China launches Shenzhou 22 spacecraft to assist in return of 3 astronauts stranded on Tiangong space station World Nov 25, 2025 11:14 AM EST

BEIJING (AP) — China launched the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft on Tuesday to help bring back a team of astronauts after a damaged spacecraft left them temporarily stranded on China’s space station.

READ MORE: Chinese astronauts return from space station after delay blamed on space debris damage

The Shenzhou 22, which successfully docked at the Tiangong space station Tuesday, will be used sometime in 2026 by the three astronauts who arrived on Nov. 1.

Earlier this month, another group of Chinese astronauts from the Shenzhou 20 mission faced a nine-day delay in their return to Earth after their craft’s window was damaged. They eventually returned using

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