Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

New reports based on restricted aviation zones, known as Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs), appear to indicate that China intends to loft a Shenzhou-22 spacecraft atop a Long March 2F rocket in the coming days. Its destination is China’s Tiangong space station.

This craft would serve as a replacement vehicle for the window-damaged Shenzhou-20 spaceship. Once docked with the station, that craft would ensure the now-orbiting crew a safe and sound return home.

That’s the word from Andrew Jones at SpaceNews, citing that the launch would occur at approximately 11:10 p.m. Eastern Nov. 24 (0410 UTC, Nov. 25) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

Window cracks

The Shenzhou-20 vessel was damaged by space debris, with cracks discovered in its window, forcing use of Shenzhou-21 to recently return a trio of taikonauts. Doing so left the now-in-orbit crew without a viable spacecraft for a secure way back to terra firma.

The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and launcher were in standby mode, originally manifested for launch in 2026.

Shenzhou-20 crew back on Earth on November 14. Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

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.

Valuable resource

As of this posting, there has been no official word from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on any upcoming launch of Shenzhou-22.

However, Zhou Yaqiang, an official with the China CMSA told China Central Television (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.

Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

“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.”