BEIJING — China's Shenzhou-14 astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Chen Dong successfully exited the space station lab module Wentian on Sept 17 to conduct extravehicular activities (EVAs), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

At 1:35 pm (Beijing Time), Cai opened the hatch of Wentian's airlock cabin. By 3:33 pm, both Cai and Chen were outside, said the CMSA.

This is the second time that Shenzhou-14 astronauts have conducted EVAs, and the first time for Cai.

With the aid of the small mechanical arm, the pair will conduct a series of extravehicular tasks, including the installation of extravehicular assistance handles and the extended pump set of the load circuits. They will also verify the extravehicular rescue capability.

During the EVAs, astronaut Liu Yang was inside the core module, supporting her crewmates, according to the CMSA.

Chen Dong and Liu Yang completed the Shenzhou-14 crew's first EVAs and returned to Wentian on Sept 2.