Beijing (AFP)

Two Chinese astronauts carried out a new spacewalk on Friday to complete the assembly of an articulated arm on Tiangong, the Chinese station under construction, said the space agency in charge of manned flights.

This second spacewalk in two months, broadcast on public television, is part of China's ambitious space program, which has already landed probes on the Moon and Mars.

Three Chinese astronauts had taken off in mid-June from the Gobi Desert (northwest China) and their spacecraft had docked at Tianhe ("Heavenly Harmony") - the only one of the three space station modules to already be in. space.

This manned space mission (Shenzhou-12) is the longest ever carried out by the Asian country: the three men will remain in orbit for a total of three months.

On Friday, astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming exited the Tianhe module to install footrests and a work bench on the station's robotic arm, said the Human Space Agency (CMSA).

Chinese astronaut Nie Haisheng, aboard the Tianhe module, prepares for a spacewalk, August 20, 2021 - CNS / AFP

Images broadcast by state-owned CCTV television showed the two men in their white overalls, working outside the vessel to which they were attached with a cable.

They were also tasked with adjusting a panoramic camera, according to the channel.

It was the third spacewalk for Chinese astronauts.

The first, carried out in 2008, made China the third country to bring a human out into space alone after the USSR and the United States.

The second took place in early July 2021 in the space station under construction.

Shenzhou-12 is the first Chinese manned mission in nearly five years and a matter of prestige for the Communist Party (CCP), which is celebrating its centenary this year.

Chinese astronaut Tang Hongbo, in the Tianhe module, maintains communication with his colleague Nie Haisheng on a spacewalk, August 20, 2021 - CNS / AFP

Named in English CSS (for "Chinese Space Station") and in Chinese Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace"), the station, when completed, will be similar in size to the former Soviet station Mir (1986-2001).

Its lifespan will be at least 10 years.

© 2021 AFP