[Explanation] After more than 20 days of waiting, at 1:59 on December 17, the Chang'e-5 probe returned to Earth after completing automatic lunar sampling and successfully landed at the Siziwang Banner landing site in Inner Mongolia.
Chang'e 5 was launched from Wenchang Space Launch Site at 4:30 on November 24. Now, it has finally successfully "digged" and returned with precious lunar soil.
The moon table sampling device that played an important role in this lunar exploration project was developed by a team of scientists from Hong Kong.
On the 17th, a reporter from China News Agency came to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to visit the first public "Monthly Watch Simulation Laboratory".
[Concurrent] Rong Qiliang, Academician of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The sky on the moon is black and completely black.
Only when the sun's light comes down, there is a very strong light and shadow, that is to say, where it faces the sun, it will reflect very much, and where there is no sun, it will be completely black.
So we also have to simulate (this situation), that is to say, in this posture, the sun shines like this, what exactly can our auto-navigation camera see?
Is it affected by different angles of the sun (light)?
[Explanation] Rong Qiliang, academician of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, is the head of the research and development project team for the monthly sampling device.
He introduced that the lighting environment of the moon surface is different from that of the earth. For this reason, the laboratory is equipped with high-intensity sunlight lamps to simulate the different intensity and angles of the sun, and perform illumination experiments to facilitate the sampler in the moon surface environment. Video correction.
[Explanation] Rong Qiliang said that since the gravity of the moon's surface is only about one-sixth of that of the earth, the laboratory has also set up a steel cable hanging manipulator. Through precise data calculation and tension control, it simulates the similarity to the moon's surface. Gravity environment.
[Concurrent] Rong Qiliang, Academician of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
If you are working in the environment of this earth, the bending (amplitude) of its (mechanical arm) will be too large, so we have a lunar gravity simulator to simulate the gravity of the moon and hang It (mechanical arm), the resistance in this design is very small, so that you can simulate the gravity of the moon.
[Explanation] In addition to factors such as light and gravity, the topography of the moon's surface and the landing attitude of the sampler are also crucial to the smooth progress of sampling.
[Concurrent] Rong Qiliang, Academician of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
When you land, you don’t know where it is leaning, because the surface of the moon doesn’t mean that I flattened the surface for you to land. Its surface will have potholes, so when you land, it will tilt.
So we have to simulate this kind of tilt, so that our sampler can pick up the can, stake out, and put the can, whether it can take care of different angles of tilt.
[Explanation] According to Rong Qiliang, taking into account the uncertainty of the shape and texture of the lunar soil, the research team also has a special design for the details and functions of the sampling instrument.
[Concurrent] Rong Qiliang, Academician of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University
It (the sampler) will beat and cut it vigorously, and cut out the extra (sampling).
You see it "bangbang" twice in the end, in fact, if we really encounter a stone, it will look like this.
This will ensure that the samples you take will not be too large. If you take a large sample and put it on, it will fail if the mouth of the tank is blocked.
[Explanation] With the smooth return of Chang'e 5, Rong Qiliang and his team will continue to invest in a new round of research and development. He revealed that this sampling device will also be used in the Chang'e 6 lunar exploration mission in the future. Will continue to contribute to the lunar exploration project.
Reporter Fan Siyi reports from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Liu Xian]