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30m ago

China Launches Uncrewed Shenzhou-22 to Restore Tiangong Lifeboat Capability

The emergency flight follows debris-related damage to Shenzhou-20 that left the station briefly without a certified return capsule.

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The Long March-2F rocket, shown here during the rollout for the 2022 Shenzhou-15 mission, is the same vehicle type being used for this week's urgent launch. The uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, carried by the Long March-2F, is scheduled to launch on November 25 to deliver a critical replacement escape capsule to the crew of the Tiangong space station. Credit: China News Service, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxm5rjW2hIU
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A Long March-2F rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. China on Tuesday launched an unmanned spacecraft to its space station to help the stranded crew

Overview

  • Shenzhou-22 lifted off uncrewed at 04:11:42 UTC on November 25 from Jiuquan, with docking to Tiangong expected within hours.
  • The mission provides a safe return vehicle after a cracked window on Shenzhou-20’s descent module prompted an in-orbit capsule swap for the departing crew.
  • CMSA says the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts are in good condition, and Shenzhou-22 is also delivering food and other supplies.
  • It is the first uncrewed Shenzhou since 2011 and the first activation of China’s launch-on-need posture for human spaceflight.
  • The damaged Shenzhou-20 remains docked as officials weigh an uncrewed return to China or a controlled deorbit over the Pacific.