Three "keys" protect the eyes and ears of the "Tianzhou" and help the "space food and grass" run to the "Heavenly Palace"

　　China News Service, Xi'an, January 18th: Three "keys" protect the "Tianzhou"'s eyesight and ears, and help the "space food and grass" rush to the "Tiangong"

　　China News Service reporter Zhang Yichen

　　At 22:27 on January 17, 2024, Beijing time, the Long March 7 Ya8 launch vehicle carrying the Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft was ignited and launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China.

Subsequently, "Tianzhou" successfully separated from the rocket and entered the predetermined orbit, making the launch a complete success.

On January 17, the Long March 7 Yao-8 carrier rocket carrying the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was ignited and launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China.

Photo by China News Service reporter Tomita

　　The Xi'an Branch of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group (hereinafter referred to as: Xi'an Branch) plays an important role in the upgraded relay terminals and antenna networks equipped for the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft and all payloads developed for the Skylink relay satellite system, ensuring that The rendezvous, docking and space delivery mission of the Zhou-7 cargo spacecraft was successfully completed.

　　The Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft launched this time carried more than 260 pieces of astronaut systems, space station systems, application mission areas, cargo spacecraft systems and overall engineering cargo.

Among them, large cargo such as test load customized packages, each weighing more than 100 kilograms, will be used in space station orbit operations, space on-orbit scientific experiments and astronauts’ life support.

In addition, the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft also transported 2,400 kilograms of daily necessities to the astronaut crew, including Spring Festival goods for the Year of the Dragon, fresh fruit and vegetable gift packages, etc.

Upgraded version of relay terminal builds communication "heavenly road"

　　After the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was successfully launched, the phased array relay terminal developed by the Xi'an Branch started working before the satellite and rocket separated.

By capturing and tracking the Tianlian relay satellite and achieving a "space handshake" with it, a communication link from the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft to the relay satellite to the ground is established to ensure the safety of the entire delivery process.

　　In order to make the relay terminal more practical and easy to use, the phased array antenna used in the relay terminal of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft can achieve measurement and control coverage in a large area, track and control key events throughout the entire process, and monitor and handle on-orbit abnormalities in a timely manner.

While reducing reliance on land-based measurement and control stations and sea-based measurement ships, it effectively reduces measurement, control and tracking costs and effectively improves product reliability.

"Signal hub" ensures smooth signal flow

　　If the antenna signal path system of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft is compared to a railway transportation system, then the signals along the way are trains, and the antenna network is more like a track switch between a train track and a railway station.

When the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft receives communication signals or measurement and control command signals from the ground, the antenna network will intelligently classify and transmit them to the transponder in different channels.

On the contrary, various signals from different channels of the transponder will be aggregated and sent to the ground antenna, which will be sent out through the antenna and then sent to the ground.

　　In this mission, Tianzhou-7 mainly implemented on-orbit flight control based on space-based measurement and control.

As a "signal hub", the antenna network will mainly complete the uploading and issuing of spacecraft measurement and control command signals.

The Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft performs on-orbit tasks such as rendezvous and docking, and needs to ensure that all operational instructions are real-time and accurate. The high reliability of the "signal hub" will become an important guarantee for the successful completion of these tasks.

Space “signal base station” connects heaven and earth in real time

　　When the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft is flying in space, the time to establish direct communication with the ground station is very limited.

In order to improve the real-time data communication between the ground and the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, a space "base station" with similar functions to the ground mobile phone communication base station is needed to complete the data forwarding function. The Tianlian relay satellite is the "signal in space" base station".

　　The Xi'an branch stated that the Skylink relay satellite, as an indispensable and important space-based infrastructure, has established a data relay transmission link between ground stations, relay satellites and the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft.

This link can provide data relay, measurement and control, and orbit determination services for the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, ensuring the system’s measurement and control coverage and service functions as well as the real-time and efficient data return.

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