The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, which took a new crew to the Chinese Space Station and intended to bring the previous crew back, was struck by “space junk” and was deemed unsuitable to return the crew. China immediately launched their first emergency plan: “Within 20 days, a series of maneuvers were accomplished, including the launch of the Shenzhou-22 backup vehicle, presenting a ‘textbook model’ for the international space community in effectively responding to unexpected emergencies,” Global Times reported on Nov. 25.
On Nov. 14, the delayed Shenzhou-20 crew returned safely to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will remain at the space station and return the Shenzhou crew when that is scheduled. They also brought new supplies and material to fix the damaged spacecraft.
Global Times notes that the process “comprehensively verifies the reliability of the ‘launch-one, standby-one, rolling backup’ strategy for China’s space station missions, per the statement.”
