LeadStory

Reuters

China launches first emergency mission to Tiangong space station

Reuters · Current
Reuters
Reuters
Current

China's first emergency space launch entered orbit after blasting off on Tuesday (November 25), as the country looks to plug safety risks at its crewed space station after a vessel was damaged in orbit earlier this month.

Breakdown
  • China launched its first emergency space mission after damage to a space station vessel.
  • The unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft was launched from northwest China at 12:11pm local time. 7s
  • Astronauts aboard Tiangong had no safe return craft after Shenzhou-20 was deemed unsafe due to a cracked window, likely from space debris. 20s
  • Shenzhou-22 will provide a way home for the astronauts and deliver spare parts and fresh food. 37s
  • The new spacecraft will remain docked at Tiangong until around April 2026. 47s
Space Exploration