China’s First Spacewalk

Posted by SpaceSightSeer on February 9, 2009 under Manned Spaceflight | Be the First to Comment

China’s First Spacewalk

On September 25, 2008, China launched Shenzou VII for a three day mission. This mission marked an important milestone in the Chinese space program - China becomes only the thirn space-faring nation to sucessfully perform a space walk or extra-vehicular activity (EVA).  The spacewalk lasted 20 minutes and was very limited in nature. Astronaut Zhai Zhigang, was tethered to the craft and movements were restricted to remain near the hatch. A relay satellite was also released during the mission. A photo gallery related to this mission is available courtesy of China Central Television (CCTV) providing a rare glimpse into the Chinese space program.