China carried out its first emergency space launch on Tuesday, successfully placing a spacecraft into orbit as part of efforts to address safety concerns at its crewed space station following damage to a vessel earlier this month.
The uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft lifted off aboard a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 12:11 p.m. local time (0411 GMT), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The spacecraft will travel to China’s permanently inhabited Tiangong space station, where three astronauts currently reside with no flightworthy vessel that could return them to Earth in the event of an emergency.
First Emergency Launch
On November 5, Shenzhou-20 was grounded after space debris cracked its return capsule window, leaving three astronauts stranded.
“This emergency launch is a first for China, but I hope it will be the last in humanity’s journey through space,” CMSA official He Yuanjun told CCTV.
Shenzhou-22 departed with spare parts for Tiangong, equipment to repair the window crack on the Shenzhou-20 vessel, which remains docked at the space station, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.
After arriving at the station, the spacecraft will remain docked until around April 2026, when it will be used to transport the crew of the Shenzhou-21 back to Earth, the space agency added.
Speedy Deployment
Since 2021, Shenzhou missions have carried three astronauts to Tiangong for six-month stays, with backup rockets and spacecraft kept ready.
With Shenzhou-22 already at Jiuquan, authorities executed the emergency launch in just 16 days, CMSA’s He said.
China’s swift response contrasts with the U.S., where two NASA astronauts were stranded on the ISS for nine months due to propulsion issues.
Both countries are closely studying each other’s operational protocols and space technologies as they race to land an astronaut on the moon before or by 2030.
(With inputs from Reuters)
