Chinese astronauts explore new station on spacewalk

Two Chinese astronauts have completed a spacewalk from a new space station that is due to be completed later this year.

State media said Saturday that Cai Xuzhe and Chen Dong installed pumps, a handle to open the hatch door from outside in an emergency, and a foot-stop to fix an astronaut’s feet to a robotic arm.

China is building its own space station after being excluded by the U.S. from the International Space Station because its military runs the country’s space program.

The latest spacewalk was the second during a six-month mission that will oversee the completion of the space station.

Guo Zhongzheng Xinhua News Agency Chinese astronaut Cai Xuzhe conducts a spacewalk Saturday around the space station lab module Wentian.