The core module is accurately orbited for ten bursts.
Space station: "Made in China" new pride (Building a dream "Space House"-China Space Station Construction Record ②)
With the successful launch of the China Space Station Tianhe Core Module into orbit recently, the international media has set off an upsurge of reporting on the development of China's space science and technology.
Today’s Russian website published an article that the Tianhe core module carrying the Long March 5B Yao-2 carrier rocket was put into orbit. This is the first of the three main components of the Chinese space station; the Chinese TV station broadcasted the launch process and the mission was achieved. Success without any failures.
The relevant report of the BBC was the launch of the Tianhe Core Module, which reviewed the development of China’s manned spaceflight and looked forward to China’s upcoming Tiangong Space Station in 2022. It pointed out that as the International Space Station is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2024, the Tiangong Space Station will be The only space station operating in human low-Earth orbit.
The British "Financial Times" report linked the launch of the Tianhe core module, the construction of the Tiangong space station, the soft landing on the lunar back of the Chang'e lunar exploration project and the return of the lunar sample, and regarded these as landmark events for China's space technology to achieve a major leap.
The Agence France-Presse report regards the launch of the first module of the Chinese space station as a milestone in China’s ambitious plan to permanently send humans into space. The article further mentions China’s first successful manned flight in 2003 and its first mission to Mars. , Commended China for making great progress in the aerospace field since it launched its first satellite in 1970.
In the past two years, China has carried out dozens of orbital launches each year.
The international media has become accustomed to China’s space launch activities.
However, why has the launch of the Tianhe core module recently carried out aroused such widespread concern?
The reason is actually very simple: the launch of the Tianhe core module is the foundation ceremony of the China Space Station. With this as a sign, a major aerospace infrastructure independently built by the Chinese and under long-term care will be gradually built and put into operation in the vast space.
The construction and operation of the space station is the same as the construction and operation of the global navigation system, both of which reflect the aerospace science and technology capabilities and comprehensive national strength, and are regarded as the standard equipment of a space power.
International media intensively reported on this launch, witnessing and recording the historical footprint of China's aerospace science and technology forge ahead.
Multi-advantage achievement "Tianhe"
For the launch of the Tianhe core module and the China Space Station, international media reports and evaluations are very rich, and many of them compare them with the performance parameters of the international space station in operation.
In this regard, the Chinese astronauts do not care too much. Their attitude remains the same as before: forge ahead, strive for self-improvement, and constantly surpass themselves.
Indeed, the construction of China's space station focuses on scientific research and actual combat, not for competition, but based on its own strategic needs, scientific and technological capabilities, and specific national conditions, starting from its own reality, seeking truth from facts, doing what it can, and doing its best.
As pointed out by Zhou Jianping, the chief designer of China's manned space project, the design and development of China's space station adheres to the concepts of appropriate scale, safety and reliability, advanced technology, and economic efficiency, and generally reflects Chinese characteristics and technological progress.
As the "center" of the space station, the Tianhe core module is the main living place for astronauts to stay for a long time, and it is also the management and control center of the space station, with long-term autonomous flight capabilities.
The Tianhe core module will be launched first, and then other modules and spacecraft will rendezvous and dock with Feitian to complete the construction of the space station and enter the operation stage.
What are the technical characteristics of "Tianhe"?
In this regard, the media has conducted an in-depth review and summary from many aspects.
Among them, there are three aspects that are most commendable.
"Tianhe" is an efficient energy center.
People have noticed that after the successful launch of "Tianhe", its solar panels took about 40 minutes to unfold, which is completely different from ordinary aircraft that can deploy solar panels in tens of seconds.
This is because the "Tianhe" solar wing is extremely large, and it was compressed sufficiently before.
It is understood that this is by far the largest and most complex flexible solar wing, with an unfolded area of more than 130 square meters.
The solar wing is made of silicon carbide reinforced aluminum-based composite material. It has the characteristics of light weight, good wear resistance, low thermal expansion coefficient, and high thermal conductivity. It can effectively reduce the weight of the mechanism, increase rigidity and wear resistance, and meet the "Tianhe" There is an urgent need for lightweight and high-performance metal matrix composite materials.
Special materials have greatly improved the energy conversion efficiency of the solar wing, and coupled with the large light receiving area, Tianhe has become a well-deserved space station energy production center.
It is understood that a single wing can provide 9 kilowatts of electric power for the space station. While meeting the normal operation of all equipment in the cabin, it can fully guarantee the daily life of the astronauts in the space station.
"Tianhe" has the ability to maintain its track conveniently and efficiently.
Since the space station is operating in a low-Earth orbit about 400 kilometers above the earth's surface, there is still thin air, and the space station is gradually decelerating due to atmospheric friction, and it needs to increase its altitude to maintain its orbit.
In addition to conventional power such as orbital control engines and attitude control engines, the Tianhe core cabin is also equipped with several Hall electric propulsion engines.
This engine has the characteristics of precise adjustment and long working hours. The auxiliary space station resists orbit attenuation and maintains normal operation on the original orbit. It can effectively save the consumption of the propellant that comes with the core compartment and ensure the reasonable and full use of the propellant.
"Tianhe" is an ingenious operator.
As the core cabin, Tianhe has to carry out a large number of operations such as docking, installation, orbit change and separation during the construction and operation of the space station. In order to make these operations more convenient and efficient, Tianhe is equipped with a large robotic arm outside the cabin.
The longest working length can reach more than 10 meters, and it has 7 degrees of freedom. It can not only grab objects in space, but also realize the function of cabin crawling. It can move to many parts of the space station in a worm-like way of movement, and then move to many parts of the space station in a worm-like manner. The outer surface of each cabin of the space station can be reached in a wider range.
It is conceivable that with a dexterous robotic arm, "Tianhe" can be transformed into an operator, directly using "hands" to "build blocks" in space, and it is convenient to "assemble" the space station.
"Tiangong" is ready to come out
The successful launch of the Tianhe core module indicates that the construction of the Chinese space station has entered the stage of full implementation and laid a solid foundation for the subsequent missions.
According to the announced space station construction mission plan, after the Tianhe core module, 10 missions will be implemented this year and next, including 2 space station segment launches, 4 cargo spacecraft and 4 manned spacecraft launches, which will be completed in 2022. The space station is built on rails.
In other words, in the next two years, the frequency of China's orbital launch missions is expected to reach a new high. Only the construction of the space station will contribute more than 10 times, and the number of other conventional launches will also remain high.
No wonder some media reported humorously that China Aerospace is about to start the "dumpling" mode in space.
Many people already have an intuitive understanding of the structure of the Chinese Space Station "Tiangong" under construction. In addition to the Tianhe Core Module that has been launched, it also includes two experiments named "Wentian" and "Mengtian". The main function of the cabin is to carry out scientific experiments and technical experiments in and out of the cabin. It also serves as a place for astronauts to work and live and as an emergency shelter.
The core cabin and the two experimental cabins are the basic types of the "Tiangong". You can also launch more cabins to dock with them as needed for further expansion.
The mission of building the space station is of course the world-renowned "Long March" of China.
It is understood that a total of 3 types of rockets in the Long March rocket family are involved. They are the Long March 2 F launch vehicle, the Long March 5 B launch vehicle and the Long March 7 launch vehicle.
Among them, the Long March 5B carrier rocket mainly completes the launch mission of the manned space station core module and two experimental modules; the Long March 7 carrier rocket is mainly used to launch the "Tianzhou" to transport materials for the space station and astronauts; the Long March 2F The launch vehicle is mainly responsible for sending astronauts into the space station.
Prior to this, the Long March 7, Tianzhou spacecraft, Long March 2F, and Shenzhou spacecraft had all arrived at the launch site, and the relevant preparations were intensively carried out, waiting for the flight time to arrive.
In the next intensive flight missions, the manned missions carried out by Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 have attracted more attention. According to Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, there are currently multiple flight crews synchronized. The training was carried out. The Shenzhou 12 flight crew had completed most of the mission training by the end of April and was transferred to the mission intensive training phase.
According to the plan, Shenzhou 12 will be launched in June of this year, when three astronauts will form a flight crew and become the first occupants of the Tianhe core module. It is expected to stay in orbit for three months.
According to the plan, in October this year, the Shenzhou 13 manned mission will be implemented, and the flight crew will also consist of three astronauts who will stay in orbit for six months.
This is unprecedented in the history of China's manned spaceflight.
The core module of the space station, the cargo spacecraft, and the manned spacecraft fly into the sky successively, and will further verify a series of core technical capabilities such as space station rendezvous and docking, core module in-orbit management, and long-term astronaut residency. The mission of the Chinese space station will complete the "key technology verification phase." Ushered in the rendezvous and docking of the "Wentian" and "Mengtian" experimental modules, and entered the "assembly and construction" stage. After months of hard work, the Chinese "Space Home" with "three rooms, two halls and storage rooms" is above nine days. Completed and officially put into operation.
International cooperation to a higher level
International colleagues expressed congratulations on the successful launch of the Tianhe core module.
The European Space Agency soon forwarded the news of the successful launch of the Sky and Core Module of the Chinese Space Station released by the Chinese media, and congratulated the China National Space Administration.
Roberto Batiston, former director of the Italian Space Agency and director of the Department of General Physics of the University of Trento, said in an interview with Chinese media that the Chinese space station has extremely high technological content, and the launch of the Tianhe core module is a Chinese manned space flight. The important mission of the project entering the orbital construction phase of the space station will verify the key technologies of the space station and lay the foundation for subsequent construction tasks; China plays a vital role in the peaceful and rational use of space.
American astrobiologist Keith Coyne pointed out that the space station that China is accelerating construction has multiple space capsules with all the capabilities of the International Space Station; China's success will promote the exploration of space by other countries.
Ali Taani, Ph.D. of Astronomy and Space Physics from Barka University of Applied Sciences in Jordan, said that China has established the "three-step" development strategy for manned space engineering in 1992, and after nearly 30 years of hard work for this, it has finally begun to realize ownership. Own dream of a space "outpost".
China has opened the door to space technology cooperation to the international community, and its open attitude has benefited the world.
Many international researchers, including him, look forward to China's greater breakthroughs in the aerospace field and provide more experience for the international scientific community.
Yamike Lowy, a senior engineer at the African Space Innovation Center, who is presiding over the construction of three maritime satellites for South Africa, believes that the successful launch of the Tianhe core module is not only an important step for China to move towards the universe, but also a step for developing countries to move towards the universe. A major victory, South Africa looks forward to more space cooperation with China.
For Chinese aerospace science and technology workers, the high evaluation and warm congratulations of international colleagues are undoubtedly great encouragement. Their expectation of further strengthening cooperation is a positive response to China's policy of open exchange.
Over the years, while vigorously advancing its own space science and technology progress, China has opened the door to carry out space cooperation and exchanges with countries around the world, especially developing countries, covering various fields of space, including satellite launching, joint satellite development, and astronaut training and training. , Space experiment.
The space station under construction has established a broader platform for Sino-foreign scientific and technological cooperation.
As early as 2016, the China Manned Space Engineering Office signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Use of the Chinese Space Station for International Cooperation" with the United Nations, and agreed to use the future Chinese space station to provide countries with scientific experiment opportunities and provide other countries with astronauts or payload experts. Orbital flight opportunities.
In May 2018, China and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs jointly held the China Space Station International Cooperation Opportunity Announcement Ceremony in Vienna, and cordially invited countries around the world to actively participate in the use of the future Chinese space station to carry out cooperation in and outside the cabin.
The Chinese side stated that the Chinese space station not only belongs to itself, but also belongs to the world. China is willing to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and make it a common home for all mankind in outer space. The Xinjiang domain of well-being.
This move was warmly welcomed by all parties, who actively submitted applications for cooperation projects.
After screening and determination by relevant parties, 9 projects from 17 countries including Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Kenya, and Japan came to the fore and became the first batch of selected projects for China's space station scientific experiment, involving space astronomy, microgravity fluid physics and combustion Science, earth science, applied new technology, space life science and biotechnology, etc.
In the vast sky, the core module of Tianhe is traveling on orbit, and its flying announcement has successfully laid the foundation of the "Tiangong" that China has devoted itself to serving the international scientific community, and a brand-new "space home" that integrates the great achievements of modern science and technology is about to emerge.
It aspires to become a Chinese classic of self-reliance and self-reliance in science and technology, carrying the dreams of Chinese people to explore the universe and discover new knowledge, and to write a new flying legend of mankind.
Zhang Baoshu