China launches Shenzhou-22 spaceship to Tiangong space station

China's Shenzhou-22 spaceship successfully docked with the Tiangong space station on Tuesday, just three hours after launch, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Lift-off took place at 12:11 p.m. Beijing time (04:11 a.m. GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, carried aloft by a Long March-2F Y22 rocket. By 3:50 p.m. Beijing time (07:50 a.m. GMT), Shenzhou-22 had docked with the front port of the Tianhe core module of the space station.

Without a crew aboard, the spacecraft carried essential cargo, including medical supplies, fresh fruit and vegetables, and specialized equipment to repair a cracked window on the Shenzhou-20 spaceship currently attached to the station.

It will later serve as the return vessel for the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts in orbit.

Tuesday's launch came after the postponed return of the Shenzhou-20 crew aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on November 14. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was struck by space debris, delaying its return originally scheduled to take place on November 5.