NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
International Space Flight (ESA, Russia, China and others) => Chinese Launchers => Topic started by: Galactic Penguin SST on 08/17/2021 08:20 am
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So after a long time of waiting here's an official message right now that the 2nd CSS spacewalk will occur "soon".
I don't know how soon is "soon" but it might be prudent to start checking after midnight UTC from tomorrow onward.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QLn29D5zHgdnEusRlNjZpw
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CASC posted on its weibo account: "Prepare to refuel for the second outing"
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This is probably going to happen tomorrow just after midnight UTC:
https://twitter.com/cosmic_penguin/status/1428348448428806148?s=21
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Seems like CGTN will do a live stream
https://youtu.be/5j1GelrQPN4
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They inform me that the two astronauts have already gone into space.
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Some images of the transmission, at this moment the two astronauts are putting on their space suits, but this was almost an hour ago
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Some images of the transmission, at this moment the two astronauts are putting on their space suits, but this was almost an hour ago
That was from the first EVA -- note the 7月4日.
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CCTV 13 reports from the mission control that the spacewalk started at 00:45 UTC.
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The objectives of this EVA are to raise another panoramic camera (panoramic camera D) and install some pumps on the exterior of Tianhe. One of the Taikonauts are currently on the end of the arm, positioned on the starboard side of Tianhe where the pump will be placed.
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Looks like both of them are at Tianhe starboard, and are ahead of schedule.
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It's Nie Haisheng (red stripes) and Liu Boming (blue stripes) outside this time.
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Some times, although they are not yet precise:
00:23-00:38 UTC - Hatch opened
00:38-00:45 UTC - First astronaut left
±01:45 UTC - The astronaut secures himself to the robotic arm.
(I will be updating them if more information comes out)
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The spacesuits are signed
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https://tv.cctv.com/live/cctv13/?spm=C28340.PEXSUFnN6CDl.ExidtyEJcS5K.25
神舟十二號乘組兩名航天員再次成功出艙
新華社北京8月20日電（李國利、鄧孟）8月20日8時38分，神舟十二號航天員聶海勝成功開啟天和核心艙節點艙出艙艙門，截至10時12分，航天員聶海勝、劉伯明身著中國自主研制的新一代“飛天”艙外航天服，先後從天和核心艙節點艙成功出艙，並完成在機械臂上安裝腳限位器和艙外工作臺等工作。後續，他們將在機械臂支持下，相互配合開展空間站艙外有關設備安裝等作業。
中國載人航天工程辦公室表示，期間，在艙內的航天員湯洪波配合支持兩名出艙航天員開展艙外操作。
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The extended pump assembly has been successfully installed. On to panoramic camera D. 40 minutes ahead of schedule.
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The lifespan of these spacesuits is 15 uses per 8 hours used.
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The lifespan of these spacesuits is 15 uses per 8 hours used.
Using that knowledge I'd say it's safe to assume that the new suits will come up on future Tianzhou flights while the ones on orbit would be discarded of with the Tianzhou.
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The lifespan of these spacesuits is 15 uses per 8 hours used.
Using that knowledge I'd say it's safe to assume that the new suits will come up on future Tianzhou flights while the ones on orbit would be discarded of with the Tianzhou.
Indeed. This would be consistent with the modus operandi for the Russian Orlan suits the Chinese suits are based on: sent up on Progress, used until they wear out, and then discarded.
15 uses is on par with the historical performance of Orlan suits (http://www.spacefacts.de/eva/e_orlan.htm); only two (Orlan-MK No. 4 and 6) have ever exceeded 15, and they only went to 16 and 17. Most likely they were originally rated for 15 but approved for a life extension based on observed better-than-average performance. (Technically they could be used again beyond 16/17, because they're the two older suits still retained on the ISS as backups; but unless there's a problem with the newer MKS suits they should see no further use.) Notably, their stablemate, Orlan-MK No. 5, was retired after 13 uses, supporting the idea that they were rated for 15 and some of the suits just "got lucky".
15 uses is also roughly on par with the US EMU suits if you count them as "new" each time they're sent back to Earth and refurbished. As with the Orlans, some have been extra successful and seen more than 15 uses (they seem to be lasting especially long in recent years, probably because after so many refurbishments their components' performance is very well characterized).
Given that China does not yet have a vehicle that can return significant amounts of cargo to the ground, it would make sense for them to not plan on refurbishing their first round of suits. That may change when they introduce their next generation reusable crew/cargo capsule. That said, it may not make sense for them to refurbish spacesuits for a while even if they can return them to the ground for inspection. If they keep them in serial production, they have the opportunity to introduce upgrades and improvements with each new generation. Whereas if they build a "fleet" and commit to refurbishing them, they risk getting stuck in the situation the U.S. is in right now, where our spacesuits are all 30-40 years old and we've "lost" the capability to make more and have to start from scratch because we shut the line down years ago.
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CCTV-13 reports that the astronauts approached the hatch to pick up the panoramic camera, I did not understand if it was the two astronauts or one and if they entered the module or from outside they could take the camera.
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According to the new CCTV-13 report, Liu Boming re-entered the Thiane module at around 04:40 UTC as astronaut Nie Haisheng prepares to enter.
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Haisheng on the arm.
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CCTV-13 confirms that the spacewalk has already ended, the two taikonauts entered the Thiane module at 06:33 UTC, with which the spacewalk lasted 5 hours and 55 minutes since the hatch was opened at 00:38 UTC.
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The Shenzhou 12 mission crew has been on the space station for 3 months, this was their last spacewalk as they will return to Earth in about a month.
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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/20/c_1310138532.htm
Chinese astronauts out of spacecraft for second time extravehicular activities
Source: Xinhua | 2021-08-20 12:21:26 | Editor: huaxia
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming had both slipped out of the space station core module Tianhe by 10:12 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Friday to conduct extravehicular activities (EVAs) for a second time, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Nie opened the hatch of Tianhe's node cabin at 8:38 a.m., the CMSA said.
Donning Feitian, new-generation homemade extravehicular mobility unit spacesuits that literally means "flying to space," the two astronauts have completed installing the foot restraints and extravehicular working platform on the mechanical arm, the CMSA said.
They will continue to work together to install other relevant extravehicular equipment with the aid of the mechanical arm, it said.
Astronaut Tang Hongbo has been staying inside Tianhe in cooperation with Nie and Liu for their EVAs.
The three astronauts were sent into space aboard the Shenzhou-12 spaceship on June 17. Liu and Tang completed the first EVAs during the construction of the country's space station on July 4. Enditem
Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Aug. 20, 2021 shows Chinese astronaut Tang Hongbo working inside the space station core module Tianhe. (Xinhua/Tian Dingyu)
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-08/20/c_1310138838.htm
Chinese astronauts complete second time EVAs for space station construction
Source: Xinhua | 2021-08-20 15:04:20 | Editor: huaxia
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese astronauts have completed the extravehicular activities (EVAs) and returned to the space station core module Tianhe, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Friday.
This was the second time that the astronauts conducted EVAs during the construction of the country's space station, and the CMSA declared the EVAs a complete success. Enditem
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Second spacewalk begins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKg4YiYJ-9o
Successful second spacewalk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bls8XIDWOAs
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Translated with DeepL:
Cosmic Velocity made a short video to briefly introduce the installation process of the extra-vehicular thermal control pump set and the thermal control system inside and outside the cabin.
https://twitter.com/SegerYu/status/1428642557479641089?s=20
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Translated with DeepL:
"This real-time modeling done based on multi-sensitive parameters and computer vision is really quite impressive to reach this level of detail (although the forward alignment interface target is drawn in the wrong place?"
Figure: BACC big screen, from Xinhua News Agency
https://twitter.com/SegerYu/status/1428607351318212615?s=20
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[CNSA Live] 2nd EVA spacewalk of Chinese astronauts from Tiangong Space Station 天宫空间站中国航天员第二次出舱活动直播
https://youtu.be/MfeAGSoY0OM
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I have shared this 58 minutes video of the first part of the spacewalk, the interesting and good thing is that the video is at 1080p and you can only hear the voices of the mission control and the crew, it's incredible, enjoy it! ;)
https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4672406141468695?from=old_pc_videoshow
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What's with the Soviet flag to the right of the Taikonaut?
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What's with the Soviet flag to the right of the Taikonaut?
That's not the Soviet flag, it's the flag of the Communist Party of China.
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These are the cameras used by astronauts for their spacewalks. The camera on top of the helmet is a 1080P high definition camera with integrated H.264 video compression function.