Second spacewalk! Chinese astronauts will celebrate New Year's Eve in space for the first time!

According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, at 00:55 Beijing time on December 27, 2021, after about 6 hours, the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew successfully completed all the scheduled tasks of the second extravehicular activity. Astronaut Zhai Zhigang and astronaut Ye Guangfu returned safely to the Tianhe core module, and the extravehicular activity was a complete success.

Astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu conduct extravehicular operations

This is the fourth extravehicular activity of Chinese astronauts during the space station phase. During the extravehicular activity, the crew completed the tasks of lifting the panoramic camera C, installing the foot limiter for extravehicular operations and related ergonomics verification, and verifying the transfer of objects. At the same time, the functional performance of the core module airlock, extravehicular suits, and robotic arms were further verified, and the relevant technologies of extravehicular activities, the coordination between astronauts inside and outside the cabin, and the coordination between the ground and the earth were further assessed, which further accumulated experience for subsequent extravehicular activities.

It is understood that extravehicular operations are becoming the norm during the space station mission phase. In the future, Chinese astronauts will carry out more frequent and more complex extravehicular activities to provide strong support for the smooth completion of the construction and stable operation of the space station.

Astronaut Zhai Zhigang conducts extravehicular operations

Astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu conduct extravehicular operations

Astronaut Wang Yaping is stationed in the cabin to assist the ground in manipulating the robotic arm

Astronaut Ye Guangfu opens the hatch to exit the spacecraft. Source: China Manned Space Engineering Office

Later, the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew will engage in the next phase of on-orbit work missions and greet the New Year in a "feeling good" state. This will also be the first time that Chinese astronauts will celebrate the New Year in space.

So far, the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew has been working and living in orbit for 71 days. Since the first extravehicular activity on November 7, the astronaut crew has carried out various tasks such as on-orbit medical examinations, space experiments, space station platform inspections and daily care, conducted on-orbit training in subjects such as emergency evacuation and medical rescue, and successfully completed the first space class of the "Tiangong Classroom".

How do astronauts secure their bodies after leaving the spacecraft? Experts explain the foot restraints.

Hot comments from netizens: I also "feel good"

During this time, the three astronauts said "I feel good" three times in a row. In 2003, during the Shenzhou V mission, space hero Yang Liwei also said "I feel good" after returning to the ground.

It turns out that “feeling good” is a heritage!

Comprehensive sources: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, People's Daily, Our Space, etc.