China completes emergency mission to space station

China's first emergency space launch has gone ahead without incident, plugging safety risks at its crewed space station after a vessel was damaged in orbit.

The unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft lifted off on a rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 12.11pm local time (3.11pm AEDT) on Tuesday, according to China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

"The spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered its planned orbit. The launch mission was a complete success," CMSA said in a statement published on its official WeChat account.

Video shared by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed the rocket blazing into space, with earth visible in the background as the vessel entered orbit.

The spacecraft travelled to China's permanently inhabited Tiangong space station, docking at 3.50pm (6.50pm AEDT), according to CCTV.

The Shenzhou-20 vessel was meant to return a trio of Chinese astronauts back to earth on November 5, but was deemed unfit to fly after the window of its return capsule was cracked by what CMSA suspects was impact from space debris.

The incident forced China's space authorities on November 14 to deploy the only remaining flightworthy vessel, the Shenzhou-21, which had arrived at the space station in late October, bringing a new trio of astronauts.

With the departure of Shenzhou-21 six months before schedule, the crew on Tiangong was left without a flightworthy spacecraft for 11 days, a safety risk the arrival of Shenzhou-22 has removed.

"This emergency launch is a first for China, but I hope it will be the last in humanity's journey through space," CMSA official He Yuanjun told CCTV.

Shenzhou-22 departed with medical supplies, spare parts for Tiangong, and equipment to repair the window crack on Shenzhou-20, which remains docked at the space station.

Other supplies included fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as chicken wings, steak, and cake that the astronauts can cook using a "space oven" installed in Tiangong.

The spacecraft will remain docked until around April 2026, when it will be used to transport the crew of the Shenzhou-21 back to earth, according to CMSA.