Today is space with you [No. 1438]
Some time ago
Based on Liang Xiaosheng's novel of the same name
The period drama "The World of Man" brushed the circle of friends
In episode 35
There is a close-up of a rocket launch
It was the 1980s
A highlight emission from the continent
April 8, 1984
The mainland is at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center
With the Long March 3 carrier rocket
Successfully launched China's first communications test satellite
This launch
It is related to the date of March 31
1
Codename "331"
As early as 1970, shortly after the successful launch of the Dongfanghong-1 satellite, some people put forward the requirement of using satellites for communication, and the satellite development department also carried out corresponding advance research.
However, due to the influence of that era, the progress of the project was slow. Until a letter entitled "Proposal on the Construction of Satellite Communications on the Mainland" was delivered to The Desk of Premier Zhou Enlai.
The letter elaborated on the great significance of China's development of communication satellites and suggested that the state unified organization should arrange the development of China's communication satellites. On May 19, 1974, Premier Zhou Enlai issued an instruction: first set the guidelines for the manufacture, cooperation and use of satellite communications, and then make plans according to the planned division of labor and supervise them.
On the 11th day after writing the instructions, Premier Zhou was admitted to the 305 Hospital due to illness. The "5.19" directive on the development of communication satellites also became the last important directive left by Premier Zhou Enlai before his death.
On March 31, 1975, the Central Military Commission held its Eighth Standing Committee, at which it approved the "Report on the Development of China's Communication Satellites" submitted by the State Planning Commission and the National Defense Science and Technology Commission, and submitted it to Chairman Mao for approval.
At this point, China's development of communication satellites has finally landed, code-named "331 Project".
2
A miraculous measurement and control scheme
From take-off to synchronous fixed-point, the first test communication satellite needs to go through the berthing orbit, synchronous transfer orbit, quasi-synchronous orbit, normal flight of more than 600,000 kilometers, tracking time of more than ten days, complex control, not only requires large data demand, high calculation accuracy, strong real-time operation, but also requires higher control accuracy.
This has brought an unprecedented severe test to the Xi'an Satellite Measurement and Control Center, which is responsible for satellite measurement and control.
What if there is a test? Rise to the occasion!
In August 1981, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission appointed Chen Fangyun as the chief designer of the measurement and control system. Under the leadership of Chen Fangyun, in less than a year, the newly developed measurement and control equipment was transported to the measurement and control station.
Measurement and control equipment has been obtained, but the problem of insufficient computing power of computer systems has not been solved. In order to introduce higher-performance computers, the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Commission for National Defense Science and Technology invited Japanese experts to visit and conduct technical exchanges. After visiting the computer room, Japanese experts said that "it is impossible to use such a computer to complete the measurement and control task of geosynchronous communication satellites." At the same time, under the pretext of the restrictions of the "Paris Coordinating Committee", I rejected my introduction plan.
To complete the measurement and control task, you can only rely on yourself. Hao Yan, a measurement and control expert of the center, led the team to another way, proposing to use the "320" computer with higher speed to undertake the control and calculation task, and the "717" computer with better stability to undertake the data exchange task with each measurement and control station, and improve the stability of measurement and control in the way of 4 machines in series.
In the end, the program miraculously met the needs of satellite measurement and control.
3
Before the satellite was launched, someone wrote a suicide note
The rocket used for the launch of the first communication satellite is the newly developed Long March 3, which is the first rocket on the mainland to use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic fuel. The launch mission was carried out by the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, which was put into use for the first time.
Li Lianlin, who was the commander of the underground command post at the time, was responsible for refueling rocket fuel, and he prepared for the worst, quietly writing suicide notes to his parents, wife, and daughter.
It is a determination to live and die fearlessly in the face of risk.
New rockets, new technologies, new launch sites, how big the risk is, we have not participated in it, we can not understand, but the first flight failure afterwards, tells us the high risk of space launch missions.
On January 29, 1984, the Long March 3 carried the Dongfanghong-2 and slowly ascended, and the satellite failed to reach the scheduled geosynchronous orbit.
Relying on the determination of countless people, just 70 days later, on April 8, the Long March 3 ignited and took off again, and then the exciting news came from the radio: the rocket separation was normal, and the satellite entered the geosynchronous transfer orbit!
4
"Lao Wang, is the cantaloupe ripe?"
On April 16, 1984, the Dongfanghong-2 satellite was successfully fixed.
The next day, many citizens in Kunming, Urumqi and other places waited early in front of a few television sets. At 7 p.m., excited people saw the "News Network" that CCTV was broadcasting for the first time, and before that, it took 7 days to watch the same program.
At 10:00 a.m. on April 18, 1984, Zhang Aiping achieved the first satellite call between Beijing and Xinjiang through the Dongfanghong No. 2 communication satellite with Wang Enmao, first secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Party Committee.
After the phone was connected, Zhang Aiping threw down the prepared speech and said loudly: "Lao Wang, is the cantaloupe ripe?" Wang Enmao said humorously, "I will send someone to send you over!" ”
The story of Project 331
With the passage of time, it has gradually yellowed
But the journey of "sweeping the sky" continues
……