Chinese astronauts break world spacewalk record

Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong set a global record with a 9-hour spacewalk outside Tiangong Station, surpassing the 2001 milestone by American astronauts.

Two Chinese astronauts have set a global record for the longest spacewalk, surpassing the previous milestone held by American astronauts.

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that Shenzhou-19 crew members Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong completed their first extravehicular activity on Tuesday outside the Tiangong Space Station. The spacewalk lasted over nine hours, breaking the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes set by American astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms in 2001.

This marks the second-longest duration Chinese astronauts, known as taikonauts, have spent outside a spacecraft. Earlier this year, Shenzhou-18 crew members conducted an eight-hour, 23-minute spacewalk.

China's first spacewalk was in 2008 when Zhai Zhigang spent nearly 20 minutes outside the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft.

Meanwhile, Japan’s space sector faced another setback as a commercial Kairos No. 2 rocket failed mid-flight after launching from Space Port Kii in Wakayama. This marks the second unsuccessful launch for Japan, highlighting ongoing challenges in the competitive space industry.

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