Six missions this year are set! And then there's the big news

◎ Science and Technology Daily reporter He Liang

At 3 p.m. on April 17, the Information Office of the State Council held a press conference to introduce the progress of the construction of the Chinese space station.

Image source: China Net Live

Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, said that the Shenzhou 13 crew flew in orbit for a total of 183 days, creating a record for the longest continuous flight time of Chinese astronauts in orbit, and the three astronauts are currently in good physical condition and are recovering after flight at the astronaut center.

At the meeting, he first reviewed the main process of the Shenzhou 13 mission: on October 16, 2021, the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft was launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, docking with the core module of the space station, and 3 astronauts were stationed in the core module. During the orbit, the Shenzhou 13 flight crew took care of and maintained the core cabin facilities and equipment as planned, carried out two outgoing activities, carried out space science experiments and technical experiments, and carried out two "Tiangong Classroom" space lectures and a series of activities.

A total of 6 missions are planned for 2022

Hao Chun said that the construction of The Chinese space station is implemented in two stages: key technology verification and construction, and 6 flight missions are planned, of which the main task goal of the key technology verification stage is to break through and master a series of key technologies related to the construction and operation of the space station. Since 2020, it has successfully implemented 6 flight missions, including the first flight of the Long March 5B carrier rocket, the Tianhe core module, the Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft, and the Tianzhou 2 and Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft. The complete success of the Shenzhou 13 manned mission marked the perfect end of the mission of the key technology verification stage of the space station, and the objectives of the phase mission were fully realized, laying a solid foundation for the assembly, construction and long-term operation of the continental space station.

At present, a system-wide comprehensive assessment of the key technology verification phase of the space station is being organized, and the requirements are fully transferred to the space station construction stage after meeting the requirements. In 2022, a total of 6 missions are planned to complete the orbital construction of the Chinese space station. After construction is completed, it will move on to the application and development phase.

The 6 missions are:

Launch of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft in May;

In June, the Shenzhou 14 manned spacecraft was launched, and 3 astronauts were stationed in the core module and stayed in orbit for 6 months;

In July, the space station was launched to dock with the Tianhe core module;

In October, the Montien experimental module was launched to dock with the core module, after which the three modules of the space station formed the basic configuration of the "T" shape, and the construction of the Chinese space station was completed;

Subsequently, the Tianzhou 5 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou 15 manned spacecraft will be launched, and the Shenzhou 15 flight crew consists of 3 astronauts, who will stay in orbit for 6 months after rotating with the Shenzhou 14 astronauts.

For the first time, the God Fourteen and God Fifteen multipliers achieved on-orbit rotation, and 6 astronauts were in orbit together

In accordance with the mission arrangements during the construction phase of the space station, the crew of astronauts for the two manned missions has been selected. At present, the physical and mental state of the Shenzhou 14 and Shenzhou 15 flight crews is very good, and they are actively carrying out relevant training and task preparation.

Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system of China's manned space project and researcher of the China Astronaut Scientific Research and Training Center, said that both Shenzhou 14 and Shenzhou 15 passenger groups will fly in orbit for 6 months, and will realize the rotation of the on-orbit passenger group for the first time to achieve uninterrupted manned presence. The two crews of 6 astronauts will stay in orbit together for 5 to 10 days, and the astronaut system will face more serious challenges.

The Shen 14th crew will cooperate with the ground to complete the assembly and construction of the space station, and gradually build a three-cabin assembly flight state from single-cabin combination flight, during which they will undergo 9 combination configurations, 5 rendezvous and docking, 3 separation and evacuation and 2 transposition tasks; they will also be stationed in the wentian experimental module and the dream experimental module for the first time to establish a manned environment, and at the same time cooperate with the ground to carry out two-cabin combinations, three-cabin combinations, large and small mechanical arm tests, and airlock module exit related function tests; they will use the airlock module for the first time to implement outgoing activities Completed the unlocking and installation of 14 cabinets in the Wentian Experimental Cabin and the Dream Experiment Cabin.

The Shen Fifteen crew will also plan to implement several out-of-cabin activity tasks, carry out the assembly, testing and debugging of the load equipment in the cabin, control the robot arm to implement the installation of extravehicular loads, and carry out operation management and maintenance of the maximum configuration combination of the three cabins and three ships.

Huang Weifen said that the two flight crews will also carry out science education and other public welfare activities, carry out dozens of experiments and engineering technology tests of scientific research in orbit, collect and shoot flight mission data as planned; carry out on-orbit health monitoring, protective exercises, on-orbit training and drills, as well as a large number of space station platform inspection and testing, equipment maintenance and care, station maintenance and material management.

The development of the Q&T experimental module and the Dream experiment module is progressing smoothly

Yang Hong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, chief designer of the Space Station system of China Manned Space Engineering, and researcher of the China Academy of Space Technology, said at the press conference that after the completion of the construction of the space station, the Wentian Experimental Module and the Dream Experimental Module will be the main workplaces for astronauts in orbit, and the two experimental modules can carry out space science experiments and technology experiments inside and outside the sealed cabin. Experiments in various fields such as space science, space materials, space medicine and space exploration can be carried out.

At present, the development of the Wentian Experimental Module and the Dream Experiment Module on the ground is progressing smoothly. Among them, the Wentian experimental cabin has completed the integrated assembly, testing and large-scale test work of the whole cabin in Tianjin, and is ready to go. At present, the Montien experimental module has completed the corresponding integrated assembly and test work in Tianjin, is carrying out ground testing, and will also complete the test work such as the thermal test and regression test of the whole cabin in the follow-up, and is advancing as planned.

Among them, the QienTian experimental module is equipped with the same astronaut life facilities as the core module, which includes 3 sleeping areas, 1 sanitary area and kitchen facilities, which can ensure the life of astronauts, and can also support the lives of 6 astronauts during the rotation of two manned spacecraft with the core module. In addition, the cabin is also equipped with a small robotic arm, which can be used alone or in combination with the large robotic arm of the core cabin to jointly complete the tasks of astronauts' outgoing capsule, extravehicular facility care, inspection and other tasks.

After the completion of the space station, the airlock module of the sky experiment module will be used as the airlock module of the astronaut's main cabin out of the cabin, and the node module of the core module is used for other functions, just as a backup.

The Qtext experimental module also has a backup section of the core module for the management and control function of the assembly, that is to say, when the function of the core module platform fails, it can be switched to the Qentian experimental module to exercise the control and management function of the assembly, which can improve the reliability of the space station as a whole.

The Montien experimental module is equipped with a cargo airlock module and an extravehicular development test platform. In the future, the scientific test equipment that needs to be installed outside the cabin can be transported to the space station through the cargo spacecraft, and then the load is sent to the outside of the cabin through the cargo airlock module, and it is installed on the platform outside the cabin by the robot arm or the astronaut, so that the extravehicular test project can be continuously updated.

In 2023, the mainland plans to launch the first large space survey telescope

After the completion of the orbital construction of the space station this year, the project will move to the application and development stage of more than ten years. Hao Chun said the initial plan is to launch two manned spacecraft and two cargo spacecraft per year. Astronauts should stay in orbit for a long time, carry out space science experiments and technical experiments, and take care of and maintain the space station.

Hao Chun introduced that in order to further enhance the comprehensive ability and technical level of the project, a new generation of manned carrier rockets and a new generation of manned spacecraft will also be developed. Among them, the return capsule of the new generation of manned carrier rockets and a new generation of manned spacecraft can be reused, and the comprehensive capability of the new generation of manned spacecraft will also be greatly improved, which can carry 7 astronauts, and its upward and downward load capabilities have also been greatly improved. At the same time, we are considering the development of an expanded module of the space station to create better conditions for further supporting scientific experiments in orbit and for astronauts to work and live.

In addition, the application and development stage of the space station for more than ten years will also use the scientific experiment cabinet arranged in the space station module and the large-scale payload facilities outside the cabin to carry out larger-scale space research experiments and new technology experiments. Hao Chun said that it mainly involves space life sciences and human body research, microgravity physical sciences, space astronomy and earth sciences, new aerospace technologies and many other fields. In particular, in 2023, the mainland plans to launch the first large-scale space survey telescope to carry out wide-area sky survey observations, and will carry out cutting-edge scientific research on the formation and evolution of the structure of the universe, dark matter and dark energy, exoplanets and solar system objects, and is expected to achieve a number of major innovations.

"We will also actively explore the commercial development model of manned spaceflight, absorb social forces to participate in the construction and operation and maintenance of the space station, continuously improve the comprehensive benefits of the space station, and promote the high-quality development of the manned space industry." Hao Chun said.

Source: Science and Technology Daily

Editor: Zhang Shuang

Review: Julie

Final Judgement: Wang Yu