China has carried out an urgent rescue mission after astronauts on the Tiangong space station were left without a safe way to return to Earth. The problem began when the Shenzhou 20 return capsule suffered a cracked window earlier in the month. The crack was suspected to be caused by fast-moving space debris, which made the spacecraft unsafe to use for re-entry.
At the same time, a second spacecraft, Shenzhou 21, could have served as a backup return vehicle. However, it was used earlier than planned. It brought home the astronauts from the Shenzhou 20 mission, who were delayed by nine days due to the damage. Once they returned safely, the new crew that arrived on November 1 had no working emergency escape craft at the station. This created a serious situation. Astronauts must always have at least one flight-ready vehicle in case they need to leave the station quickly.
To fix this safety gap, China decided to launch Shenzhou 22 on an emergency mission.
Shenzhou 22 Brings Safety Back to the Station
The unmanned Shenzhou 22 spacecraft lifted off atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 12:11 p.m. The China Manned Space Agency confirmed that it entered the planned orbit shortly after launch. The mission was activated under emergency procedures, making it the first time China has carried out such a rapid-response launch.
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China already keeps a spare rocket and spacecraft at the ready for situations like this, but preparing it for an emergency mission still took 16 days. Once Shenzhou 22 reached Tiangong, it restored the astronauts’ safe return option, a requirement for all long-term crewed missions.
The spacecraft also delivered several important supplies. It carried spare parts for the Tiangong station, materials needed to repair the cracked window of the damaged Shenzhou 20 capsule, and fresh supplies for the crew, including food items. With its arrival, the three astronauts onboard once again had a reliable way to return home if needed.
Shenzhou 22 will stay attached to the station until around April 2026. When the current mission ends, the spacecraft will bring the Shenzhou 21 crew back to Earth. Meanwhile, the damaged Shenzhou 20 spacecraft remains in orbit. Engineers will later guide it down to study the cracked window and assess the full extent of the damage.
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A Key Moment for China’s Space Operations
China has been sending three-person crews to Tiangong on six-month rotations since 2021. These missions follow a strict safety rule requiring a backup spacecraft to always remain ready for emergencies. When the damage to Shenzhou 20 and the early return of Shenzhou 21 happened so close together, the station briefly lost this essential safety layer.
China built Tiangong after the United States excluded it from the International Space Station program over national security concerns. The station received its first crew in 2021 and is smaller than the ISS, but it has become a major part of China’s growing human spaceflight efforts.
The fast launch of Shenzhou 22 shows how important quick action is in space. When something goes wrong in orbit, space agencies must respond immediately. Astronauts live and work far above Earth. Having a working return vehicle at all times is crucial. It is one of the most important rules for keeping them safe.
