"If the project can be established as soon as possible, China's three-dimensional solar detection system may actually be completed by 2035." At the Xiangshan Science Conference a few days ago, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, chief designer of the Chang'e-5 probe, and researcher of the Chinese Academy of Space Technology Yang Mengfei proposed a bold idea-three-dimensional detection of the sun!
If you want to detect the sun in all directions, you also need to deploy a three-dimensional detection system.
"In terms of space exploration of the sun, China has not yet established a systematic project." Yang Mengfei said, but it is precisely because of the late start that we should be brave enough to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities brought by late-comer advantages.
Three-dimensional detection of the sun in all directions, unprecedented!
Humans have launched space probes to detect the sun for more than 60 years. With the development of space technology and payloads, various countries' solar exploration has been upgraded from solar-terrestrial connection-based detection to multiple detection methods such as solar approach or dual viewing angles.
A popular understanding is like gradually achieving the goals of "shooting" the sun close-up and using dual lenses to "shoot" the sun.
However, it has not yet been possible to implement an all-round three-dimensional detection of the sun.
What is stereo?
According to the three-dimensional detection system plan, China will deploy detectors at five points on the ecliptic plane and the polar orbit to achieve "encircling" observations of the sun.
Especially for polar detectors, it takes 5 years to fly in place.
What concept?
It is more than 180 back and forth between the earth and the moon.
This brings great challenges to spacecraft control and data transmission.
Since it is so difficult, why do you have to perform stereo detection?
Yang Mengfei told the reporter of Science and Technology Daily that to lead mankind to refresh a new understanding of the sun, make major original innovations, and have an international influence, a brand-new detection method is necessary.
China has its own advantages in systems and mechanisms and is able to concentrate on doing big things.
China already has the technical strength for super long-distance flight
The ultra-long-distance flight in deep space is the pinnacle of aerospace science and technology: not only to conquer ultra-long distances, complex temperature-changing environments, solar storms... but also to calmly cope with crises that occur at any time during a long journey of hundreds of millions of kilometers.
Being brave to climb, daring to surpass, and seizing the commanding heights of science and technology, the three-dimensional exploration of the sun is a new goal set by Chinese astronauts, guided by the spirit of spaceflight, once again relying on their strength and confidence.
It is envisaged that China will use two launch missions (one arrow three stars, one arrow two stars) around 2035 to construct an all-round three-dimensional circle around the ecliptic plane (the orbital plane of the earth orbiting the sun) and the solar polar region. The detection system realizes the three-dimensional detection of the sun's global and solar-terrestrial space.
Before the idea was put forward, the team fully demonstrated the existing technical strength, implementation path, and specific plans.
Taking Yijian Samsung as an example, by analyzing and comparing the difference between the direct entry of the carrier and the entry of the celestial body by the force of the celestial body, the scheme of changing the orbital direction and orbital energy by the gravity of the celestial body has been determined.
The flight will be divided into three stages. The launch vehicle will complete the first section of the journey, and the latter two sections will be completed by leveraging flight and deep-space maneuvers.
"Through the lunar exploration project and the implementation of the'Tianwen No. 1', we have a very good technical foundation." Yang Mengfei said that Chinese researchers have mastered a new method for aircraft to fly.
According to reports, five aircraft need to fly for 2 to 5 years to reach the designated location.
The new technology that has been mastered has achieved a major breakthrough, greatly reducing the flight time of the previous program.
Yang Mengfei revealed that the mass of each set of three-dimensional detectors is about 3,500 kilograms, and the payload is about 400-600 kilograms.
Utilizing aerospace technologies such as multi-celestial lending technology, high-efficiency propulsion capsules, and electric propulsion technology, China is capable of achieving ultra-long-distance flight and accurate orbiting of the probe.
It is estimated that three years after launch, the solar three-dimensional detection system will have full coverage and continuous observation capabilities in the middle and low latitudes of the sun, and five years after launch, it will have an all-round three-dimensional solar detection capability.
Stereo detection is imperative
From the earliest Pioneer to the solar orbiter closer to the sun than Mercury, many missions to the sun have been carried out internationally.
China has carried out pre-research on the solar space telescope, and has also conducted pre-research on the "Kwafu Project" of "chasing the sun", and its probe is designed to orbit one million kilometers from the earth.
New changes have taken place in the current situation. International missions have reached new depths and brought new understandings. For example, the Parker Solar Probe, which is the closest man-made object to the sun in history, has achieved a distance of about 9.5 suns from the heliocenter for the first time. Approach detection at radius.
Experts at the meeting believed that it is imperative for China to develop three-dimensional detection.
On the one hand, it will provide high-quality data for solar physics research and space weather forecasting.
According to Wang Jingxiu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who has studied the sun for more than 40 years, there are still a series of major frontier scientific issues in solar physics.
There is no second place for the original innovation of scientific research.
"To achieve a comprehensive, accurate, timely, and effective space weather forecast system, there are more urgent requirements for three-dimensional solar detection," said Wang Chi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Therefore, to carry out research on cutting-edge scientific issues in solar physics and space weather forecasting, China must build its own three-dimensional solar detection system.
On the other hand, the entire project can drive the development of peripheral support technologies and systems.
For example, there is a gap between China's solar detection instruments and the international advanced level, and there are also some shortcomings in data processing.
If goal-oriented and task-oriented, 15 to 20 years of efforts will be expected to achieve breakthroughs in high-performance payloads, and at the same time, it can also walk on multiple legs, forcing innovation in technical routes and data processing methods.
"The three-dimensional solar exploration project will be a system engineering that integrates space science, space technology, and space applications." Yang Mengfei said that its establishment will promote the intersection and integration of disciplines such as solar physics science research, space weather forecasting applications, and aerospace technology; Frontier scientific issues of solar physics, improve solar activity and space weather forecasting capabilities; promote the leapfrog development of the field of solar space exploration in China.
Our reporter Zhang Jiaxing