China News Service, Beijing, June 3 (Ma Shuisha) At present, the Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew has entered the countdown to go to space.
What new "levels" will the Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew unlock compared to the Shenzhou 13 mission?
What's the point of this mission?
Yang Yuguang, vice chairman of the International Astronautical Union Space Transportation Committee, recently accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency to interpret relevant hot spots.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Agency reporter: The mission of the Chinese space station has been fully transferred to the construction stage.
Entering a new stage, what tasks will the Shenzhou 14 astronauts complete in orbit?
What are the differences between the tasks they face and the Shenzhou 13 crew?
Yang Yuguang: The Shenzhou 14 flight crew will play an important role in the construction phase of the Chinese space station.
During their stay in orbit, the three astronauts will welcome the visit of four spacecraft, including Wentian Experimental Module, Mengtian Experimental Module, Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft, and Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft. Complete the indexing tasks of the two experimental cabins, as well as the installation and debugging of various equipment.
During the period of the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew in orbit, the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft has completed technical tests such as the robotic arm repositioning compartment, manual remote operation rendezvous and docking, etc.
However, the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft is a dozen-ton spacecraft, and the experimental cabin weighs more than 20 tons. It will be more challenging to translocate the latter.
China News Agency reporter: Compared with the key technology verification stage of the space station, what are the highlights of the on-orbit mission of the Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew?
What new challenges will be faced?
What experiences can be learned from the key technology verification stage?
Yang Yuguang: The Chinese space station has accumulated a lot of valuable experience in the key technology verification stage, including the verification of renewable environmental control and life protection technology, but the Shenzhou 14 flight crew will still face many new challenges.
In addition to the transposition tasks mentioned above, the Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew will also use the Wentian experimental cabin airlock to exit the cabin for the first time.
The astronaut crews of Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 exited from the Tianhe core module node module. In the future, the airlock on the Wentian experimental module will become the main exit channel for astronauts. Therefore, the Shenzhou 14 aerospace The personnel will undertake the verification of the airlock.
More importantly, the construction of the space station does not simply connect the core module and the experimental module, which involves the debugging, installation and maintenance of many equipment inside and outside the cabin.
It is foreseeable that the Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew may undertake the installation of extravehicular equipment, which will be more complicated than the previous out-vehicle activities.
China News Agency reporter: The Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew will welcome the Wentian and Mengtian experimental modules in orbit. What new changes will the arrival of the two space station modules bring to the crew's on-orbit mission and life?
Yang Yuguang: After the arrival of the two experimental modules, the Chinese space station will exceed 110 cubic meters, with 6 sleeping areas and 2 sanitary areas, and astronauts will have more space for activities.
Like the Tianhe core cabin, the two experimental cabins are also "big guys" with more than 20 tons, but their responsibilities are completely different.
The experimental cabin is loaded with most of the scientific research cabinets of the Chinese space station, which means that the types and scope of scientific research activities that the astronaut crews will be engaged in will be greatly increased in the future, which puts forward higher requirements for the knowledge reserve and practical operation of the astronauts.
Just like the International Space Station, Chinese astronauts can also grow vegetables on the space station in the future, but the grown vegetables need to be brought back to the ground. After testing by scientific researchers, it has been proved that there is no harm to the human body, and then astronauts can be allowed to eat them in space.
This is a necessary process, and it is also in a responsible attitude. We should not be too anxious, but I believe that sooner or later, we will achieve the goal of allowing astronauts to eat fresh vegetables in space.
China News Agency reporter: The Shenzhou 14 astronaut crew will use the airlock airlock to exit the capsule for the first time.
What do you think is the reason for using the new exit channel?
What are the advantages of exiting the cabin from the airlock cabin?
Yang Yuguang: During the key technology verification stage of the space station, the astronauts used the Tianhe core module node module as the exit channel.
In the future, the airlock on the Wentian experimental cabin will serve as the main exit channel of the space station, and the internal space will be more spacious.
Compared with the node cabin of the core cabin, the new airlock cabin is more spacious and the exit hatch faces down, making it easier for astronauts to exit the cabin.
In fact, in addition to extravehicular space suits, airlock design is also an important technology in human exit activities.
From the orbital module of the Shenzhou spacecraft in the Shenzhou VII mission in 2008, to the node module of the core module used last year, and then to the airlock of the airlock in the future, the changes in the passage of astronauts fully reflect the activities of China's spaceflight. Technology is getting more and more mature.
China News Service: According to public reports, the two crews of Shenzhou 14 and Shenzhou 15 will fly in orbit for 6 months, and the crew rotation will be realized for the first time.
Among them, two crews of six astronauts will stay in orbit for 5-10 days.
What do you think of the significance of two crew members being in orbit at the same time for the construction of the astronaut system and the future development of the Chinese space station?
Yang Yuguang: After the Shenzhou 14 manned spacecraft is launched into orbit, it will mean the beginning of the Chinese people's uninterrupted long-term stay in space, which is of great significance.
We have noticed that when the Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 flight crews enter and leave the space station, they have to do a lot of space station status settings, including environmental control and life protection system settings, material transfer, etc., which take a lot of time and workload. , but essential.
After the astronauts realize the on-orbit rotation, the space station can always be in a manned state, which can save the trouble of state switching and reduce the workload of the astronauts.
More importantly, the construction of the space station is mainly to carry out various scientific researches. The cycle and progress of different scientific experiments are different, and the face-to-face handover of the crew is more efficient, more accurate, safe and reliable.
The fact that 6 people are in orbit at the same time also puts pressure on the environmental control and life protection system of the space station, such as the need to increase the oxygen supply and carbon dioxide absorption, which has not been experienced before and needs further verification.
China News Service reporter: How do you think the Chinese space station can better promote international cooperation in the future?
What areas of international cooperation can we expect?
Yang Yuguang: China's manned spaceflight activities are attracting more and more attention from the world.
In fact, China Aerospace has been actively responding to international concerns, fulfilling international obligations, and promoting international exchanges and cooperation.
Recently, Chinese officials took the initiative to release the orbital data of the wreckage of the Long March 7 Yao-5 carrier rocket. In fact, the rocket has been passivated, and there is no need to worry about the explosion of the rocket wreckage and the damage to the ground when it falls. However, China frequently publishes relevant data. The response to foreign concerns reflects the open, transparent and responsible attitude of China Aerospace.
Previously, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs cooperated on the application of the Chinese space station. The first batch of 9 projects from 17 countries and 23 entities were selected, and they are expected to be delivered to the Chinese space station by the end of this year at the earliest.
Foreign development, Tianzhou spacecraft transportation, Chinese astronaut operation, Tianlian satellite downlink data, Shenzhou spacecraft bring back, this is the easiest primary cooperation to achieve. In the future, we can expect foreign astronauts and foreign spacecraft to visit the Chinese space station, etc. deeper cooperation.
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