China to launch spacecraft

China will launch the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday, a move that will help return the country's space station and manned flight programme to normality after a vessel was damaged in early November. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft is being sent to China's space station Tiangong to replace the Shenzhou-21, which was forced to return to Earth six months before schedule after another vessel docked at the station was damaged. The key difference with its predecessors is that this launch will be unmanned, a necessary condition to avoid exceeding Tiangong's ideal capacity of three long-term residents. — Reuters