Chinese astronauts to get replacement spacecraft after debris strike leaves them without a ride home

Chinese astronauts to get replacement spacecraft after debris strike leaves them without a ride home | Space Skip to main content Don’t miss these Human Spaceflight China’s Shenzhou 21 astronauts are stranded aboard the Tiangong space station — for now Human Spaceflight Chinese astronauts add debris shielding to Tiangong space station during 6-hour spacewalk (video) Human Spaceflight China reveals crew for Shenzhou 21 mission to Tiangong Space Station, including nation’s youngest astronaut (video) Launches & Spacecraft Watch China launch 3 astronauts toward its Tiangong space station today Satellites China is developing ways to de-orbit space junk. Should we be worried? 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International Space Station Astronauts welcome NASA’s new ‘ascans’ | On the International Space Station Sept. 22-26, 2025 A Long March-2F rocket carrying three astronauts and the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on April 24. The Shenzhou 20 craft would go on to be damaged by space debris while docked at the Tiangong Space Station and deemed unfit to return the crew to Earth. (Image credit: PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images) China appears to have set a launch date for an uncrewed spacecraft that will replace one damaged by space debris while docked at the Tiangong Space Station.The three astronauts (or taikonauts) of the Shenzhou 21 mission are currently aboard China’s Tiangong Space Station without a ride home after one of the nation’s spacecraft was damaged by an apparent space debris strike. The impact left cracks in a window on the SZ-20 capsule, the spacecraft that launched the three crewmembers of the Shenzhou 20 crew to Tiangong in April 2025 and was set to bring them home. After that capsule was deemed unfit for the return flight, the Shenzhou 20 crew flew back to Earth aboard the current crew’s spacecraft. That means the members of the Shenzhou 21 mission have been without a lifeboat for going on three days.And it seems they’ll have to wait a bit longer. According to an airspace closure notice, China is aiming for Nov. 25 to launch a replacement spacecraft up to Tiangong from its Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. An official with China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) told state broadcaster CCTV that “the mission for launching the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft has been initiated, with preparations for all systems in full swing, including testing the spacecraft and rocket components and preparing the cargo.” You may like China’s Shenzhou 21 astronauts are stranded aboard the Tiangong space station — for now Chinese astronauts add debris shielding to Tiangong space station during 6-hour spacewalk (video) Watch China launch 3 astronauts toward its Tiangong space station today The official added that China will take the opportunity to send up food and additional cargo to the Shenzhou 21 crew, who just began their six-month stay aboard Tiangong on Oct. 31. The crew includes commander Zhang Lu, Zhang Hongzhang and Wu Fei, the current youngest member of China’s astronaut corps.Shenzhou 22 was originally slated to launch sometime between April and May 2026. Because the Shenzhou 20 crew had to remain on-station for several days longer than their mission was originally scheduled for, Tiangong’s supplies likely dwindled faster than anticipated, necessitating additional cargo that the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft can now deliver.China’s space agency keeps a Long March 2F rocket and replacement Shenzhou spacecraft on-hand and ready to be fast-tracked for launch in as few as 8.5 days, according to SpaceNews.But launching a spacecraft to rendezvous and dock with a space station requires a space station to be in just the right orbital position relative to a launch site. By the time Shenzhou 22 launches to Tiangong, close to three weeks will have passed since the cracks were discovered in the SZ-20 spacecraft.Get the Space.com NewsletterBreaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsChina’s Shenzhou woes mark the second incident in two years that has seen astronauts “stranded” aboard a space station without a dedicated return craft.NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024 on the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but experienced helium leaks and thruster issues as they approached the ISS. NASA decided to bring Starliner back to Earth without Wilmore and Williams aboard, whose planned 10-day mission would turn into nearly nine months aboard the ISS. They eventually came home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that was sent up to the station half-empty to leave room for them.Some spaceflight experts say these incidents have been a “massive wake-up call” for the need for a dedicated international space rescue service. Cooperation between NASA and China’s space agency is generally prohibited by U.S. law, however. Brett TingleyManaging Editor, Space.comBrett is curious about emerging aerospace technologies, alternative launch concepts, military space developments and uncrewed aircraft systems. Brett’s work has appeared on Scientific American, The War Zone, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery and more. Brett has English degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his free time, Brett enjoys skywatching throughout the dark skies of the Appalachian mountains. 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