By 
June 25th, 2021
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s space station crew is set to carry out its first spacewalk.
An EVA spacesuit has been taken out of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft and installed it in the node module of the Tianhe core module of China’s space station.
“The taikonauts will start extravehicular activities in 10 days or so. The ground personnel have already completed preliminary testing and control of the robotic arm in orbit, said Sun Jun, director of the space station mission of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“The taikonauts will conduct drills on extravehicular missions by collaborating with the robotic arm. It is very complicated to coordinate the work of taikonauts, the robotic arm, the space station and ground personnel. So we have to conduct such drills and tests,” said Sun in a June 23 released China Central Television (CCTV) video.
The EVA spacesuit weighs 265-pounds (120 kilograms). It has only one model, which can be adjusted to the size suiting all taikonauts.
The Tianhe core module, the first and main component of the China Space Station, has two propulsion systems: chemical propulsion that creates thrust from chemical reactions between solid or liquid propellants, and Hall-effect thrusters that generate thrust by accelerating ions using electricity.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Two propulsion systems
The Shenzhou-12 crew on board the in-construction China orbital facility are astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo. They are scheduled to conduct two extravehicular activities during their three-month mission.
The Tianhe core module, the first and main component of the China Space Station, has two propulsion systems: chemical propulsion that creates thrust from chemical reactions between solid or liquid propellants, and Hall-effect thrusters that generate thrust by accelerating ions using electricity.
Unboxing packages
Crew members have been busily setting up their home-away-from home, unboxing packages shipped to the station’s Tianhe core module earlier by the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft.
Tianzhou-2 took propellants and over 160 bags, totaling about seven tons, to support the work and dietary needs of the orbiting crew, including living materials, two extravehicular spacesuits and payloads.
With so much packaging to be removed and sorted out, the astronauts are being aided by an intelligent cargo management system.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
QR code
Each item has a QR code. After scanning, shows operating guidelines on a mobile terminal, including what the goods are, their functions, where they should be put or installed, and how to use them.
Next time they need an item, the astronauts can type in the code to find it.
Also, the data on how much cargo is left and the location can be transmitted simultaneously to ground control, according to Li Zhihui, deputy commander-in-chief of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft system with the China Academy of Space Technology.
“The intelligent system enables both the astronauts and the ground crew to know clearly where the materials are in the space station, ensuring an efficient cargo management,” Li said in a CCTV interview.
A set of new videos detailing EVA preparations, unpacking, and the propulsion system of the Tianhe core module can be viewed at:
Posted in Space News
