Lead:
On the evening of December 4, 2022, the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft landed accurately at the remote Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia in full view. This historic moment attracted global attention, and the safe return of astronauts became the focus. However, some special circumstances that arose during the return journey have sparked extensive discussion, particularly regarding parachute cutting. This article will take you to an in-depth understanding of the return of Shenzhou 14 and uncover its mysteries.
In the late night of December 4, 2022, the Shenzhou 14 return module successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia.
This magnificent moment happened in full view of everyone, and the whole process took only 9 hours, setting a new record for the return time. Chen Dong, Liu Yang, Cai Xuzhe and other astronauts were safe and sound in the return module, their smiles made the world breathe a sigh of relief, and the safe return of astronauts became the biggest highlight of the night.
However, while everyone is pleased with the safety of astronauts, a special situation has sparked widespread speculation. After arriving at the landing site, the rescuers did not immediately open the hatch of the return module, but gave priority to cutting the parachute rope.
This situation led the audience to speculate whether a "glitch" had occurred, especially whether the parachute cutting operation had failed. However, the actual situation may not be what the audience imagined, and the astronauts may not have carried out the parachute operation at all.
When the return module landed, the parachute was not cut off, and rescuers were required to assist. In fact, during the Shenzhou 14 return module, parachutes played a crucial role. Without a parachute, the return capsule simply cannot return home safely. This particular circumstance raises doubts about the operation of parachute cutting.
Shenzhou 14 uses a fast return method, faster than previous spacecraft to return.
After it separates from the space station, it makes 5 circles, then separates from the orbital module, lowers its altitude, and finally enters the Earth's atmosphere. In this process, the descent speed of the return module gradually increases, and the friction with atmospheric molecules increases, producing high temperature, but fortunately, the spacecraft is equipped with powerful anti-high temperature technology to ensure the safety of astronauts.
When the return capsule is surrounded by a plasma layer, it loses communication with the outside world, which is called the "black barrier area". In this black barrier area, the re-entry module cannot communicate with the ground and lasts about 4 to 6 minutes. When about 10 kilometers above the ground, the speed of the return module stabilized at 200 meters per second and began to deploy the parachute.
The parachute system includes a guide, decelerate, main and backup parachute, and the order in which they open is important. The guiding umbrella is the first to be opened, and its role is to guide the subsequent deployment of the parachute. Although the parachute only exists for just a dozen seconds, it can significantly slow down the descent speed of the return module, from 200 meters per second to 90 meters per second. Once the parachute completes its mission, the main parachute appears, the largest of the four parachutes, with an area of 1,200 square meters and a weight of 100 kilograms. The main parachute reduces the speed of the return capsule to 7 meters per second, which is equivalent to the running speed of a normal person.
In addition, the spare umbrella acts as a final security and will be automatically deployed when necessary.
To further decelerate, when the re-entry module is about 1 meter above the ground, 4 thrust engines are triggered, reducing the speed to 3 meters per second, making the landing possible. However, just as the return module was about to land, there was a problem with the parachute operation, and the parachute rope was not successfully cut. This situation makes people wonder whether the parachute cutting operation is really necessary.
In fact, parachuting is not a necessary step in the return process, especially when the wind is calm. The parachute cutting operation requires a high degree of technology and must be completed when the return module is about to land to avoid an impact on the descent speed.
If cut too early, it may cause the return capsule to descend too quickly, while cutting too late may cause the parachute rope to loosen and cannot be cut. Therefore, in some cases, astronauts may choose not to perform parachute cutting, especially in the absence of strong winds.
The wind speed condition at the time of landing of the re-entry module is a key factor. Landing on December 4, 2022
, the weather conditions at the Dongfeng landing site can be described as "windy and sunny", with no signs of high winds. According to the video, rescuers cut the parachute ropes with little or no wind, which means that astronaut cutting operations are not so important in this case.
Perhaps the astronauts learned the wind speed of the Dongfeng landing site before landing in the return module, so they did not carry out parachute cutting operations. The parachute cutting operation is a technical task for astronauts and needs to be completed at extremely critical moments. In the eyes of aerospace pilots, the main purpose of parachuting at the landing moment is to avoid the parachute dragging the return module to roll or move on the ground, especially in high winds, which may interfere with search and rescue work.
However, on the landing field that night, this did not happen, and the wind speed was smooth, which also explains why the astronauts may choose not to perform the parachute operation.
They can safely wait for the arrival of search and rescue personnel without having to cut the parachute prematurely, which poses no threat to their safety.
In general, although there was a special situation of parachute cutting operation during the landing process of the Shenzhou 14 return module, this did not affect the safety of astronauts. Under specific meteorological conditions, parachute cutting operations may not be necessary, and astronauts can make decisions based on actual conditions. The important thing is that the astronauts returned safely, and this return mission was a complete success, adding another brilliant chapter to China's space industry.
Finally, the return of Shenzhou 14 once again highlights the outstanding achievements and technical strength of China's aerospace industry.