The earliest Feitian space suit was used onShenzhou 7, worn by taikonautZhai Zhigang duringChina's first-ever spacewalk on 27 September 2008.[2] An improved version of the Feitian space suit is used aboard theTiangong space station, with the first EVA using the updated version being onShenzhou 12's first EVA, on 4 July 2021.[3]
As of July 2023, 13 Chinese taikonauts have completed 13 EVAs wearing Feitian space suits.
The "Fei Tian" text and goddess image on the arm badge of the Feitian space suit
The namefēi tiān literally and separately means "flying" and "sky" in Mandarin.[4] It is a reference to the flying gods and goddessesfeitian, sometimes translated asflying apsara, in Chinese, and most famously depicted in Chinese art in thegrottoes of Dunhuang.[5][6]
Images of thefeitian from Dunhuang appear on the arm badge of the space suit.[7]
When the China Manned Space Program was approved in 1992, one of its "second phase" goals was to develop extravehicular activity capability. To achieve this goal, in the early 2000s, China signed an agreement withRussia to allow import of theOrlan-M space suit to China.[8]
Also in the early 2000s, the Chinese space program began development of its own domestic EVA suit design.[9] The first such suit was assembled in June 2006, and certified in two years later in June 2008.[10]
On 24 September 2008, theChina Manned Space Agency announced that China's first extravehicular activity would be conducted by two taikonauts, wearing the Chinese-made Feitian space suit and the Russian-made Orlan-M space suit respectively.[11]
On 27 September 2008,Shenzhou 7 CommanderZhai Zhigang completed China's first extravehicular activity, wearing a first-generation Feitian space suit. The EVA lasted for about 20 minutes. During the EVA, taikonautLiu Boming remained inside the spacecraft's orbital module, wearing an imported Russian Orlan-M space suit.[12]
Nearly thirteen years after Shenzhou 7, on 4 July 2021, taikonauts Liu Boming andTang Hongbo ofShenzhou 12 conducted China's second EVA from the newly-launchedTianhe core module of theTiangong space station, wearing an updated second-generation version of the Feitian space suit.[13] The updated suit design includes two variants, one with red stripes and one with blue stripes, used to distinguish between taikonauts on EVA.[14]
Anew EVA spacesuit designed for the lunar environment has been unveiled by China on 28 September 2024; it will carry a new name.[15]
^"三匹"骏马"，星夜伴"飞天"起航 (Three steeds embark on starry night withFeitian)" (in Chinese).Xinhua. September 28, 2008. Archived fromthe original on October 21, 2012. RetrievedOctober 1, 2008.: "“我们想过很多名字，但最终决定把国产航天服命名为‘飞天’。”周建平说，“我们希望，将来我们能够像敦煌壁画上的飞天一样，在太空自由地飞翔。”" ["'We considered many names, but eventually decided to name the domestically made space suit "Feitian",' said Zhou Jinping, 'We hope that, in the future we can be just like thefeitian of theDunhuang murals, and fly freely in space.'"]
.JPG)
.JPG)
