The three occupants of Tiangong station can finally sleep soundly. Since November 14, they have been living without a functional return capsule after a series of events that disrupted the carefully planned schedule of Chinese missions.
Race against time in orbit
It all started in early November, when Shenzhou-20 — the ship responsible for bringing the previous crew back to Earth — was deemed unusable. A crack detected on the window of its re-entry capsule, “ probably caused by space debris impact », according to the Chinese authorities, led to the vehicle being grounded at the port. The trio finally returned aboard the ship Shenzhou-21, which had arrived a few days earlier to relieve the crew… but was used before the planned mission even began.
This express transfer solved part of the problem, but immediately created another: the new arrivals, settled in Tiangong for a six-month stay, found themselves without an emergency capsule. An unprecedented situation in the Chinese space program. China, however, keeps a card up its sleeve. For years, a Long March 2F/G launcher and a Shenzhou capsule have remained in a state of near-readiness at the Jiuquan center in the Gobi Desert. This “rolling backup” device has never before been activated. So far.
Launched only 16 to 20 days after the decision to deploy a rescue vehicle (a time frame much shorter than the 45 days usually required), the Shenzhou-22 mission is presented by the CMSA as “ a complete success ».
The unmanned vessel took off at dawn on November 25 before returning to Tiangong three and a half hours later. On board: medicines, maintenance equipment, spare parts and a kit intended to repair the cracked porthole of Shenzhou-20. The cargo ship also carried relief for the astronauts: fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, cakes… something “ improve living conditions in orbit », Specifies the CMSA, which now highlights a “space oven” installed in the station!
The agency emphasizes the scope of this new kind of launch. According to her, the operation proves “ scientific reliability » of its permanent emergency system, but also its ability to respond quickly to an incident in orbit. “ The success of this mission illustrates the principle of ‘life first, safety first’ “, she says. The ship will remain docked at Tiangong until April 2026, to ensure the return of the trio currently on duty.
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