China’s Moon Mission and Historic Spacewalk
China’s sixth uncrewed lunar exploration mission, Chang’e 6, landed on and sampled the far side of the Moon. The mission was launched on a Chang Zheng 5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on May 3 at 09:27 UTC. The Chang’e 6 vehicle consists of an orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle, and sample return capsule. It carries international payloads including French and Swedish instruments, and Italian laser retro-reflectors.
After separating from the orbiter, the lander touched down in the Apollo Basin on the far side of the Moon on June 1 at 22:23 UTC. On the lunar surface, the lander collected samples and deployed a previously undisclosed mini rover that photographed the lander. Two days later, on June 3 at 23:38 UTC, the ascent vehicle lifted off from the Moon carrying the samples.
The ascent vehicle docked with the orbiter on June 6 at 06:48 UTC and transferred the collected lunar samples to the return capsule. The next step is for the return capsule to begin its journey back to Earth, with reentry and landing currently scheduled for June 25.
Current section: Record-Breaking Spacewalk
At the end of April, the Shenzhou-18 crew arrived at the Tiangong Space Station, replacing the previous Shenzhou-17 crew. Roughly a month after their arrival, two of the Shenzhou-18 crew members performed China’s longest spacewalk to date.
The extravehicular activity (EVA) was conducted on May 28 and lasted 8.5 hours. During the EVA, Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu installed space debris protection devices and performed equipment inspections. This record-breaking spacewalk marked the 15th EVA conducted by Chinese astronauts.
On May 28, the Shenzhou-18 crew conducted China’s longest spacewalk to date. Taikonauts Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu spent a grueling 8.5 hours outside the Tiangong Space Station, setting a new record for the longest Chinese extravehicular activity (EVA).
The spacewalk commenced at 10:58 BJT (02:58 UTC) when the two crew members opened the airlock hatch and ventured into the vacuum of space. Their primary objectives were to install new space debris protection devices and inspect key external components of the orbital outpost.
Clad in their Feitian spacewalk suits, Ye and Li methodically worked their way through a lengthy checklist of tasks. One of the most critical was the installation of shielding panels designed to protect the space station’s vital systems from potential impacts by micrometeorites and orbital debris.
The taikonauts also inspected the station’s robotic arm and conducted routine maintenance on other exterior equipment. At one point during the EVA, Ye experienced issues with his suit’s liquid coolant system, but ground controllers quickly resolved the problem, allowing the crew to proceed with their work.
After 8.5 grueling hours, Ye and Li returned to the safety of the station’s crew modules at 19:28 BJT (11:28 UTC), closing the airlock hatch behind them. Their record-breaking EVA surpassed China’s previous longest spacewalk of 7 hours and 8 minutes, set during the Shenzhou-12 mission in 2021.
The successful EVA marked yet another milestone for China’s rapidly expanding human spaceflight capabilities. As the Tiangong Space Station nears completion, more complex spacewalks will be required to outfit and maintain the orbiting laboratory, further pushing the boundaries of China’s EVA operations.