[Explanation] On September 17, the three astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo took the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft return capsule to return to Earth and successfully landed on the Dongfeng landing site.
A reporter from China News Agency interviewed Yang Yuguang, vice chairman of the Space Transportation Committee of the International Astronautical Federation and a researcher of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, and revealed the secret of astronauts’ "space business trip" for three months. How to ensure food, clothing, housing and transportation?
How will the Chinese space station be built in the future?
[Explanation] Yang Yuguang introduced that the Shenzhou 12 crew carried out two extravehicular activities, further verifying the technology of extravehicular activities.
Among them, the first extravehicular activity lasted more than 7 hours, which fully verified the various technologies required by the second-generation flying spacesuit to support long-term extravehicular activities.
[Concurrent] Yang Yuguang, researcher of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
The first extravehicular activity verified two key technologies. One is to use a robotic arm to assist astronauts in large-scale transfers on the surface of the space station.
The second is to crawl on the surface of the space station, through two safety ropes and fixed devices, one by one relay, climb to the designated location.
The task of the second extravehicular activity was more complicated. We installed an extended pump set, which improved the working reliability of the entire space station.
[Explanation] The Shenzhou 12 flight crew has been in orbit for as long as 3 months. In the future, the astronauts' stay in orbit on the Chinese space station will increase to 6 months.
Yang Yuguang explained that a long-term stay has to solve many problems, which will lay the foundation for further deep space in the future.
[Concurrent] Yang Yuguang, researcher of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
For long-term residence, there are many problems to be solved. For example, because you are under weightlessness, your muscles, nerves, and your bones are not stimulated by gravity, and your muscles will continue to shrink, your bones, your bones. The amount means that the calcium in it will continue to be lost.
Another problem that must be solved for long-term space stay is the renewable environmental control and life support system, which means that many resources have to be recycled.
These flights we have in orbit can not only support our scientific research activities through long-term stay in orbit, but also lay a foundation for us to move further into deep space in the future.
For example, the round-trip time from Earth to Mars is more than one and a half years, and most of them stay in this spacecraft. If you can ensure that this process can be completed normally, you must first go to low-Earth orbit. Verify in the space station.
[Explanation] The three-month "space business trip" of the Shenzhou 12 flight crew ended successfully. Yang Yuguang said that the astronauts have to do a lot of preparations to adapt to the microgravity environment in space. Earth environment.
[Concurrent] Yang Yuguang, researcher of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
When they are about to return, the time and intensity of their daily exercise will increase. This is a very good preparation.
In order to ensure that bone calcium is not lost and muscles are not atrophy, sufficient exercise must be performed every day, and gravity can be re-adapted as soon as possible after returning to the earth.
[Explanation] Different from returning to the Siziwang Banner landing site in the past, the Shenzhou 12 flight crew returned to the Dongfeng landing site for the first time. Yang Yuguang said that the Dongfeng landing site will be used as the main landing site during the operation phase of the space station in the future.
[Concurrent] Yang Yuguang, researcher of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
There will be a relatively large change in the position of the return theoretical landing site.
Let’s take a look at Siziwang Banner. It is a relatively small landing site, and Dongfeng (landing site) is also near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It covers a large area of the Gobi Desert, and its area is very large, especially in the area. In the east-west direction, there can be a very long range for us to choose.
[Explanation] Yang Yuguang revealed that the initial plan for the Tiangong space station is a T-shaped configuration. There is a node cabin at the front end of the Tianhe core module, and an experimental cabin is connected to each side of the node cabin.
In the future, it can be expanded to a combined size of up to 180 tons.
[Concurrent] Yang Yuguang, researcher of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation
In addition to these three basic compartments, then at the tail of the T-shape, which is the tail of the Tianhe core compartment, under normal circumstances, we will also dock a Tianzhou cargo spacecraft. One role is to send the astronauts the necessary supplies to maintain his life for several months, as well as some scientific research instruments, in addition to this kind of garbage generated in my life, and the scientific instruments I discarded. In this, not only as a "courier brother", but also as a "storage room", but also as a "trash can."
[Explanation] Is there any opportunity for ordinary people who are concerned about everyone to go to the Chinese Space Station?
Yang Yuguang responded that there is the possibility of non-professional astronauts entering the space station in the future, but for ordinary people to enter space, necessary training is indispensable.
Reporter Jean Baokui, Marshuaisha Guo Chaokai reports from Beijing
Editor in charge: [Ji Xiang]