With low temperatures, radiation and high-energy particles, the vacuum of space is nothing but harsh (严酷的). Can you imagine spending six hour walking in space? Chinese astronauts did just that on their latest spacewalk.
On Aug 20, Chinese astronauts Liu Boming and Nie Haisheng went out on the second spacewalk of the Shenzhou XII mission, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The pair set up and adjusted equipment, showed their spacesuits and tested the large robotic arm and other spacewalk-related devices.
Despite the astronauts' skill, spacewalking is a challenging task. Luckily, their bulky (臃肿的) spacesuits protect them. A spacesuit is like a small space station. It has everything astronauts need when they carry out a spacewalk.
China's Feitian spacesuits have six layers. The innermost layer collects astronauts' urine (尿液). There are also four layers that help control the temperature and air pressure inside the suit. Spacesuits are filled with air, so they look like they're puffed up (膨胀). The sixth layer is made of special fibers that cover astronauts from radiation, according to The Paper.
Astronauts are connected to the space station with safety ropes. The suit has headphones and speakers for astronauts to communicate. There is also a mirror on the wrist that astronauts can use to check their suits.
The first Feitian suit was made in 2008. Zhai Zhigang wore it to carry out China's first spacewalk, which lasted about 19 minutes.
The suits Chinese astronauts wear today are the second generation of Feitian. They can support longer walks lasting up to eight hours and can be used more often. The first generation could only be used five times within two years, while the second generation can be used 15 times within three years. Each suit costs around 30 million yuan, and it takes four months to make just one according to Ifeng News.
a. headphones b. speakers c. mirror
d. radar e. compass f. safety ropes
