中国の宇宙ステーションで初の船外活動

【北京ＡＦＰ＝時事】中国が建設中の宇宙ステーションに滞在する宇宙飛行士らが４日、今回初めての船外活動に臨んだ。中国は野心的な宇宙開発を進めている。（写真は資料写真）
　中国の宇宙飛行士は以前にも船外活動を行っており、今回で２回目となった。
　宇宙飛行士３人は先月、宇宙ステーション「天宮」とのドッキングに成功。中国の有人ミッション史上最長となる３か月間の予定で滞在を続けている。
　国営の中国中央テレビ（ＣＣＴＶ）によると４日朝、２人が中核施設の外に出た。
　国営メディアによれば、船外活動ではコアモジュール「天和」の外にパノラマカメラを設置し、ロボットアームの伝達能力を確認したという。
　テレビ映像には、宇宙飛行士らが中核施設内で身支度をしたり、運動しながら健康面のチェックを受けたりした後、施設の扉を開けて外に出る様子が捉えられていた。
　今回のミッションでは２回の船外活動が計画されており、どちらも６～７時間程度を予定している。
　約５年ぶりとなる有人ミッションは中国政府にとって、今月迎えた共産党創立１００年に合わせた国威発揚の機会となる。宇宙飛行士らは６０００時間を超える訓練を積み、今回のミッションに備えてきた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/07/06-14:19）

Astronauts at China's new space station conducted their first spacewalk Sunday, state media reported, as Beijing presses on with its extraterrestrial ambitions.
It was only the second time the country's astronauts have stepped out of their craft while in space.
Three Chinese spacemen blasted off in June, docking at the Tiangong station where they are to remain for three months in China's longest crewed mission to date.
On Sunday morning, two of them exited the core cabin, said state broadcaster CCTV.
The first, Liu Boming, was transported via mechanical arm to a work site and the other, Tang Hongbo, moved by climbing on the outside of the cabin.
Their mission involves elevating the panoramic camera outside the Tianhe core module, as well as verifying the robotic arm's transfer capability, state media said.
Television footage showed the astronauts preparing for the spacewalk by donning gear and conducting health checks while exercising in the cabin.
The astronauts were later shown opening the cabin door and exiting the module, in the first of two spacewalks planned for the mission -- both expected to last six or seven hours.
The launch of China's first crewed mission in nearly five years is a matter of huge prestige for the country, as Beijing marks the 100th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party this month with a massive propaganda campaign.
To prepare, the crew underwent more than 6,000 hours of training.
The Chinese space agency is planning a total of 11 launches through to the end of next year, including three more manned missions that will deliver two lab modules to expand the 70-tonne station, along with supplies and crew members.
In addition to Liu and Tang, the mission's commander is Nie Haisheng, a decorated air force pilot in the People's Liberation Army who has already participated in two space missions.