China launches Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to secure crew’s return from Tiangong

China has launched a replacement return spacecraft to its Tiangong space station, sending the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 vessel into orbit on November 25 as a precautionary measure to ensure the safe return of its current crew.

The spacecraft, carrying 600kg (1,320 pounds) of supplies including food and technical equipment, lifted off at 12:11 p.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China aboard a Long March-2F Y22 rocket. It is expected to dock with Tiangong autonomously, Caliber.Az informs via Chinese media.

Shenzhou-22 will take the place of the Shenzhou-21 return craft, which brought three astronauts back to Earth on November 14. The decision to deploy a new vessel followed the discovery of tiny cracks in the porthole of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft — damage believed to have been caused by space debris. The defect meant the spacecraft could not guarantee a safe descent and will now remain in orbit for scientific research instead.

The need for a substitute return capsule underscores the risks facing the current Tiangong crew, who are due to return to Earth around April next year. Any further complications could pose challenges for their mission, though authorities stressed that the astronauts aboard the station are in “normal working condition,” state news agency Xinhua reported.

Ahead of the launch, state broadcaster CCTV highlighted the mission’s new logo, which features the Great Wall as its base — a symbol of what it described as “a solemn commitment to astronaut safety.” The design also depicts the Long March rocket and the Shenzhou spacecraft arranged in a bow-and-arrow pattern to signify readiness for flight.

By Khagan Isayev