By 
September 17th, 2022
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s Shenzhou-14 taikonauts completed their second set of spacewalks on Saturday.
Chen Dong and Cai Xuzhe performed the tasks, with Liu Yang providing support inside the cabin. The Shenzhou-14 spacewalkers completed the second EVAs, which lasted about five hours, the China Manned Space Agency (CMS) announced.
The taikonaut twosome opened the airlock cabin of the Wentian lab module making their exit into space. The extravehicular (EVA) activities included installing foot-stop b, which will facilitate the astronauts to carry out operation on the bulkhead, and an assist handle, which can help astronauts open the hatch door from outside in emergency.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The astronauts were also to install additional pumps, the core equipment of the space station’s thermal control system, and carry out the challenging task of extravehicular rescue for the first time, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
Duties ahead
The three crew members were sent to the space station on June 5 for a six-month mission.
During the second half of their six-month stay in orbit, they will oversee the arrival of the other lab module Mengtian and be involved in the first Chinese space station crew handover when the Shenzhou-15 crew arrives.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The trio successfully completed their first EVAs from the airlock cabin of the Wentian lab module on September 2, which lasted about seven hours.
Frequent EVAs
“The Shenzhou-14 is fully tasked, and the Mengtian lab module will be launched soon. Before this second lab module is launched, the space station combination is yet to undergo a transposition to form an L-shaped configuration,” said Pan Shunliang, deputy chief designer of the Overall Design Department under the China Academy of Space Technology. Relatively frequent EVAs can help make spacewalk a regular activity, Pan told CCTV.
“The two astronauts outside the capsule and the astronaut inside should coordinate with each other. Other departments on the ground, including our space station system, astronaut system, Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, and measurement and communication system, also need to be greatly coordinated,” Pan said.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“Especially in the operation stage, it may be necessary to transfer the solar wings of the core module to both sides of the lab modules,” Pan added. “This requires regular multiple spacewalks, and so the EVAs are conducted to prepare and test our capacity for spacewalks.”
Completed this year
The construction of China’s space station is expected to be completed this year. It will then evolve into a national space laboratory with three modules: the core module Tianhe, and two lab modules, Wentian and Mengtian.
Credit: CCTV/CGTN/Inside Outer Space screengrab
According to China Global Television Network (CGTN), Yin Rui, deputy chief commander of the astronaut system at the CMS, said there is more to expect from the second half of the Shenzhou-14 crew’s stay in orbit.
“China’s space station will be ready before this December and the perfect ‘T-shaped’ structure will be in full display 400km above Earth. That image will show the best of the Chinese wisdom and the Chinese people,” Yin said.
China launched Tianhe in April last year, and the first lab module Wentian on July 24 of this year. The second lab module Mengtian is set to be launched in October.
Go to these newly released videos focused on the 2nd spacewalk at:
Posted in Space News
