China says two of its astronauts completed a nine-hour spacewalk Tuesday, a figure that beats the US-held record for the world\u2019s longest spacewalk set in 2001, in the latest milestone in the country\u2019s ambitious space program. <\/p>\n
Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, crew members of the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight, wrapped the nine-hour extravehicular activity, better known as a spacewalk, just before 10 p.m. Beijing time, according to the China Manned Space Agency. <\/p>\n
The previous record of eight hours and 56 minutes was set by US astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms on March 12, 2001, according to NASA. <\/p>\n
China has mounted a significant effort to establish itself as a major player in space \u2013 a domain that nations, including the United States, are increasingly looking to not only for scientific benefit, but also with an eye to resources and national security. <\/p>\n
The China National Space Administration has in recent years carried out a series of increasingly complex robotic lunar missions, including the first-ever return of lunar samples from the far side of the moon earlier this year. <\/p>\n
It has also been angling to become the second country, after the US, to land on the moon, and has unveiled a specially designed spacesuit for the mission, set to take place by 2030. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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