The Shenzhou-19 crew members on board China's orbiting Tinagong space station completed their first extravehicular activities (EVAs) at 21:57 Beijing Time on Tuesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze worked for around nine hours to complete their tasks, including the installation of the space station's debris protection device and the inspection of extravehicular equipment and facilities, with the assistance of a ground team and the space station's robotic arm.
Cai and Song were assigned the EVA duty, while Wang assisted the pair throughout the mission from the space station.
At 12:51, Cai exited the hatch door of the Wentian lab module and successfully attached himself to the robotic arm. Then, with the assistance of Song, he carefully lifted the equipment needed for the mission out of the hatch door. Song exited the lab module at 14:32 to perform his tasks.
The mission of the first extravehicular activities of the Shenzhou-19 crew was a complete success, setting a new record for the duration of EVAs by Chinese astronauts, said the CMSA.
It marked Cai's second EVAs in space, following his initial EVAs during the Shenzhou-14 mission two years ago. Song became the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs, said the agency.
China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship on Oct 30, sending three astronauts -- including the country's first female space engineer -- to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.
The Shenzhou-19 crew is set to carry out a slew of scheduled space-science experiments and technical tests, while they will also undertake additional extravehicular activities and install payloads outside the space station, according to the CMSA.
Shenzhou-19 crew completes first extravehicular activities
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli ground forces are intensifying their campaign in Lebanon, seizing what he called "dominating areas" as air and drone strikes hit large parts of the southern region.
Intensive airstrikes were launched on areas in southern Lebanon and the Western Bekaa, with children among the fatalities in the town of Mashghara. Drone strikes also hit the area around the Qaraoun Dam.
Several areas, including the city of Tyre and its densely populated public housing neighborhood which is home to many displaced people received forced evacuation orders.
"This is the public housing area in Tyre. They are striking the elderly, children, and innocent people. There is nothing here [worth targeting militarily], only the homes of innocent people. They issued a warning, ambulances came to evacuate the elderly, and shortly after, the homes were bombed," said a resident of Tyre.
"We received an evacuation warning, and the people left, all of them children and families. Among them were displaced people from villages who had fled the south, and this strike came on top of their tragedy," said another resident.
Hezbollah announced that it had carried out several operations targeting Israeli forces and vehicles in southern Lebanon and northern Israel near the border with Lebanon.
"The enemy is trying to achieve several goals through bombing, destruction and killing. First, it is criminal in its nature. Second, it is trying to drive a wedge between the people and the resistance. Third, it is seeking to portray itself as victorious. Finally, it is doing everything to claim that it has defeated Hezbollah," said Hussein Jishi, member of Lebanese Parliament for Hezbollah.
Despite the questionable U.S.-brokered truce in place, Lebanon and Israel are set to hold a fourth round of talks next week in Washington, preceded by military meetings there at the end of this week.
Hezbollah has denounced the existing truce as "meaningless" without its direct involvement, and insists disarmament of the group remains off the table.
Israeli PM orders "deepening" of military operation in Lebanon
