Promise: Install high-performance "engines" on micro-nano satellites

Promise in doing experiments courtesy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Group Co., Ltd

Promise Director of the Center for Applied Physics Technology of the 206 Institute of the Second Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation

"Post-80s" aerospace researchers promised to deal with microscopic matter frequently. In terms of scale, the director of the Center for Applied Physics and Technology of the Second Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Industry Group studies microfluidics, which is only one hundredth of a millionth of the size of a drop of water, and she manipulates the liquids of this scale to develop various new materials and new devices.

It is in this microscopic world that promises to find the mysteries of the macroscopic world. In the past ten years, he has promised to engage in cutting-edge and basic technology research in the field of intelligent micro-electromechanical, and led more than a dozen young doctors to continuously achieve innovative breakthroughs in the core technology of the research group.

This year, with outstanding contributions, Promise won the title of National March 8th Red Flag Bearer in 2021.

New frontiers are needed for the country

In March 2008, after receiving her Ph.D. from Beijing Institute of Technology, She promised to start her space journey. For more than a decade, the mission and glory of astronauts have inspired her to cut through the thorns and forge ahead.

As the youngest deputy chief engineer in the unit, the microsystem technology promised to be studied belongs to a new field of scientific research internationally, which has little to do with her original major. There were too many unknowns in the new field, like Tarzan in front of her, and she felt extremely stressed.

Can microsystems make stealth technology a reality, can they make the complicated biological detection process simple, can they make the power systems of spacecraft in deep space more efficient... Obsessed with these disruptive innovations and applications, she and her team quickly threw themselves into the "battle" of this new field with a vision for the future.

She sinks her heart and plunges into the microscopic world of microsystems, strolling between small structures, micro droplets, and nano-devices, and striving to build an entrance to the unknown frontier world.

For more than ten years, through continuous research and verification, He promised to skillfully integrate microsystems with traditional aerospace electromechanical fluid professionals, integrate the subversive frontier technology of microfluidic control into the aerospace field, and realize the subversion of traditional series of new materials and new devices through precise control of micro-scale liquids, and successfully apply these new materials and new devices in the fields of space promotion, medical diagnosis, and environmental security inspection.

"There was not much hesitation at that time, the country needed me, and I had no remorse." Talking about the transformation of research directions that year, Xu Said, "I chose to enter the frontier field of microsystems to do research, that is, I wanted to use the professional knowledge I learned in the fields needed by the motherland, solve some practical problems for the development of the mainland's aerospace industry, and contribute to the self-reliance and self-improvement of science and technology." ”

For more than ten years, Xu And his team members have been committed to the independent control of core technologies in the fields of space microdynamics, biological micro-electromechanical, and intelligent sensing, and scientific research results have been frequently produced. "This is not only my personal glory, but also the pride of our team, these achievements come from the unity of the entire scientific research team, living up to the mission, and overcoming difficulties." Promise said.

Development of high-performance microelectric thrusters

In recent years, commercial aerospace has developed rapidly, and satellite network deployment has gradually become one of the trends in future aerospace development. Micro-nano satellites that build satellite networks require an "engine" that can perform tasks such as high-precision attitude adjustment, orbit transfer, and decommissioning. Promise took the lead in seeing the new application direction of microsystem technology, and used it to develop microelectric thrusters as the "engine" of micro-nano satellites.

The propeller is an indispensable key equipment to ensure that the spacecraft can successfully complete the operation task. Microelectric thruster is a kind of large specific impulse, high-efficiency micro-nano satellite power system, which can provide important support for micro-nano satellites to have accurate and efficient attitude and orbit control capabilities, and extend the orbital life of low-orbit satellites.

"Whoever masters this new generation of space power solutions will be able to gain more competitiveness in the commercial space sector." Looking at the increasingly leading research results abroad, Promise made a secret determination and vowed to lead the team members to make a name for themselves on this innovative road.

At the beginning of the development, the new technology plan for space propulsion power proposed by the promise team was questioned by many parties, and experts in the field suspected that this new road might not work during the review. Due to the novel design scheme and the existing materials that could not meet the development needs, the production and manufacturing could not be discussed, and the team was in trouble.

However, never accept the promise of defeat and choose to believe in yourself. She and her team members started from the research of new materials and gradually determined the technical solution; From the design of the smallest configuration, we will develop a "three high" space power supply with high voltage, high power density and high reliability. Over the past few years, Promise and team members have repeatedly deduced the technical path and completed simulations and experiments.

In search of hidden problems that are difficult to detect, Promise and his team members repeatedly conducted 24-hour continuous experiments. Sometimes, in order to track and analyze the results of the test at any time, everyone is not eye-catching at the test site for several days and nights, and the person who stares at the laboratory for the longest time every day is the promise.

In the cold and summer, a microelectric thruster that is only the size of a palm and has a performance that is more than ten times higher than similar products has been successfully launched.

On January 21, 2019, the ionic liquid microelectric thruster developed by the promise team was launched into orbit at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and successfully completed several on-orbit ignition tests, making the mainland the second country in the world to carry out ionic liquid microelectric propulsion space verification tests on the CubeSat platform after the United States.

"Every scientific success requires unimaginable hard work for ordinary people, but it is all worth it." Promise smiled.

Cross-border embarked on the road of medical and industrial integration

The use of microsystem technology to do medical screening of tumor cells is an innovative attempt by the Promise team in the field of medical-engineering integration.

In 2017, the application scheme of microfluidic control technology in the field of medical testing was instructed by relevant leaders to "speed up research, do well, and do it quickly". In the following three years, He promised to cross over to the biomedical field with his team members and embarked on the road of innovation combining medicine and engineering.

From cell cryopreservation, culture, counting, identification to processing and identification of whole blood samples, from the extraction of nucleic acids to the detection of immune antigen antibody screening and identification... This "outside the door" team in the biological field, relying on the responsibility and hard work of astronauts, will train itself into a medical worker "crossover" who can communicate with doctors and biomedical experts without obstacles and can skillfully complete all biological process operations.

In order to break through this technology, promise to move the "position" from the laboratory to the hospital, trying to capture circulating tumor cells from patients' blood samples, do early screening for cancer, and cooperate with postoperative treatment. In the past three years, Promise led the team members to work hard day and night, and finally successfully developed biochip products in the field, and passed the ethical review of two hospitals and entered the clinical sample trial stage.

"Looking back on that journey, it is full of hardships and challenges. However, using 'micro' power to build a great wall of science and technology to protect people's health is the direction and goal that I have been striving for. Promise recalled.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Promise and team members responded quickly, applying microfluidic technology to environmental aerosol detection, and in just one and a half years, they built the first prototype and achieved effective verification of samples in multiple environments.

Talking about the future, Xu said: "I will work with the team members to continue to work hard in the cause we are good at and love, contribute to the prosperity of the motherland on the big stage of aerospace, and hope that more female comrades can join our ranks in the future and be heroes in the new era with dreams." ”

He Liang

Source: Science and Technology Daily