The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, launched by China on November 25, has already reached the Tiangong space station. space news and Chinese state media. Now that it is connected to the station, astronauts onboard will no longer be left without a vehicle they can use to get home in case of an emergency. The astronauts of the Shenzhou-21 mission have not had a lifeboat since November 11, because the team had to use their vehicle to return to Earth before they could arrive.
On November 5, the astronauts of the Shenzhou-20 mission were to board their spacecraft and return home. But just hours before their departure from the station, China’s space agency noticed minor cracks in their vehicle’s window from suspected debris impact. The Shenzhou-20 crew flew back to Earth on November 11 using the Shenzhou-21 vehicle, meaning the new team was stuck on the station for more than 10 days with no way to escape.
The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft was scheduled to carry three more astronauts to the station in April or May 2026. Instead, it flew much earlier and without a crew, loaded with supplies to compensate for what the astronauts of the Shenzhou-20 mission had consumed during their extended stay. It will return to Earth next year after the completion of the six-month tenure of the current team.
<a href