[Explanation] China successfully launched the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft at the Wenchang Space Launch Site on May 29.
As the first "visitor" of the Tianhe core cabin, what is the difference between Tianzhou 2 and Tianzhou 1?
A few days ago, Xie Yongchun, director of the 502 Science and Technology Committee of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency.
She introduced that compared with Tianzhou-1, the technology of Tianzhou-2 is further, from the original "customized" to "applied", and it is more versatile in terms of tasks and functions.
[Concurrent] Xie Yongchun, Director of Science and Technology Committee, 502 Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
The Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft is the first cargo spacecraft in our country, so its flight tests have done a lot of verification of key technologies, and the verification of the Tianzhou-1 spacecraft is "customized".
Tianzhou 2 has entered the stage of space station formation. It can be similar to a routine operation of a flight. It has changed from "customized" to "applied", so its tasks and functions are more generalized.
[Explanation] Xie Yongchun said that the overall performance of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft has reached the international advanced level. In terms of cargo volume, Tianzhou-2 can transport more than 6 tons of cargo and has the ability to quickly rendezvous and dock.
502 has also added an "all-phase autonomous rendezvous and docking program" to the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft GNC system. The spacecraft can independently plan its flight trajectory according to its departure time and the distance from the space station.
[Explanation] According to the space station construction mission plan, China will continue to implement 11 missions this year and next, and complete the space station orbit construction around 2022.
In this regard, Xie Yongchun believes that the possibility of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft transporting international cargo is very high in the future, and it will also play an important role in international cooperation.
[Concurrent] Xie Yongchun, Director of Science and Technology Committee, 502 Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
The Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is a major cargo spacecraft during the operation of our space station in the future. For example, some instruments and equipment for international cooperation, or some experiments to be done internationally, such as some experiments for elementary school students, which can be completely passed. Our cargo spacecraft is transported to the space station and then carried out some experiments in orbit, which will play an important role in our subsequent international cooperation.
Reporting from Beijing by reporter Shan Lu and Guo Chaokai
Editor in charge: [Song Fangcan]