In a groundbreaking achievement, two Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have set a new world record for the longest single spacewalk, surpassing a 23-year-old record. On Tuesday at 9:57 pm Beijing time, astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong completed a nine-hour extravehicular activity, as confirmed by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Their achievement broke the previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes, held by NASA astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms since 2001 during their mission to the International Space Station (ISS), according to The South China Morning Post.

This remarkable spacewalk is not only a new record but also a significant milestone in China's space exploration program. Earlier this year, astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-18 mission spent over eight hours outside the Tiangong space station, setting another record. The astronauts were able to sustain longer spacewalks thanks to the second-generation 'Feitian' spacesuits, which are designed to support up to eight hours of external activity, marking a major advancement over previous suit designs.

During this extravehicular activity (EVA), Cai and Song installed space debris protection devices and performed vital maintenance tasks outside the T-shaped space station. The Chinese space agency confirmed on Wednesday that these important activities were successfully completed.

The spacewalk was especially significant for Song Lingdong, who became the first Chinese astronaut born in the 1990s to carry out an extravehicular activity. Song, a former fighter pilot with the People's Liberation Army Air Force, took part in the mission as a key member.

For mission commander Cai Xuzhe, this spacewalk marked his second such activity. Cai had previously participated in a 5.5-hour spacewalk in November 2022 during the Shenzhou-14 mission, which was the first spacewalk following the completion of Tiangong's T-shaped configuration in low Earth orbit.

Looking ahead, the Shenzhou-19 crew is set to carry out a series of scheduled space science experiments and technical tests. They will also conduct additional extravehicular activities and install payloads outside the space station, as per the mission guidelines provided by the agency.