Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

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Preparations for China’s Shenzhou-22 mission has moved into full swing – an action required to assure that the now-orbiting space station crew can be sustained, and in a safe manner.

Zhou Yaqiang, an official with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) explains 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,” Zhou told China Central Television (CCTV).

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“The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft is sure to carry supplies. The spacecraft’s cargo-carrying capacity is a highly valuable resource for the manned space program,” Zhou said, “so we will make full use of every opportunity. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will mainly deliver food supplies for the astronauts and some equipment for the space station.”

Uncrewed mode

Although not directly stated, it would appear that the Shenzhou-22 will be flown to the Chinese space station in an uncrewed mode.

Doing so would allow replacement of the unfit-for-reentry Shenzhou-20 craft, sure to be discarded uncrewed for trashing within the Earth’s atmosphere at a later date.

After more than a week’s delay, the Shenzhou-20 crew did return to Earth, using the trusted Shenzhou-21 spacecraft.

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Therefore, the current on-orbit crew was left tending a damaged vehicle that has been deemed unsafe for reentry.

Alternative return procedure

Meanwhile, at the  Jiuquan launch site, technicians are hurriedly readying a Shenzhou-22 and its booster for flight (likely uncrewed) to the space station.

Meng Fanliang, an engineer at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

According to Meng Fanliang, an engineer at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center:

“The return process [of the Shenzhou-20 crew] involved the coordinated efforts of tens of thousands of people across numerous departments and positions.”

Chinese space officials labeled the wave-off and delay to bring the Shenzhou-20 crew back to Earth as the first successful implementation of an “alternative return procedure” in China’s space station program history.