Chinanews.com, Beijing, June 4 (Guo Chaokai) A new-generation manned spacecraft test vessel return module recently held a cabin opening ceremony in Beijing. All 988 pieces (parts) of 75 experimental project units were carried out and handed over.
In 2 days and 19 hours of orbit, the new generation of manned spacecraft test ship completed a number of space science experiments and technical tests. The reporter interviewed experts from the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, to uncover the three highlights of the Institute’s technical experiments.
Highlight 1: Space 3D printing
During the new generation of manned spaceship test ship in space travel, the composite space 3D printing system developed by the China Institute of Space Technology 529 factory successfully completed the world's first continuous carbon fiber reinforced composite space 3D printing.
On the evening of May 6, the space additive manufacturing system started the space printing test according to the predetermined plan. The system was powered on, turned on, and printed through the spacecraft load management unit. During the process, all the telemetry parameters were normal, and the images in the spacecraft cabin showed that the two samples were successfully printed. , Clearly distinguishable.
Chen Yi, overall deputy chief technologist of composite material space 3D printing system in Factory 529, said that this composite material space 3D printing experiment achieved three major technological breakthroughs: one is the first space-based 3D printing of continuous carbon fiber reinforced composite materials; the other is the system The whole process of the work realizes unmanned care, full monitoring and independent control; third, the verification of the 3D printing molding process of composite materials by the microgravity environment is more comprehensive.
According to reports, carbon fiber has always been a widely used lightweight and high-strength material in the aerospace field. The two samples of this 3D printing in space have achieved continuous filaments of carbon fiber, which have high requirements in printing path, process control, and thermal management. The performance of the structure has been significantly improved, and it has laid an important technical foundation for the future application of composite 3D printing in space.
During the on-orbit operation of the new-generation manned spacecraft test vessel, it successfully carried out China's first spacecraft on-orbit leak and collision positioning test. The picture shows the host of the collision leak detection system. Photo courtesy of China Academy of Space Technology
Highlight two: spacecraft on-orbit leakage collision location test
During the on-orbit operation of the new-generation manned spacecraft test vessel, it successfully carried out China's first spacecraft on-orbit leak and collision positioning test. At 0:00 on May 6, the spacecraft's on-orbit leak collision system started the test, which lasted 47 hours. After the cabin was opened, the scientific research personnel of the General Assembly and Environmental Engineering Department of China Academy of Space Technology analyzed the 2TB data accumulated in 15 on-orbit tests. The results showed that the data was complete, the leakage and collision events were clearly captured, and the positioning error was less than ±2cm. A complete success.
According to reports, there are many tiny debris moving at high speed in the universe. Once colliding with the spacecraft, it may break through the spacecraft and threaten the safety of astronauts. Qi Lei, the technical leader of the spacecraft on-orbit leak detection system at the General Ring Department, said that the system can monitor the health status of spacecraft on-orbit leaks and collisions in real time. "Just like a human skin's collision or damage, the nervous system will Perceiving and reporting this information, the leak collision detection system is like the spacecraft's nervous system, which can sense small changes in the spacecraft's structure in real time and feed back the results in time to ensure the safety of the astronauts' life and the stable operation of the spacecraft convoy."
The new generation manned spacecraft test ship collision leak detection system is composed of a host and eight high-sensitivity acoustic emission sensors, which can monitor the weak acoustic signals in the manned spaceship bulkhead in real time, and realize the functions of useful signal extraction and data storage. Sound waves are generated by debris collision and cabin gas leakage. The system calculates the collision or leakage position according to the time difference between the sound waves reaching each sensor; and determines the degree of collision and leakage according to the energy of the sound wave.
Qi Lei said that in the future, the "family" of spacecraft leak collision detection will be able to provide real-time "health checkups" for the spacecraft, helping astronauts to deal with emergencies in a timely manner and ensure life safety.
Highlight 3: Time-triggered Ethernet flight test
At the opening ceremony of the return cabin of the new-generation manned spacecraft test ship, the time-triggered Ethernet spaceborne prototype system developed by the China Academy of Space Technology 502 was successfully removed from the return cabin.
Liu Bo, director of the 502 Advanced Computing and Electronic Information Technology Laboratory, said: "The time-triggered Ethernet device carried by the new spacecraft is actually an experiment that wants to be a future smart spacecraft." Inside the spacecraft, the network functions like the blood vessels and neural networks of the human body, through which the key "organs" (onboard computers) and "neurons" (sensors) in the body are interconnected.
After the cabin is opened, the developer will recover the flight products of the time-triggered Ethernet satellite-based prototype system and conduct ground tests in the laboratory. The pre-launch data, on-orbit data and the data after the return will be compared with the product status. Follow-up applications and improvements provide directional evaluation; the results obtained will be used to guide the development of the second phase of the time-triggered prototype network.
Liu Bo told reporters that this test system used time-triggered Ethernet switches and network end nodes based on China's independent intellectual property rights, laying a foundation for China to master the real-time control network and space information transmission core technology of large and complex spacecraft.
According to the technological development trend, if the time-triggered network system nodes are made into Internet access, switching, and routing chips, and each satellite device is installed, then the satellite devices can realize network interconnection, just like the smart home devices in the home. Multiple satellites can also be interconnected through inter-satellite links. When intelligent connections are realized within or between spacecraft, humanity will usher in the age of information and intelligence in space. (Finish)