China has carried out the first emergency launch in its crewed space program, sending the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to the Tiangong station after a damaged return vehicle created a safety gap for the current crew. The mission lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre aboard a Long March-2F rocket and entered orbit shortly after, according to China's Manned Space Agency.
The launch follows an incident earlier this month, when the Shenzhou-20 return capsule was deemed unfit to fly after its window was cracked, likely due to space debris. That forced authorities to redeploy Shenzhou-21 as a temporary solution, leaving the three astronauts on board Tiangong without a flightworthy vessel.
Shenzhou-22 is carrying spare parts, repair equipment for the damaged capsule, and fresh supplies. Once it docks, it will remain attached to the station until around April 2026, when it will bring the Shenzhou-21 crew back to Earth. Chinese officials highlight the speed of the operation, noting that the emergency launch was executed just 16 days after the issue was identified.
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