place, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Friday.
The combination of China’s under-construction space station is formed by the Shenzhou-13 spaceship, Tianhe core module, and cargo crafts Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3.
Credit: CMSA
Settling in settings
“The Shenzhou-13 taikonauts have finished their settling in settings. And they have unpacked the new extravehicular suit we just sent up with the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft and completed various tests to make sure the space suit is well set for extravehicular activities,” said Wu Hao, an assistant researcher of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, who specializes in training space crews for extravehicular activities.
The Shenzhou-13 team have successfully transferred supplies from the Tianzhou cargo crafts, maintained the space station combination in a good condition, unpacked and tested the new extravehicular spacesuit, conducted medical examinations, done weightless exercises, carried out some regular scientific experiments, and prepared for such emergency operations as evacuation and first aid, said the CMSA.
Target: new duration record
Launched on October 16, the crew will stay in orbit for six months, setting a new duration record for China’s crewed space missions.
A recently released set of videos spotlights life onboard the orbiting outpost, including the crew carrying out a microbiological analysis of their drinking water.
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