China officially launched the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft to return a team of astronauts after a non-functional spacecraft temporarily stranded them on the Chinese space station on Tuesday.
The Shenzhou 22, which recently arrived at Tiangong Space Station, will be used by the current crew for their return to Erath in 2026.
A group of Chinese astronauts from the Shenzhou 20 mission experienced a nine-day delay in their return to Earth after the window of their spacecraft was severely damaged earlier this month.
It was observed that the three-man crew made a successful landing on Earth, but three of their fellow astronauts in the replacement crew were temporarily left without a guaranteed vehicle to return in case of an emergency.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, the damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft will remain in space or will be sent to Earth for analysis if it is deemed unsafe.
In recent years, Chinese astronauts have carried out missions to the Tiangong space station as part of Beijing’s rapidly evolving space program, which previously established the station one module at a time.
China built Tiangong after the country was eliminated from the International Space Station due to U.S. national security concerns.
The successful safe return marks a major success for China’s space program and international cooperation.
Tiangong, also called “Heavenly Palace”, organized its first crew in 2021; it is smaller than the International Space Station, which has been operational for 25 years.
The recent issue would result in a tragic loss and a global reevaluation of safety protocols in human spaceflight.
