Chinese Astronauts Enhance Tiangong Space Station’s Shielding
Chinese astronauts successfully reinforced the debris shielding of the Tiangong space station during a spacewalk lasting 6.5 hours on August 15, 2025. The mission involved two astronauts from the Shenzhou 20 crew, who completed their extravehicular activities at 9:27 a.m. EDT (14:27 UTC, or 10:27 p.m. in Beijing). This operation marked the second time the team had added “debris protection” devices to the station, following similar enhancements made on May 22.
The astronauts, Chen Dong and Wang Jie, undertook various tasks during the spacewalk, including inspections and maintenance of external equipment on Tiangong. Their efforts were supported by Chen Zhongrui, the third member of the Shenzhou 20 mission, who remained inside the space station. According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), Dong’s participation in this spacewalk was particularly notable, as it represented his sixth extravehicular activity, a record for Chinese astronauts.
The Shenzhou 20 crew is currently more than halfway through their anticipated six-month stay in orbit, having launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on April 24. Throughout their mission, they have been engaged in various scientific experiments across disciplines such as life sciences, microgravity physics, and space medicine. The CMSA confirmed that the space station is operating stably and that all crew members are in good health.
In addition to their recent spacewalk, the Shenzhou 20 mission has seen the arrival of one cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou 9, and the departure of another, Tianzhou 8. This mission is the ninth crewed operation to visit the Tiangong space station, which China completed assembling in October 2022. Although Tiangong is approximately 20% the mass of the International Space Station, plans for future missions may involve adding more modules to expand its capabilities.
Dong, serving as the mission commander, is on his third spaceflight, while both Zhongrui and Jie are making their debut in space exploration. The ongoing efforts to enhance the Tiangong space station’s defenses reflect China’s proactive approach to maintaining safety in orbit amid increasing concerns over space debris.
