China's Shenzhou-17 crew to conduct maiden extravehicular activities

China's Shenzhou-17 taikonauts will conduct their first extravehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalk, in the next few days, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

The taikonauts have been stationed in the orbital complex for 54 days, nearly one-third of their six-month space mission.

They completed the crew rotation with Shenzhou-16 astronauts, space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection, and preparation for the upcoming spacewalk, according to the CMSA.

They also practiced robotic arm operation training, emergency life-saving drills, medical rescue drills, and full-system pressure emergencies. Experiments in space science are advancing steadily.

The CMSA said the Shenzhou-17 crew is in good health, and the space station combination is stable.