An unpiloted Shenzhou 22 spacecraft launched from China on Monday, docking with the Tiangong space station to provide a safe return vehicle for three astronauts left without one due to damage on another craft. The rapid response followed the discovery of a cracked window on Shenzhou 20, likely caused by space debris. This marks China's first use of its emergency human spaceflight contingency plan.
Late Monday, a Long March 2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gobi Desert at 11:11 pm EST (04:11 UTC Tuesday), carrying the unpiloted Shenzhou 22 spacecraft. It docked with the Tiangong space station, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth, roughly three-and-a-half hours later. This mission, originally scheduled for next year, was accelerated after engineers identified damage to the Shenzhou 20 crew ferry on November 4.
Astronauts spotted a small triangular crack in the window during a crew handover, shortly after a new three-person team arrived and just before the previous crew departed. Using a microscope, they photographed the defect from various angles, confirming it as likely from a space junk fragment. Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's human spaceflight program, told state media the damage affected the outermost layer of heat-insulating glass in the porthole.
Ground simulations and wind tunnel tests indicated the crack could worsen during reentry, posing risks. "We held review meeting, and everyone agreed that ensuring the safe return of the astronauts was too risky with the glass damaged," Zhou said. Officials thus sent the outgoing crew home safely on the undamaged Shenzhou 21, which landed on November 14, leaving Zhang Lu, Fu Wei, and Zhang Hongzhang without a reliable lifeboat.
The China Manned Space Agency praised the effort: "The mission command swiftly activated its contingency plan," with teams responding "calmly and scientifically." This provides a "successful example for efficient emergency response in the international space industry," embodying the program's hardworking and resilient spirit.
The stranded astronauts, one month into a six-month stay, plan a spacewalk to inspect the damage further. Shenzhou 20 will later undock and return uncrewed with cargo for ground analysis. The incident echoes challenges on the International Space Station, such as the 2022 Soyuz MS-22 coolant leak from debris and Boeing's 2024 Starliner issues, which also required replacement vehicles. China's program, active since Yang Liwei's 2003 flight, has maintained Tiangong occupancy since 2021 and now demonstrates mature emergency capabilities amid plans for lunar missions by 2030.