The last networking satellite of Beidou-3 was ignited and lifted off. Xinhua News Agency
Shenzhou XIII astronaut hero triumph. Xinhua News Agency
Simulation of Chang'e-5 landing on the moon. Xinhua News Agency
Tianwen No. 1 "Group Photo of Patrol". Originated from the China National Space Administration
【Go to the new era and new world and guard the dream of spaceflight】
The significance of the space industry is not limited to science and technology itself. The ambition of a nation to explore the universe, the efforts of generations of Chinese to boost confidence, and the wisdom and enthusiasm of countless young people have gathered here.
On the eve of May Fourth Youth Day, when the reporter dialed the phone of several young aerospace scientists, they had already packed up and set off on the road to Jiuquan.
Another extraordinary journey representing humanity in exploring the boundaries of cosmic knowledge!
The discourse is highly professional, the time is tight, the reporter found it difficult to record their mental journey with a short text, and their research and public perception are still a long way off, but it is certain that in just a few words, they can touch the outline of these extraordinary youths -
Concentrate all your energy on the goals that have not yet been achieved, use the heart that can only be ignited by the lofty ambitions, to climb the peaks that cannot be easily reached, and to achieve immortal causes.
Climb, towards the dream of the times
Mozi lifted off
On August 16, 2016, the world's first quantum science experimental satellite developed by the mainland was launched.
How hard is it to launch a rocket at sea?
Hu Xiaowei, director of the Launch Support Department of the Aerospace Flight Science and Technology Center of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is responsible for the construction of all the ground equipment of the Long March 11 sea launch system, can dismantle this problem in detail: what ship to use, where to launch, from which dock, and how to safely transfer the rocket to the launch ship, initially align in a shaky state, and let the staff evacuate quickly before launch...
In early 2017, Hu Xiaowei began to demonstrate the feasibility of a sea launch platform.
Why do you have to launch rockets at sea?
"Sea launches are easier to meet the launch needs of low-inclination satellites, which can solve the safety problem of rocket wreckage landing points, which is equivalent to increasing the rocket launch station on the mainland and expanding the launch capability." Hu Xiaowei explained it this way.
Building a maritime launch platform is not an easy task, and there are many problems in front of Hu Xiaowei. In order to solve the problem of the initial alignment of the rocket under dynamic conditions, Hu Xiaowei's team conducted a large number of comparative demonstrations, and in order to ensure that the experimental results were consistent with the actual state, they carried out sea experiments. "It was the first time all of our R&D personnel went to sea, and we did a detailed test plan. There are no living facilities on the test platform, the conditions are very difficult, and meals have to be delivered back and forth by small boats. In order to wait for a bad weather to test the feasibility of the equipment and the solution, we continued to test at sea for many days. Hu Xiaowei recalled.
At 12:06 on June 5, 2019, the Long March 11 carrier rocket carrying seven satellites took off from the Yellow Sea, and the first sea launch was a complete success. Hu Xiaowei witnessed this moment on the support ship: "Excited! At the moment when the rocket ascends, all the pictures from the demonstration to the design and development process seem to appear one by one in front of the eyes. ”
At that launch, Hu Xiaowei was unable to participate in the mission as an experimental personnel, and he had some regrets. But climbers don't stop, heading for new heights. At this time, Hu Xiaowei had already devoted himself to the ground equipment support work of the solid launch vehicle with the largest carrying capacity on the mainland.
This time, Hu Xiaowei led the team to overcome the problem of multi-cylinder synchronous load design and process realization, and passed the verification of the 135-ton rocket erection test. This innovation has lowered the conditions for the launch support of solid launch vehicles, improved their response speed, and provided important support for the development technology of solid launch vehicles on the mainland to reach the strongest level in the world.
Hu Xiaowei said: "At present, rocket launches are developing towards the trend of low cost, high reliability and batch size, and ground equipment must also respond to higher requirements. We have not caught up with the era of great navigation, so in the era of great spaceflight, we must do something. ”
Rigorous, with a reverence for knowledge
Beidou-3 took off
On June 23, 2020, the last global networking satellite of Beidou-3 was launched.
Zhang Yanrui, director of the Structural Department of the Aerospace Flight Science and Technology Center of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has many nicknames in the unit.
Colleagues said that he was polite and polite, specialized in the verticality of the field, and was a "Tsinghua doctor with no shortcomings" and the "most scientist" scientist.
Zhang Yanrui explained seriously: "This impression is estimated to have something to do with the whiteness of my hair. The older generation of astronauts have worked hard for the space industry and boiled their hair white, so the scientists in everyone's mind are this image. ”
But why is Zhang Yanrui after the 80s full of white hair? "Gray hair is actually the most related to dyeing or not dyeing." Relaxed topic, Zhang Yanrui still answered rigorously, "When I did the simulation calculation project in the graduate school stage, my hair had some signs of whiteness, and I was dyed at that time. After working, I found that scientific research work did not need to be unveiled, and I no longer cared about it. ”
Scheme design, ground testing, simulation analysis... In the time when the green silk changed into white hair, Zhang Yanrui dived down in the face of complex work, and in the tasks of the development of various rocket models, especially in the field of structural separation technology, he overcame a large number of problems and demonstrated excellent technical strength and profound theoretical foundation. In this way, Zhang Yanrui had a white hair that was neglected and became the appearance of a "scientist" in everyone's eyes.
Zhang Yanrui told reporters: "For aerospace work, what can be recognized is not a problem, the problem is often in the unrecognized link, therefore, the work attitude of astronauts is always serious and serious, with a sense of awe." The "seriousness" that Zhang Yanrui adheres to is the first of the "Sixteen-Character Policy of China's Aerospace". In addition to scientific research, Zhang Yanrui has an easy-going and funny side.
Colleagues say that Zhang Yanrui is the "best mentor" for young people, teaching according to their aptitudes, without reservation, and the team members grow very fast. Colleagues also said that Zhang Yanrui is "Master Zhang on the overpass" and a "celebrity in the circle", who has the need for mobile phone film, they all look for him for the first time.
"Passing on the help and bringing the old to the new is an important reason for the emergence of talents in the mainland's aerospace industry, the team is a big family, and the most important thing is equality and respect." When formulating work projects and training plans for newcomers, Zhang Yanrui always combines personality traits and career planning: "Some colleagues like to quietly engage in calculation and design, and some like to participate in coordination, track production, organize experiments, and help them find a suitable growth path." ”
Stepping out of the unit, Zhang Yanrui faded the label of a scientist and became one of thousands of "old Zhang", but the rigorous style was the same. "When I go home and listen to the arrangement, the 'task' given by my family, I also take it seriously." He laughed.
Before the story about the nickname was finished, "Lao Zhang" suddenly received a new task, and he hurriedly said goodbye and rushed to the launch base again.
Overall planning, overall thinking to find the optimal solution
Chang'e 5 "Falling Moon"
On December 1, 2020, the Chang'e-5 probe landed on the moon.
In the eyes of colleagues, Shi Xiaoning, director of the General Department of the Aerospace Flight Science and Technology Center of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is the embodiment of the word "busy", as if he does not rest for a moment.
In terms of technical attack, the work that other subsystems cannot do, the work that cannot be located, and the work of technical zeroing need to be on top of the overall designer. Shi Xiaoning, who has been engaged in the overall design of the launch vehicle for a long time, has swollen and dry eyes for many years, and even vomited from work, and after a short rest after seeking medical treatment, he returned to work.
Under overload, Shi Xiaoning still maintained his enthusiasm for the aerospace industry. During the conversation, he mentioned the most is the sense of responsibility, which comes from the overall consciousness and overall thinking.
"The overall designer should strengthen communication and exchange with various systems, have a good idea of every technical detail, and find the optimal solution to the problem." In Shi Xiaoning's view, the learning ability, communication ability, and knowledge reserves required in the work are all in the service of overall thinking and overall awareness.
Shi Xiaoning understood it this way, and did it this way. The overall designer needs to write many technical reports according to the progress of the implementation of the launch vehicle project, and each launch vehicle model requires highly professional and instructive materials. Each time the overall material was written by Shi Xiaoning himself, accumulating over time, and the stacking of materials had long exceeded his height. He infected the whole team with the spirit of dedication, struggle and persistence.
In the process of coordinating the "Lijian-1" and the satellite, the overall design team led by Shi Xiaoning encountered a difficult problem. When the ground test was carried out, it was found that a certain mechanical environmental parameter exceeded the conditions proposed in the early stage, and the satellite feedback had the risk of failure of the stand-alone product. How to eliminate hidden dangers at the lowest cost, everyone has no idea.
Shi Xiaoning led the overall design team, starting from the overall situation of the system, fully understood the technical status of the satellite, comprehensively analyzed the cost, schedule, complexity of technical changes and other factors, and proposed to carry out the joint design of the star arrow. The team slept and forgot to eat, raced against the clock, and under the continuous simulation and testing, found a comprehensive solution with the least impact on the existing system and eliminated hidden dangers.
As a new generation of aerospace youth, Shi Xiaoning has his own understanding of how to do a good job in overall design work: "Only by always maintaining overall thinking, using diversified information channels, and learning and understanding the technical details of various systems and majors can we put forward the best plan that takes into account all parties."
Refine and harvest innovative treasures at the forefront of the industry
Shenzhou XIII Triumph
On April 16, 2022, the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft triumphed.
1 day, 100 days, 1000 days... It's an unpredictable, long experiment, and the joy of success may fill the entire atrium unexpectedly after one attempt, but most of the time, you can only record the data of failure, spend a night sorting out emotions, and then challenge again. As a researcher who has long been working on strategic and cutting-edge rocket projects, Yang Haoliang, general manager of the innovation center of Beijing Zhongke Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd., has long been accustomed to this process.
"The innovation of astronauts comes from precipitation and tempering." Even in one of the most forward-looking and leading industries, the overall designer of the post-80s rocket is not "inspiration" or "iterative thinking", but the "pragmatism" of the older generation. Because experience tells him that innovation must not be made out of nothing, but a new sprout that sprouts in the deep theoretical soil, a treasure refined after a big wave of sand and sand, and a pearl tempered by trial and error.
As global competition in small satellite tracks intensified, Yang Haoliang and his team once set their sights on the key technology of star and arrow separation. "The traditional separation is mainly in the form of a pyrotechnic, but there are problems such as large separation impact, low reliability, and environmental pollution. At present, the separation method of non-fireworks is being developed internationally, and we have joined this list. "They hope to develop a spacecraft separation device that releases less impact and can be reused."
The first step is to do a solid job of basic research. They sorted out the needs of small satellites for separation methods, and collected extensive and unlimited samples of all possible needs for aerospace, shipbuilding, automobiles and other industrial fields; consulted a large number of materials to learn and discover new materials and structures that could be used. The second step is to make the argument rigorous. Back to the basic theoretical level, analyze and verify the selected materials or processes one by one, and propose the direction and measures for improvement. The third step is to try it yourself. Are industrial products in other industries suitable for small satellites? Can a new theory be applied to iterating on existing products? No one knows the answer until all the ideas are put into practice.
Electromagnetic separation has been tried, but the electromagnetic interference generated in the process will affect the power, no...
Pneumatic separation has been tried, but the gas will expand or shrink at high temperatures, resulting in unstable gas flow, no...
Memory alloy has tried, the phase transition and reverse phase change that occur during the heating and cooling process of the material can bring greater force, so can this feature be used for star arrow separation? Go on......
Sometimes it's all down and over again, sometimes it's partially improved. Before finally selecting the memory alloy material and fixing it as a space product, they tried about 420 times, which lasted for a year and a half.
This process, compared by Yang Haoliang to "big waves and sand", researchers spend a lot of time and patience to wash the sand of inspiration, and finally precipitate is the treasure of innovation.
"Astronauts are also like this." Yang Haoliang said that only those who have been tempered in all kinds and cultivated a "internal strength" and a "big heart" can become the main force in building a space power.
Synergy, reshaping the model of production and research cooperation
Tianwen No.1 "Falling Fire"
On May 15, 2021, Tianwen-1 landed on Mars.
Recently, the post-80s youth and senior engineer of the Aerospace Flight Science and Technology Center of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences took over a challenging task - to load a "big man" with a take-off weight of 135 tons and a low-Earth orbit capability of 1.5 tons into a "brain".
This "big man" is not simple, it is a solid rocket with a large diameter and strong carrying capacity, which is almost equivalent to the current "Vega" with the strongest carrying capacity in the world. What the integrity team wanted to design was a flight control system that controlled the rocket like a "brain".
How delicate is this work? The time for people to blink is 0.2 to 0.4 seconds, and the speed of satellites entering orbit is 7 kilometers per second, that is to say, the rocket will fly out of about two kilometers in the blink of an eye, which requires extremely fine control of timing, flight trajectory, attitude, etc. How complicated is this work? It involves more than ten specialties, dozens of system interfaces, ballistics, pneumatics, loads, environments, structures, separations, navigation, guidance, attitude control, simulation, software...
Such a large and complex research and development task not only tests the technical level of R&D personnel, but also the ability to coordinate operations. "In the field of aerospace, there has always been a good tradition of quality problem technology and management 'double zero', because many technical problems can be traced back to weak links in management." Honest thinking, when the R & D personnel of different professional interfaces are brought together, how to manage the activation technology and maximize the release of design margin in the full arrow dimension is the premise and key to research and development.
To this end, Integrity leads the team to constantly innovate working methods. They learned management knowledge on their own, drew on the concepts of index segmentation, process control, standard management, etc., and designed a set of multi-level project plan management models. Every week, the department coordinates and compiles a work list, and Integrity, as the person in charge, sorts out the difficulties for everyone and clarifies the weekly and monthly goals. Some people figuratively compared that in the past, everyone was "blindfolded running", running their own with their heads down, and not knowing where the end point was, now they combed the list and subdivided the tasks together, and the "coaches" sprinted together with the "athletes".
They learn from modern enterprises in the Fields of the Internet and media, and introduce a working model of "small team, big collaboration". In this solid launch vehicle mission, they set up cross-departmental collaboration groups such as "Ballistic-Guidance Carrying Capacity Optimization", "Power-Servo-Separation-Attitude Control Stability Optimization", "Navigation-Inertial Devices-GNSS Module Design Optimization" according to the professional interface relationship, and the team is no longer an upstream and downstream relationship, but a collaborative relationship after process reengineering.
This group of post-80s and post-90s rocket designers, with the unique information fusion vision and knowledge transfer ability of young people in the new era, broke through the "old set" and recreated a set of collaborative models that adapt to the new changes in current rocket research and development. In the solid rockets under research recently, this model "showed its skills" and enabled the team to complete the designs on schedule.
"At present, major breakthroughs such as space station construction, manned spaceflight, and planetary exploration have given us more directions and opportunities, and the combination of artificial intelligence, information fusion, brain-like science and traditional flight control provides the possibility for completing more complex space missions." Honest believes that the future-oriented rocket and aerospace product research and development will not only compete in the depth and breadth of technology, but also the strength and level of collaborative development and multidisciplinary joint optimization of various professions.
Firm, dripping stone to wear kung fu
Xihe "Exploring the Sun"
On October 14, 2021, the "Xihe" was successfully launched, and the mainland entered the era of "exploring the sun".
When the reporter interviewed Zhu Yongquan, he had already gone to Jiuquan. He spoke softly on the phone, but what he felt in his story was the word "firm."
As the director of the Information and Electronics Technology Department of the Aerospace Flight Science and Technology Center of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhu Yongquan led the team to be mainly responsible for the overall development of the "Lijian-1" avionics system and the system integration test delivery.
For the avionics system of the launch vehicle, Zhu Yongquan made a vivid analogy: "If the carrier rocket is a person, the power system is the heart, which provides power for the rocket flight; the structural system is the bone and bone, supporting the structural bearing characteristics of the rocket under various load conditions; and the avionics system is the brain and nerves, controlling the rocket flight." ”
Complex systems, problems are endless, and if negligence occurs, it will lead to immeasurable consequences. The whole team undertook a lot of work pressure, especially the project leader Zhu Yongquan, and all the pressure of the team was concentrated on him. Not only that, but he also has to channel the negative emotions of all members of the team and transform stress into work motivation, which requires willpower that is unimaginable to ordinary people.
Zhu Yongquan once encountered a large number of technical problems in a short period of time, just like answering a test paper full of super-outline questions, answering one, and the next one, the time limit must be answered, there must be no delay, this is almost an impossible task. But Zhu Yongquan took the initiative to take the initiative, resisted the pressure, and with super willpower, answered each test paper with full marks. "Undefeated Zhu Yongquan," colleagues began to call him.
For nearly a year from October 2020 to September 2021, Zhu Yongquan and his team soaked in the avionics system comprehensive laboratory and did not return home for more than 300 days. During the test, more than 200 large and small problems appeared, but they needed to cooperate with normal test tasks during the day, and some problems could only be checked at night. Zhu Yongquan insisted until the middle of the night every day, even all night.
Colleagues said that it was Zhu Yongquan's strong will and never give up on the exemplary power that encouraged the team members to overcome difficulties together. Everyone worked closely together and encouraged each other, and finally all the problems were closed-loop, laying a solid foundation for the smooth transition of the rocket to the flight test stage.
"Every professional designer needs to sink down and stand on his own job." Zhu Yongquan said: In the aerospace industry, the spirit of perseverance is very important. The space industry is not something that can be accomplished by a generation, and each individual must be prepared: to experience the grinding of the years and to wear the kung fu of dripping stones. (Reporters Chen Yu, Qin Weili, Li Danyang)
Source: Guangming Daily