Chinese astronauts Shenzhou 18 are preparing for new extraterrestrial activity outside the Tiangong space station.
According to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), upcoming activities and training include scientific experiments and orbital maneuvers.
Commander Ye Guangfu and crew members Li Cong and Li Guangsu have been on board Tiangong since April 25.
The trio used advanced remote control systems for rendezvous and docking operations on in-orbit training systems and metacognitive training systems. They also practiced skills such as image recognition, manual docking, remote docking, and safe undocking from the spacecraft under various initial conditions. Ye and Li Guangsu completed a national record space walk on May 28th.
The Chinese space agency confirmed on Tuesday (July 2) that the spacewalk would take place in the near future. Often, the spacewalk follows the day after such announcements.
The Shenzhou 18 crew also underwent exercise-based cardiopulmonary function tests. The tests will assess cardiovascular and respiratory capacities needed for future spacewalks, using methods to simulate exercise-induced metabolic demands, CCTV reported.
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Meanwhile, science activities aboard the station have continued. Ye, Li and Li performed maintenance on the combustion science lab cabinet by replacing burners, vacuuming and exhausting dust, and organizing related materials, CCTV reported. The crew also replaced samples in the fluid physics lab cabinet, which is used to conduct on-orbit microgravity experiments on kinetic and other processes, including the behavior of various fluid systems.
The astronauts are now a little over a third of the way through their six-month stay aboard Tiangong. They will be joined in orbit by the crew of Shenzhou 19 around October or November. Ye and the crew will then hand off the station to the incoming astronauts and prepare to return to Soil.
China plans to exploit Tiangong for at least ten years.
