China's space exploration efforts hit a new milestone this week as the Shenzhou-21 crew completed their third spacewalk of 2026! 🛰️ The trio – mission commander Zhang Lu, flight engineer Wu Fei, and systems specialist Zhang Hongzhang – wrapped up their 5.5-hour cosmic chore session at 1:36 a.m. Beijing Time on Friday.
Working like intergalactic mechanics 👨🚀, the team used the station's robotic arm (think Wall-E meets Transformer) to install experimental equipment and conduct maintenance. Earth-based crews cheered them on through headsets, proving space teamwork knows no gravity!
This mission cements Zhang Lu's status as China's spacewalk king 👑 – with seven EVAs under his belt, he's now among the world's most experienced orbital technicians. 'Every float out the hatch writes a new chapter in human space habitation,' the CMSA stated in their post-mission celebration tweet.
With the space station operational through at least 2030, this year's activities are paving the way for future lunar missions and international collaborations. Who's ready for moon bases? 🌕
Reference(s):
Shenzhou-21 astronauts complete third series of extravehicular activities
cgtn.com
