In a high-stakes orbital rescue operation, China has launched the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft to retrieve a team of three astronauts after their original return craft was damaged, leaving them temporarily stranded aboard the Tiangong space station.
The Rescue Mission Unfolds
The Shenzhou 22 successfully launched and docked with the Tiangong space station on Tuesday, 25 November 2025. This emergency mission was initiated after the spacecraft that transported the three astronauts to the station on 1 November was deemed unsafe for their return journey. The rescue craft is scheduled to be used by the stranded crew to return to Earth sometime in 2026.
A Precedent of Delays and Damage
This incident follows a similar scare earlier in the month involving the Shenzhou 20 mission. Another group of Chinese astronauts faced a nine-day delay in their return to Earth after their craft's window was damaged. They eventually made it back safely using the newly arrived Shenzhou 21 spacecraft, which had just delivered a replacement crew to the station.
This earlier swap, however, created the current predicament. While the Shenzhou 20 crew landed safely, their damaged spacecraft remained in orbit, leaving the three-person replacement crew without a guaranteed ride home in case of an on-station emergency. The compromised Shenzhou 20 vessel will be brought back to Earth at a later date for a full assessment, as confirmed by state broadcaster CCTV.
Tiangong: China's Heavenly Palace in Orbit
The Tiangong, or 'Heavenly Palace', space station represents the pinnacle of Beijing's rapidly advancing space programme. Chinese astronauts have been steadily building and occupying the station module-by-module in recent years. This national endeavour gained momentum after China was excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) partnership, largely due to U.S. national security concerns, as China's space activities are run by its military.
Since hosting its first crew in 2021, Tiangong has become a symbol of China's technological prowess. Although smaller than the ISS, which has been operational for a quarter of a century, Tiangong solidifies China's status as a major independent power in space exploration.
