China News Service, Beijing, May 5 (Lv Binghong, Guo Chaokai) "The second comprehensive inspection is normal and finished!" At 17:00 on May 5, the screen in the command hall of the Xi'an Satellite Measurement and Control Center flickered and was full. In the sound of Hong Liang's dispatch, technicians are nervously and orderly checking the technical status of the equipment for the last time to make the final preparations for the completion of the first flight measurement and control mission of the Long March 5B carrier rocket.
At 18:00 on May 5, the Long March 5B carrier rocket was ignited and lifted off at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China. The new-generation manned spacecraft test ship and the flexible inflatable cargo return cabin test cabin were successfully sent to the predetermined orbit, and the first flight mission was obtained. A complete success. Photo by Lu Binghong
The huge screen directly in front of the hall clearly shows the scene of the Wenchang Space Launch Site thousands of miles away. As the slewing platform slowly opened, this brand-new rocket, which is about to shoulder the heavy responsibility for the construction of the space station in the future, revealed its true capacity.
As the "nerve center" of China's aerospace measurement and control, the Xi'an Satellite Measurement and Control Center occupies an important position in the measurement and control communication system of the first flight of the Long March 5B rocket. Researcher Yang Yongan, the head of the technical department of the center, said that this mission is the beginning of a series of missions for the Chinese manned space station. The rocket is new and the load is new. It takes off from the rocket, the ship is separated from the arrow, and the test is in orbit. Each item requires world-class aerospace measurement and control technology.
In the early stage, the Xi’an Satellite Measurement and Control Center has simulated the entire process of the mission using the mission software and the survey and control "Skynet" composed of the various measurement and control stations of the center. It has put forward practical countermeasures for possible mission risks and overcome the complexity and fallback of the return control mode A number of technical difficulties, such as the new forecast calculation model, have escorted the first flight of the Long March 5B rocket safely and smoothly.
"5 minutes to prepare!" The launch time is approaching, the atmosphere in the hall becomes more and more tense, and the technicians are absorbed in the exciting moment.
"5,4,3,2,1, Ignite! Take off!" At 18 o'clock, the Long March 5B carrier rocket drove into the sky with the help of blazing flames, carrying a new generation of China's manned spaceship test ship to the vast sky universe.
"Sanya found the target." After 254 seconds, the center's Sanya observation and control station, which was only a hundred miles away from the launch site, captured the target accurately the first time and successfully received the flight data of the "Changwu".
At this time, the software staff in the hall is mobilizing the relevant calculation module to quickly calculate and process the rocket flight status parameters. At the same time, orbit calculation and analysis personnel handling various data are intensively calculating the parameters of the ship's arrow separation point and the number of initial orbits. The results of various calculations are constantly jumping on the big screen.
"Toss the fairing!" "The boat and the arrow separate!" After an 8-minute flight, 18: 8: 35, accompanied by the dispatch passwords from the three places of Wenchang, Beijing, and Xi'an, the spaceship was like a "baby" who was away from the baby Slowly detached from the embrace of the rocket, ushered in a new journey belonging to it.
When the sound of "Long March 5B Carrier Rocket was successfully completed for the first time!" Came from the dispatch, thunderous applause suddenly sounded in the hall. After a short celebration, the hall quickly returned to calm. Some technicians quickly started the post-mortem analysis, while others continued to stay in the hall, accompanying the spaceship that had just entered orbit. At the same time, various types of measurement and control antennas at multiple measurement and control sites affiliated to the Xi'an Satellite Measurement and Control Center in the Northwest Frontier, Guanzhong Tuyuan, and Jiaodong Binhai have been eagerly awaited, always escorting the safe flight of the spacecraft.
The relevant person in charge of the Technical Department of Xi'an Satellite Measurement and Control Center told reporters that in the follow-up, the new generation of manned spacecraft will complete multiple orbit control and re-entry and return tasks. They will organize professional teams to tackle the key and difficult problems and continue to optimize tracking Measurement and control calculation plan to ensure the success of the task. (Finish)