Have you got this Chinese-style hardcore technology romance?
Before the Chinese Valentine's Day, some netizens observed in the night sky of Beijing that a Morse Code Magpie Bridge appeared between Altair and Vega.
It turned out to be the "Ladybug One" from China, the world's only satellite that can actively flash, and it has brought Chinese-style hard-core technology romance to traditional festivals through Morse code.
Have you seen such a special space confession?
The "Ladybug 1" satellite is the first 100-kilogram satellite in China's private sector. It was designed and developed by Jiutian MSI Technology Development Co., Ltd. to realize the verification of the 100-kilogram satellite platform. It was upgraded at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on December 7, 2018. It is empty into orbit, orbiting at a low earth orbit of 547 kilometers, and its number in the satellite database is 43834.
In order to narrow the distance between the public and space, the "Ladybug 1" satellite has also innovatively carried "space selfie", "starlight flashing" and "space VR" payloads, which can realize self-portraits in the same frame as the earth and actively flash the Morse code. It is the only satellite in the world that realizes "space selfie" and the world's first satellite that can actively flash the Morse code.
On December 7, 2018, the Ladybug series satellites were launched from the Jiuquan Satellite.
The "Ladybug 1" satellite is equipped with a high-power light array with a brightness equivalent to -0.5 stars. The principle of the Morse code can be borrowed to express different meanings through long flashes and short flashes.
According to Jiutian MSI, the miniaturization of satellites is the general trend, and the hundred kilogram level is the basic threshold for business satellites.
Global satellites are developing towards high throughput and miniaturization, and the construction of low-orbit small satellite constellations is booming.
On the basis of satisfying communication performance, everyone is pursuing to make satellites smaller, whether it is Starlink or OneWeb satellites, they are all over a hundred kilograms.
"Ladybug One" was the first domestic private satellite that broke the 100kg class at that time, and it made useful explorations for the miniaturization and standardization of subsequent satellite platforms.
It is understood that unlike other artificial celestial bodies that reflect passively, the starlight of "Ladybug One" flickers as active luminescence.
With the help of the light array at the bottom of the satellite, the Ladybug 1 needs to continuously adjust its posture during the transit time, staring at the designated place and glowing, which requires very high accuracy of the satellite’s attitude control.
At the same time, the instantaneous power of the light array during the flashing process is very large, which is also a challenge to the energy system and thermal design of the satellite.
(Comprehensive CCTV, Jiutian MSI Zhihu official account)