This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonaut Fei Junlong returning to space station lab module Wentian with equipment. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

The Shenzhou 15 mission crew members have just concluded their first spacewalk, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The agency said in a news release early on Friday morning that mission commander Major General Fei Junlong and Senior Colonel Zhang Lu completed a seven-hour spacewalk and returned to the Wentian science module at 12:16 am (Beijing Time). The third crew member, Senior Colonel Deng Qingming, stayed inside the Tiangong space station to provide support, it added.

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During the operation, Fei and Zhang completed several tasks, including installing equipment on the space station's exterior.

It was the first spacewalk undertaken since Tiangong started its formal operations at the end of last year, the agency noted.

Moreover, extravehicular installation work has recently begun to mount a scientific apparatus outside of Tiangong, it added.

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonaut Fei Junlong waving after exiting the space station lab module Wentian. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

As of Friday morning, Shenzhou 15 crew members have lived inside the space station for 72 days.

Fei's team arrived at the station on Nov 30. They are scheduled to remain until May, when the Shenzhou 16 crew is scheduled to take over.

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The Shenzhou 15 astronauts are tasked with conducting several spacewalks to mount equipment outside the station, installing and testing scientific cabinets and conducting scientific experiments and technological demonstrations.

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonaut Zhang Lu exiting the space station lab module Wentian to conduct extravehicular activities (EVAs). (PHOTO / XINHUA)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonauts Fei Junlong (right) and Zhang Lu (left) preparing to exit the space station lab module Wentian. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonaut Fei Junlong conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the space station lab module Wentian. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonaut Fei Junlong getting ready to exit the space station lab module Wentian. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou 15 taikonauts Fei Junlong (right) and Zhang Lu (left) conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the space station lab module Wentian. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

As one of the largest ever space-based assets, Tiangong currently consists of the Tianhe core module, the Wentian and Mengtian science capsules, the Shenzhou 15 crew spacecraft and the Tianzhou 5 cargo ship.

As of now, Chinese astronauts have carried out nine spacewalks.