China readies a lifeboat for stranded Shenzhou crew

Stuck on the Tiangong station with a cracked capsule for company

China is preparing for an early launch of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to rescue the crew of Shenzou-21, who were left stranded aboard the Tiangong space station after their emergency rescue of the Shenzou-20 crew earlier this month.

As first reported by SpaceNews, an airspace closure has been announced, indicating that a launch from China is in the cards, most likely the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and a Long March 2F rocket at approximately 0410 UTC on November 25.

While there has been no confirmation from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), an earlier-than-planned launch of Shenzhou-22 was widely expected, since the current crew of the Tiangong space station was left without a safe lifeboat in the event of a problem that would force them to abandon the outpost.

The saga began when space debris struck the Shenzhou-20 craft, leaving small cracks in the viewport window, and authorities deemed it unsafe. It is still attached to the station. Shenzou-21 arrived as scheduled and they did a crew swap, sending the Shenzou-20 crew home and leaving the Shenzou-21 crew aboard the space station.

The situation illustrates the shoestring nature of resources aboard the Tiangong space station. The outpost is designed to host a crew of three, rising to six during handover periods. However, the problem with Shenzou-20 forced the station to host six astronauts longer than planned, straining its resources.

The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will be launched without a crew and loaded with supplies. There is no indication whether the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft will also be launched earlier. One of the original Shenzhou-22 crew members was planned to stay on the Tiangong station for more than a year as part of a long-duration residency experiment.

Once the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft has successfully docked, the suspect Shenzhou-20 vehicle will likely make an autonomous return to Earth.

In 2026, China intends to launch the Mengzhou-1 vehicle to the Tiangong space station for the first time, delivering supplies. The Mengzhou spacecraft is intended as a replacement for the Shenzhou series, although it is unlikely to carry crew until 2027 at the earliest. ®