Zhai Zhigang (pictured), the commander of the three-person Shenzhou VII spacecraft, has become the first Chinese astronaut, or 'taikonaut', to spacewalk. Zhai spent 13 minutes outside the orbital module on 27 September.
A fire alarm went off while he was conducting the spacewalk, but it turned out to be due to a faulty sensor. Zhai retrieved a rack containing lubricant samples from outside the spacecraft.
The mission landed in Mongolia on 28 September.
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China's first spacewalk. Nature 455, 581 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/455581c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/455581c