Shenzhou XXI team to carry out first spacewalk

The Shenzhou XXI mission crew members aboard China's Tiangong space station are scheduled to carry out their first spacewalk in the coming days, the China Manned Space Agency said on Thursday.

The three orbital travelers — mission commander Senior Colonel Zhang Lu, spaceflight engineer Major Wu Fei and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang — have been aboard the station for 34 days since their arrival on Nov 1.

They have conducted a host of assignments, including examinations and maintenance work on instruments, checking emergency-response materials, and conducting emergency response drills and robotic arms training.

"The crew members are in good spirits, and the Tiangong space station remains in stable condition. The astronauts are ready for their first spacewalk," it said.

The Shenzhou XXI crew is conducting China's 16th manned spaceflight and has become the 10th group of residents aboard the Tiangong, which is currently the only operational space station independently run by a single nation.