Three astronauts have been without an emergency vehicle since earlier this month.
ALXA, CHINA - NOVEMBER 25: The Long March-2F Y22 carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-22 spaceship, blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on November 25, 2025 in Alxa League, Inner Mongolia of China. China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on November 25, marking the first emergency launch mission in the country's manned space program. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) (VCG via Getty Images)The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft that China launched on November 25 has already reached the Tiangong space station, according to SpaceNews and Chinese state media. Now that it’s docked with the station, the astronauts onboard are no longer left without a vehicle that they can use to head home in case of emergencies. The astronauts part of the Shenzhou-21 mission haven’t had a lifeboat since November 11, because the team before they arrived had to use their vehicle to return to Earth.
On November 5, the astronauts from the Shenzhou-20 mission were supposed to make their way back home aboard their own spacecraft. But just hours before their departure from the station, China’s space agency discovered minor cracks in their vehicle’s window from a suspected debris impact. The Shenzhou-20 crew flew back to Earth on November 11 using the Shenzhou-21 vehicle, which means the newer team stayed in the station with no way to leave for over 10 days.
The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft was supposed to carry three more astronauts to the station in April or May 2026. Instead, it flew much earlier and without a crew, filled with supplies to make up for what the Shenzhou-20 mission astronauts consumed during their extended stay. It will return back to Earth next year after the current crew is done with its six-month stint.
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