# China launches uncrewed Shenzhou-22 to replace the cracked Shenzhou-20 lifeboat at Tiangong

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/china-launches-uncrewed-shenzhou-22-to-replace-the-cracked-shenzhou-20-eb376e71
Date: 25 Nov 2025
About: [China Manned Space Agency](https://technooptimist.io/companies/cmsa.md) · [Shenzhou](https://technooptimist.io/spaceflight/shenzhou.md)
Original source: https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/china-launches-uncrewed-replacement-for-damaged-shenzhou-20/

China launched Shenzhou-22 without a crew from Jiuquan and docked it to Tiangong about 3.5 hours later. Tiny cracks, blamed on a suspected debris strike, had been found in Shenzhou-20's window on November 4, and its crew came home in the newer Shenzhou-21 capsule, leaving the Shenzhou-21 crew with no safe way home. Shenzhou-22 had been meant to fly the next crew in spring 2026.

## Key facts

- Launched 12:11 pm Beijing time on November 25, 2025, on a Long March 2F.
- The Shenzhou-20 crew returned on November 14 in the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft.
- Shenzhou-22 also carried supplies and equipment for dealing with the cracked window.
- Russia faced a similar case in 2022-23, sending Soyuz MS-23 uncrewed to replace a leaking MS-22.

---

The Techno Optimist tracks every frontier of technology, program by program: https://technooptimist.io/ (a Markdown version of any page: add .md to its URL; site map for agents: https://technooptimist.io/llms.txt).
Data API (JSON, realtime stream): https://technooptimist.io/developers. People read 5 pages free, then Reader $10/month; these Markdown pages are open to agents.