On April 29, 2021, in Wenchang, China, the Long March 5B Yao-2 carrier rocket carried the first module of the Chinese space station, the Tianhe core module, and drew a long tail flame between the sea and the sky, flying into space, opening the curtain on the assembly and construction of the space station.
△ Tianhe core module was launched at Wenchang Cosmodrome
△ Chinese "China Palace" in the lens
Today, the Tianhe core module has been orbiting the earth for a full year, and has achieved great results.
Multifunctional "Space House"
Escorted four missions
The Tianhe core module is the main module section of the space station to achieve the control and management of the combination, with a total length of 16.6 meters, the maximum diameter of the module is 4.2 meters, and it is composed of a node module, a small column segment, a large column segment, a rear-end channel and a resource module; the take-off mass is 22.5 tons, which is the largest spacecraft with the most complex system independently developed by the mainland.
△ Day and core cabin
Tianhe core module has the ability to carry out rendezvous and docking, transposition and berthing, long-term stationing of crews, astronauts out of the cabin, and support space science experiments, etc. The cabin is equipped with work areas, sleeping areas, health areas, dining areas, medical supervision and medical insurance areas and exercise areas, which can provide comfortable and good guarantee conditions for astronauts to work and live.
△ Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the day and core cabin
Under the strong functional support, all flight missions were successfully implemented according to plan. The Tianhe core module successfully rendezvoused and docked with two manned spacecraft of Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13, as well as two cargo ships of Tianzhou 2 and Tianzhou 3.
△ Schematic diagram of the docking of the Shenzhou spacecraft with the Tianhe core module
As the "Space Home" of the astronaut crew, it guaranteed the 3-month residency of the Shenzhou 12 crew and the 6-month residency of the Shenzhou 13 crew, and supported the launch of a number of special tasks such as outgoing activities, robotic arm transposition cargo spacecraft and hand-controlled remote operation.
△ Tianhe core cabin completed a number of special tasks in orbit
At the same time, the cabin is also equipped with space science experimental facilities, so that astronauts in orbit to carry out containerless and high microgravity and aerospace medical experiments as the main content of scientific experiments, and achieved high-level space science research results and significant comprehensive benefits.
Conduct validation of key technologies
The mission plays a big role in the shoulders
Since the core module has been in orbit for one year, it has carried out a number of key technology verification work such as physical and chemical regeneration bio-protection, large-scale combination control, large-scale flexible solar cell wing and drive technology, and astronaut out-of-module technology. The results were evaluated to meet expectations and currently perform better than designed.
In terms of regenerative bio-protection technology, the Tianhe core module regenerative bio-protection system provides a good manned environment for the two crews of Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13 to meet the material metabolism needs of astronauts in orbit. The moisture discharged by astronauts can be collected into condensate, urine recovery and reprocessing into drinking water and electrolytic oxygen production, the recovery efficiency of water is better than 95%, and the efficiency of water utilization is better than 83%, all of which meet the requirements of the indicators, through this technology, greatly reducing the demand for drinking water and oxygen for astronauts carried by astronauts on the uplink of cargo spacecraft.
△ Astronaut Wang Yaping holds a calcium removal component, which is an important accessory of the ring control protection system
In terms of large-scale flexible solar cell wings and their power supply technology, they continue to provide energy for the core cabin and its combinations, with a power generation capacity of nearly 10 kilowatts, exceeding the design expectations, and providing sufficient energy supply in tasks with large energy requirements such as cabin departure activities, rendezvous and docking, and robotic arm transposition.
△ Schematic diagram of the large flexible solar cell wing of the Tianhe core cabin
In terms of robotic arm technology, a number of key tasks such as astronaut out-of-cabin, transposed cargo spacecraft and extravehicular status inspection have been successfully implemented. Through the operation outside the cabin of the robotic arm, its joint kinematic ability, end positioning accuracy and other functional performance meet the design expectations; the stiffness characteristics of the manipulator operating load indicate that the robotic arm has the ability to perform large load transfer tasks; at the same time, the researchers also obtained the kinematic model parameters of the robotic arm in the orbital weightless environment. These achievements have laid a solid foundation for future tasks such as the robotic arm transposition experimental chamber and the large load care outside the cabin.
△ Schematic diagram of the large flexible solar cell wing of the Tianhe core cabin
In terms of astronaut out-of-cabin technology, 4 out-of-cabin activities were successfully completed, covering the operation, installation and maintenance of typical equipment such as extravehicular electronics, machinery, and pipelines, indicating that the entire outgoing process, cabin exit support and space-earth coordination all met the requirements, and laid a solid foundation for the care, installation and maintenance of extravehicular facilities for astronauts during the long-term operation of the follow-up space station.
△ Shenzhou 12 crew completed the task of leaving the cabin with the assistance of the robotic arm
"The core module of the space station has completed the task of the key technology verification phase and achieved the desired purpose. Capacity assessments are currently being carried out to further tap the potential of core modules and improve quality and efficiency. Yang Hong, chief designer of the space station system, said.
This year, the Tianhe core module will meet in space with the two experimental modules of "Qingtian" and "Dream Tian" to meet the gradual construction of a three-cabin combination flight state from single-cabin combination flight, during which it will experience 9 combination configurations, 5 rendezvous and docking, 3 separation and evacuation and 2 transposition missions. In the future, as a national space laboratory, the Chinese space station will continue to carry out a large number of scientific experiments and new technology verifications such as space life science, space material science, microgravity fluid physics, aerospace technology, and aerospace medicine, and is expected to achieve major achievements and breakthroughs in scientific exploration and applied research, contributing "Chinese strength" to the peaceful use of space for mankind and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, highlighting the responsibility of a major country.
Source: China's manned spaceflight
Guangzhou Daily New Flower City Editor: Zhang Ying