Shenzhou 13 astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu have been working and living in the space station for more than 5 months, and according to the plan, they will work and live in orbit for about 180 days, and now they have entered the countdown to "going home" and will return to the ground in April.
On March 23, the second lesson of "Tiangong Classroom" was successfully held, and Qian Hang, rocket designer of the Overall Design Department of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, as a rocket expert, answered questions for the children after class in the main class of the China Science and Technology Museum.
Qian Hang said in an interview with reporters recently: On October 16 last year, our team carried out the launch mission of the Long March 2F Yao 13 carrier rocket and successfully put the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft into the predetermined orbit. At the Jiuquan launch site, there is also a Long March 2 F (referred to as "Long Two F") carrier rocket there for emergency rescue and duty, if the astronauts need to come back urgently, we have the ability to pick them up at any time.
Qian Hang, rocket designer of the overall design department of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, was interviewed by reporters. Photo by reporter Currie
This year, two experimental modules were launched
"There is a craftsman living in the soul of design, paying attention to detail, pursuing perfection and tireless efforts", this is Qian Hang's personality signature. Qian Hang, from his hometown of Wuxue, Hubei Province, was very happy to meet the media from his hometown.
After graduating with a Ph.D. from the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he joined the First Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (i.e., the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology) to participate in the development and launch of the Long March 2F carrier rocket.
The Chang'er F rocket is the only manned carrier rocket on the mainland at present, specially developed for the mainland manned space project, every time the astronauts fly into space, it is used to carry out the launch task, which is called "God Arrow" by netizens. Since 1999, the Changer F rocket has carried out a total of fifteen manned space launch missions from Shenzhou 1 to Shenzhou 13, Tiangong 1 and Tiangong 2, achieving a 100% launch success rate, ensuring the completion of various space missions, and greatly enhancing the international competitiveness of China's carrier rockets.
Qian Hang told reporters that the Chang'er F team is now actively preparing for the launch mission of Shenzhou 14. There will be 6 major launch missions for manned spaceflight on the mainland this year, and in the next few years, an average of two astronauts will be sent into space every year. In particular, this year, two experimental modules will be launched, Nameng Tian and Dream Day, as well as Tianzhou 4 and 5 cargo spacecraft, and the follow-up launch missions are very saturated.
Heavy launch vehicles are being developed
Qian Hang told reporters that starting from Shenzhou XII, every time the launch mission was carried out, the scene adopted a backup mode: prepare two long two F rockets, one for launch, and the other to prepare emergency rescue tasks on the field.
For example, on June 17 last year, the Changer F Yao 12 rocket ignited and took off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, successfully sending the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft carrying Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo into the predetermined orbit, helping the Chinese nation realize the dream of "settling down" in space for thousands of years. At the same time, the Chang2F YaoXIII carrier rocket has arrived at the launch site to "stand guard."
After 90 days of emergency duty, on October 16 last year, it sent the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft carrying three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, into the scheduled orbit. If you count from the "standing in place", plus the launch preparation time, this rocket has been "standing" for more than 5 months, standing for a long time, the highest number of Chinese rockets.
Since the Yao 12 and Yao 13 rockets, the Long 2F rocket has adopted the launch mode of "1 launch, 1 backup round" and "rolling backup". As the Yao thirteen rocket entered the normal launch process, the Yao fourteen rocket relay became an emergency rescue duty rocket, and it was this rocket that was currently on duty at the Jiuquan launch site.
With the opening of the Chinese space station orbit construction mission, the launch density has become higher, which is more challenging for researchers. Even so, researchers have overcome many difficulties and tried various ways to optimize efficiency, and finally achieved a "rolling backup" launch mode.
At present, what is the international level of development of mainland rockets?
Qian Hang said that the Long March carrier rocket has experienced a technological leap from normal temperature propellant to low temperature propellant, from one-time start to multiple starts at the last stage, from tandem to parallel, from one arrow single star to one arrow multi-star, from carrier to manned, and has the ability to launch different types of satellites and manned spacecraft in different earth orbits at low, medium, and high, and can also send probes to the moon, Mars, and even other celestial bodies. The mainland has successfully independently developed a new generation of small, medium and large launch vehicles, and in the face of the needs of major national scientific and technological activities such as deep space exploration and manned lunar exploration in the long term in the future, we are now developing heavy launch vehicles.
He introduced that in addition to the Long March series rockets independently developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, which is a heavy weapon of the country, there are also dragon series commercial launch rockets. Our self-developed Jielong 3 will fly for the first time this year, which is a new commercial launch vehicle. Previously, our Jielong 1, 2 and other Dragon series carrier rockets have made breakthroughs in commercial applications. At present, the launch vehicle models developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology are very complete, the Long March series rockets mainly undertake national large-scale tasks, and the Dragon series rockets mainly undertake commercial launch tasks.
He believes that our rocket technology is at the forefront of the world and is getting closer and closer to the center of the world space stage.
Science popularization activities will also be carried out with "Tiangong Classroom"
In addition to being a rocket designer of China's aerospace industry, Qian Hang is also an expert in the field of aerospace science popularization while concentrating on the scientific research of the Chang'er F rocket, and has used his spare time such as holidays to give thousands of popular science lectures.
On the afternoon of March 23, the core elements of manned space engineering such as the Chang'er F rocket appeared in the main ground classroom of the second lesson of the "Tiangong Classroom", and Dr. Qian Hang, as a rocket expert, in addition to answering questions for the children on the spot, he was also one of the expert team members of the Tiangong lecture.
Eight years ago, when Wang Yaping first taught space, Qian Hang served as a CCTV commentary expert.
He not only participated in every space teaching ground science popularization activities, Tiangong-2, Shenzhou 11, Beidou final launch and other important launch tasks, he is a CCTV live broadcast guest, to the public science and space knowledge.
Qian Hang told reporters that the mainland's aerospace industry is ushering in a golden period of development, and follow-up science activities will be carried out in the form of "Tiangong Classroom" and so on. "Tiangong Classroom" will become a popular science brand, the form will be more novel, colorful, so that more teenagers, students to participate in it, and the astronauts in the sky, let students feel the progress and charm of China's aerospace science and technology, which is also a very exciting feast of science and technology, is an effective process of cultivating children's patriotic feelings.
Source: Yangtze River Daily