The China Manned Space Agency announced on Friday that the crew of the Shenzhou-17, located on the country’s space station, is preparing to conduct its second extravehicular activity within the next few days. The crew, on December 21, 2023, completed a approximately 7.5-hour extravehicular activity, during which they tested the repair of the solar wing of the Tianhe module with the assistance of the space station’s robotic arm and ground personnel. Since that date, astronauts have undergone various preparation processes, including training on the operation of the robotic arm, pressurized emergency drills throughout the system, extravehicular payload transfers, troubleshooting in the experimental cabin, and preparations for the second spacewalk.
The China Manned Space Agency also stated that the health of the Shenzhou-17 crew is good and that the space station combination is operating steadily.