China News Service, Xi’an, October 10 (Reporter Mei Yilong) The Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Sixth Academy of Aerospace”) revealed on the 10th that at 23:00 on October 9, 2020, the Tianwenyi developed by the academy The 3000N main engine of the Mars rover successfully completed 480 seconds of ignition in the vast space of 29.4 million kilometers away from the earth, and successfully realized the deep-space maneuver of the Tianwen-1 rover, helping China's first Mars rover to run more accurately Mars.

The picture shows a schematic diagram of the probe's deep space maneuvering track.

Photo courtesy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group

  This is the second ignition of the 3000N engine following the successful completion of the first midway correction of Tianwen-1 through the 20-second ignition on August 2 this year.

The ignition time this time is 24 times the working time of the first ignition.

Working hours are longer and tasks are more important.

  On the evening of October 9, Lan Xiaohui, the chief designer of the 6th Aerospace Research Institute and deputy chief engineer of the 11th Institute, who was performing tasks at the Beijing Flight Control Center, has been fighting on the job site.

Lan Xiaohui introduced that from issuing the ignition command to shutting down normally after 480 seconds, the performance of the 3000N engine was perfect, with various performance parameters and design parameters perfectly consistent, and the mission of deep space maneuvering was successfully completed.

  Lan Xiaohui said that the 3000N orbital control engine played an extremely important role in the Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission.

Whether it is posture correction in the process of transferring from the "Three Rings" to the "Four Rings", the brakes on the "Four Rings", or the track adjustment of the near-fire track, the 3000N engine will show its talents.

The 3000N engine ignites in 480 seconds, which not only changes the current orbit of the Tianwen-1 Mars Rover, and makes it enter a new orbit. This orbit is an orbit that can be accurately captured by Mars and intersect with Mars. ; At the same time, it also verified the 3000N deep space on-orbit performance.

The picture shows a schematic diagram of the probe's deep space maneuvering track.

Photo courtesy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group

  According to Liu Feng, model chief designer of the Sixth Aerospace Academy and deputy chief engineer of the 801 Institute, during the 400 million-kilometer-long expedition of Tianwen-1 to Mars, a total of six ignitions were required except for the 3000N main engine. In addition, the 25N, 120N and other engines developed by the research team of our institute will work together to help Tianwen-1 realize the probe's Mars landing in four months through real-time orbit control and correction.

  Lan Xiaohui said that on the eve of the Spring Festival this year, the 3000N engine will have a more important and longer ignition work. This ignition will be a brake on the near-fire track. The Tianwen-1 probe can enter the Martian orbit smoothly through the near-fire braking of the engine. It is hoped that the 3000N follow-up work will be more perfect and help Tianwen-1 achieve the complete success of China's first fire detection mission. (Finish)