BEIJING (AP), Two astronauts completed the first spacewalk Sunday outside China's new orbital station. They were there to set up a 15-meter (50 foot) long robotic arm.State TV showed Liu Boming, Tang Hongbo and Earth rolling past them from the airlock. Commander Nie Haisheng was the third member of the crew. He remained inside.The three-month-long mission, which took place aboard China's third orbital station, was launched June 17. It is part of an ambitious space program that also landed a robotic rover on Mars in May. The mission coincides with the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Communist Party.The station's first module Tianhe (or Heavenly Harmony) was launched on April 29. The automated spacecraft was then launched with fuel and food. Liu, Nie, and Tang arrived aboard a Shenzhou capsule on June 17.According to state media, Liu and Tang completed the installation of a robot arm that will be used for assembling the rest of the station. State TV reported that their space suits were designed to enable them to work in space for up six hours, if necessary.Space agency will launch 11 additional modules to the station, adding two more to its 70-ton weight.Liu is a veteran from the 2008 Shenzhou 7 mission, when Zhai Zhigang took China's first spacewalk. Nie is currently on his third space flight, while Liu is his first. All three are military pilots.
