China’s Shenzhou-22 spacecraft has safely arrived at the Tiangong Space Station to ‘rescue’ three astronauts. The spacecraft docked at the station’s Tianhe core module at 3:50 pm Beijing time (1:20 pm IST) on Tuesday. The China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) said in a statement that Shenzhou-22 will serve as the return spacecraft for astronauts of the Shenzhou-21 mission.
The three-member Shenzhou-21 crew launched on October 31 to replace the Shenzhou-20 astronauts, who were supposed to return on November 5. However, a suspected debris strike cracked the window of their spacecraft, rendering it unsafe for a return journey. As a precautionary measure, the astronauts returned on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on November 14, leaving their successors without a ride.
The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft returns to Earth with astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie after a record-breaking 204-day space journey. Congratulations on their safe return and achievement! Full HD:https://t.co/CDOkQdwIrR pic.twitter.com/bk0H5H7jEG
— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) November 15, 2025
Shenzhou-20 was a record-breaking mission for China as the three astronauts – Commander Chen Dong, pilot Chen Zhongrui and engineer Wang Jie – spent 204 days in orbit.
Providing an update about the new crew, CMSE said, “Currently, the Shenzhou-21 astronaut crew is in good condition in orbit and is completing all planned tasks.” Notably, the astronauts won’t return before their six-month tenure ends but they at least now have a spacecraft in-case an emergency arises.
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“The success of this mission fully demonstrates the advantages of the new national system, profoundly interprets the concept of “life first, safety first” in China’s manned spaceflight,” the CMSE said, “comprehensively verifies the scientific reliability of the “one-for-one, rolling backup” strategy for China’s space station mission, and practically tests the rapid response and emergency handling capabilities of the entire project.”
Meanwhile, the damaged spacecraft will remain docked to the station to conduct in-orbit experiments.
In the coming months, the spacecraft will undock for a return to Earth and make room for the Shenzhou-23 mission, which is reportedly targeted for launch in April 2026. China’s space agency will prepare two of Pakistan’s astronaut candidates for a crew mission to Tiangong station and one of them is likely to be a part of it. The preliminary phase of the training is reportedly being conducted in Pakistan. The candidates will soon travel to China to train along with their Chinese counterparts for life in microgravity.
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