First Shenzhou-21 Spacewalk Inspects Damaged Spacecraft, Installs Protective Hardware [SZ-21 EVA-1]
Zhang Lu and Wu Fei have exited the Tiangong Space Station for the first time during their six-month mission.
On December 9th, Zhang Lu and Wu Fei exited the Tiangong Space Station via the Wentian module’s airlock for the first spacewalk of the Shenzhou-21 mission in the red and blue Feitian (飞天航天服) spacesuits. Based on pre-flight training, Zhang used the red suit1 while Wu donned the blue suit2, both of which were of a newer design delivered by Tianzhou-9.
According to the China Manned Space Agency, the spacewalk took place over eight hours, starting at 10:28 am China Standard Time (02:28 am Universal Coordinated Time) concluding at 18:45 pm (10:45 am). This was Zhang Lu’s fifth time outside of the space station, following his four spacewalks during the Shenzhou-15 mission in 2022 and 2023, and Wu Fei’s first, reportedly making him China’s youngest spacewalker at age thirty-two.
While outside of the space station, the two spacewalkers installed the usual space debris protection devices onto station modules and performed inspections of the Tianhe, Wentian, and Mengtian modules as well as their fully functional Shenzhou-22 spacecraft. A multi-layer cover for a temperature control adapter was replaced between those activities.
Alongside those activities, thorough inspections and photographing of the stricken Shenzhou-20 spacecraft window were performed to analyse it from the outside with human eyes for the first time; observations of it have previously been conducted from the inside as well as by the space station’s robotic arms.
In order to view Shenzhou-20’s window, Zhang Lu was carried on the space station’s robotic arm toward the spacecraft’s reentry module. Without the arm, the spacewalkers would have had to stop on its orbital module, as there are no attachment points for safety devices on the reentry module.
Overseeing the activities for the spacewalkers and operations of the robotic arm was Zhang Hongzhang, inside the space station, while his two crewmates were outside. Support was also provided by teams on the ground at mission control.
With inspections and new photographs of Shenzhou-20’s damaged window, a disposal plan for the spacecraft will undergo further consideration, likely resulting in protective hardware installation. According to Ji Qiming (季启明), Spokesperson and Assistant Director of China Manned Space Engineering Office, hardware for protecting Shenzhou-20’s damaged window was delivered via Shenzhou-22, alongside relevant tools to install it. It is expected that Shenzhou-20 will return to Earth after the protective hardware is installed, but the details regarding its landing location and return cargo are yet to be decided.
As plans for the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft are being drawn up, the Shenzhou-21 taikonauts will remain onboard Tiangong for the next five months, with the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, to perform various experiments for life science and biotechnology, space medicine, space material science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, and new space technology. The Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft will arrive sometime in 2026 while they’re onboard too.
Meet the Shenzhou-21 crew
Zhang Lu (张陆)
Zhang Lu is the Commander and Pilot of the mission for his second spaceflight, having flown for the Shenzhou-15 mission between November 2022 and June 2023. He is from Hanshou County (汉寿县), Hunan (湖南) province, and was selected as part of China’s second taikonaut group in 2010, also being considered a ‘post-70s’ taikonaut having been born in November 1976.
Before becoming a taikonaut, Zhang served in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and achieved the rank of Senior Colonel. He also joined the Communist Party of China in April 1999. After the Shenzhou-15 mission, Zhang was awarded the Spaceflight Merit Medal (Third Class) along with the honorary title of hero taikonaut.
Wu Fei (武飞)
Wu Fei is the Flight Engineer for this mission, which will be his first trip into space. He is from Baotou (包头市 / ᠪᠤᠭᠤᠲᠤᠬᠣᠲᠠ), in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区 / ᠥᠪᠥᠷ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠤᠨ ᠤᠨᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ ᠣᠷᠣᠨ), and was selected as part of the third taikonaut group in October 2020, while being considered a ‘post-90s’ taikonaut having been born in 1993.
Before his selection as a taikonaut, Wu was an engineer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. He also joined the Communist Party of China in 2015.
Zhang Hongzhang (张洪章)
Zhang Hongzhang is the Payload Expert for this mission, with it being his first trip to space. He is from Binzhou (滨州市), Shandong (山东) province, and was also selected as part of the third taikonaut group in October 2020, while being considered a ‘post-80s’ taikonaut having been born in 1986.
Prior to being selected as a taikonaut, Zhang was a researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大连化学物理研究所), where he explored new materials and technology for batteries. He also joined the Communist Party of China in 2004.
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Solid operational thinking on the robotic arm usage to reach the reentry module without safety tether points. The detail about pre-delivering protective hardware via Shenzhou-22 before they even knew the exact repair plan shows how much contingency planning goes into these missions. Also intresting that they're treating this as a forensics case—getting human-eyes-on-target photos befre deciding disposal versus repair logistics.