China carried out an emergency unmanned spacecraft launch on Tuesday after damage to a previous mission’s return capsule left the crew aboard its space station without a safe means of returning to Earth.<br /><br />It marks the first emergency launch in the history of China’s manned space programme.<br /><br />Footage shows the Long March-2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft lifting off shortly after midday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.<br /><br />The spacecraft later separated from the rocket and entered its planned orbit, with the China Manned Space Agency declaring the launch a 'complete success'.<br /><br />Shenzhou-22 had originally been scheduled for a crewed launch in 2026, but was brought forward after a suspected space debris strike damaged the Shenzhou-20 return capsule, rendering it unsafe for re-entry and temporarily stranding its crew.<br /><br />The Shenzhou-20 astronauts eventually returned aboard Shenzhou-21 on November 14, nine days behind schedule, leaving the relief crew without a reliable return vehicle.<br /><br />The expedited launch ensures that the current Shenzhou-21 astronauts, Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, now have a secure means of returning home. The China Manned Space Agency said on Monday, ahead of the launch, that the three astronauts were “working normally and in good condition.”<br /><br />Previous Shenzhou missions have been used to crew China’s Tiangong space station, with teams of three astronauts rotating roughly every six months.<br /><br />Follow us on:<br />WhatsApp cutt.ly/WhatsAppCFM<br />https://twitter.com/capitalfmkenya/<br />https://www.facebook.com/capitalfmkenya<br />https://www.instagram.com/capitalfmkenya<br /><br />Subscribe to Capital FM News for More: https://goo.gl/um4AGk<br /><br />98.4 Capital FM<br />93.0 Western Kenya<br />98.5 Nakuru and Nyeri<br />104.5 Malindi<br />102.7 Garissa<br />103.9 Meru<br />106.5 Kitui<br />104.9 Voi<br /><br />#CapitalFmKenya
