Shenzhou-20 crew onboard China’s space station on July 15, 2025. Photo: VCG
China’s Shenzhou-20 crew will conduct their third extravehicular activity (EVA) in the coming days, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced Thursday. Last week, the crew unpacked an updated version of China’s Feitian extravehicular spacesuits, delivered aboard the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft in July.
Since completing their second spacewalk on June 26, the Shenzhou-20 taikonauts have seen off the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft and welcomed Tianzhou-9, the CMSA said. They have also performed in-orbit tasks, including environmental monitoring, equipment inspection and maintenance, inventory management and preparations for the upcoming EVA.
Scientific experiments and technology demonstrations have progressed steadily, covering space life sciences and human research, fundamental physics under microgravity, and new space technologies and applications.
The space station complex is operating stably, and the Shenzhou-20 crew are in good physical and mental health, with all preparations completed for the planned spacewalk, the agency said.
Two brand-new, domestically developed extravehicular spacesuits were delivered to the space station in July. Their design life has been extended from three years and 15 uses to four years and 20 uses, according to China Central Television.
Regarded as miniature space stations, spacesuits embody a nation’s most advanced technologies. China’s spacesuits, which supported the world’s longest single EVA, showcase the nation’s top-tier achievements in performance, safety, and ergonomic design, Song Zhongping, a Chinese aerospace affairs expert, told the Global Times.
Global Times