China to Launch Empty Shenzhou-22 Lifeboat After Shenzhou-20 Damage

Three Chinese crew members in the Tiangong space station will have to wait until a replacement capsule arrives after a piece of debris punctured a window of their Shenzhou-20 space ship, officially making it unsafe. China is set to go ahead with the launch of an empty Shenzhou-22 lifeboat at some time between Nov. 25, 2025. The supply will be in the capsule, which allows the six-month mission of the crew to be completed safely. On the 31st of October, the Shenzhou-21 crew was also launched to Tiangong; however, their initial capsule did not come along, leaving them marooned.

Replacement spacecraft mission

According to an airspace closure notice, China is even ready to launch an empty Shenzhou-22 capsule as a lifeboat to Tiangong. A Long March 2F launch could happen in October to replace the replacement, indicating an airspace notification about the launch around Nov. 25, 2025. China Manned Space Agency officials informed state media that it was in full swing with spacecraft being tested and cargo being loaded to space. The uncrewed flight will transport food and supplies to the new crew who arrived on October 31 and will be staying six months.

Space debris and safety

Experts say the incident underscores the growing hazard of orbital debris. Igor Marinin of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics told Reuters that a sharp rise in space junk has made damage to any spacecraft far more likely. By comparison, in late 2022, a micrometeoroid struck the Russian Soyuz MS-22 capsule at the International Space Station, forcing Russia to send up an empty Soyuz MS-23 to return the crew. Spaceflight analysts have described such events as a “massive wake-up call” for international rescue planning, though U.S. law currently bars NASA from aiding China's space program.