Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

China's Shenzhou-19 crew has revealed they successfully handled a lock failure during what became a record-breaking nine-hour spacewalk last December, the longest single extravehicular activity (EVA) in history.

The mission's post-landing disclosures highlight China's growing capabilities in orbital troubleshooting.

Astronaut Cai Xuzhe, now China's most experienced spacewalker with five EVAs, described how the crew responded to a payload adapter partially jammed during previous equipment installation.

"The payload was deployed through the cargo airlock. The external adapter normally has two locking mechanisms. But while one lock disengaged automatically via the robotic arm as designed, the secondary lock failed to release. This partial failure left half of the mechanism still attached to the station wall. We had to improvise a tool to manually disengage the remaining lock," Cai said.

The critical repair occurred during the mission's first spacewalk on Dec. 17, 2024. After completing primary tasks including space debris shield installations, Cai, assisted by crewmate Song Lingdong, used the station's robotic arm to reach the malfunction site.

The operation faced intense time pressure as it needed to be completed during limited sunlight periods, with only about 40 minutes remaining in the final suitable window. Both astronauts had already spent over seven hours working in China's next-generation Feitian spacesuits at this point.

When asked about operating at the suits' endurance limits, Cai expressed confidence in the systems, detailing how they continuously monitored oxygen levels throughout the extended EVA.

"Our oxygen supply was well within safety margins. The suit carries two tanks, primary and backup. Even if the primary tank were fully depleted, the backup would sustain us. Activating the backup would require aborting the EVA, but we never even approached that threshold. We maintained complete operational awareness throughout," Cai said.

The successful troubleshooting demonstrated the spacesuits' reliability and China's autonomous problem-solving capabilities in space. Mission controllers emphasized that the nine-hour EVA not only set a new Chinese record but surpassed all previous international single-spacewalk durations.

"This achievement demonstrates three key points: First, the absolute reliability of our spacesuits. Second, our operational capacity to sustain nine hours of continuous extravehicular work. Third, it showcases the maturity and self-assurance of China's crewed spaceflight technology," Cai said.

Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

Chinese astronauts set world record during longest spacewalk

Profits of China's major industrial firms increased by 0.1 percent year on year in the first 11 months of 2025, official data showed on Saturday.

In the January-November period, the industrial firms each with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars) saw their combined profits reach nearly 6,626.86 billion yuan (945.79 billion U.S. dollars), according to the latest official data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In the 11-month period, the total profits of equipment manufacturing enterprises nationwide increased by 7.7 percent year on year. Seven out of the eight major categories within this sector achieved year-on-year profit growth.

Also in the first 11 months, the profits of high-tech manufacturing companies rose by 10 percent year on year, with those of the manufacturing sector of specialized equipment for semiconductor devices, the manufacturing sector of aerospace-related equipment and the intelligent in-vehicle device manufacturing sector surging by 97.2 percent, 192.9 percent and 105.7 percent respectively.

From January to November, the profits of the major raw materials manufacturing industry saw a year-on-year increase in profits of 16.6 percent. In particular, the iron and steel sector saw its profits significantly rise and the non-ferrous metal sector kept a two-digital growth in revenue in the first 11 months.

Profits of China's major industrial firms up 0.1 percent in first 11 months