Preamble:
The return process of the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft is full of uncertainties and challenges. During the landing phase, many spectators witnessed an anomaly: dust was everywhere and the manned return capsule rolled several times. This has sparked widespread heated discussions and questions, and some people even doubt whether the return was successful. However, the story behind it may not be as simple as it seems. Let's delve into the return process of Shenzhou 16 and uncover the mysteries.
Challenges and uncertainties
The return of Shenzhou-16 has always been a challenging task. This is a high-risk activity in China's space program, requiring the coordination of numerous parameters and systems to ensure the safe return of astronauts. In the process of returning to Earth, the Shenzhou spacecraft must overcome extreme conditions such as high speed, high temperature and high pressure during re-entry into the atmosphere. This requires complex and sophisticated technology to ensure that the structure of the return capsule and capsule is not severely damaged.
Shenzhou-16 uses a "fast return scheme", which means that the return capsule needs to return to the ground from space in a relatively short time. The key to this plan is to reduce the number of orbits around the Earth from the previous 11 to five, and shorten the return time to seven and a half hours. Such a rapid return adds to the complexity of the mission, as the re-entry capsule must go through more flight phases, from high speed in space to entry into the atmosphere and final landing.
The challenge of the landing phase
The most critical and thrilling moment of the return journey occurred at an altitude of about 100 kilometers above the ground. At this time, the re-entry capsule rushed into the atmosphere at a speed of about 7 kilometers per second, and violently rubbed against the atmosphere, resulting in extremely high temperatures. This caused a fireball to appear on the outer surface of the capsule, like a meteor streaked across the sky. At altitudes of 80 to 40 km, a plasma shell appears, which causes the interruption of radio communication between the ground and the re-entry capsule, a stage known as the "black barrier zone".
The black barrier zone is a dangerous moment, because the speed of the return capsule drops sharply, and after the end of the black barrier, the speed has dropped to 200 meters per second, that is, about 700 kilometers per hour. After that, the re-entry capsule enters a phase of massive deceleration, decelerating again at an altitude of about 10 km. At this stage, the parachute comes into play.
The parachute is a key component of the Shenzhou-16 return process. The opening of the parachute is carried out in three stages: first the guidance parachute, then the reduction parachute, and finally the main parachute, after the opening of a main parachute with an area of 1200 square meters, the descent speed of the return capsule drops to 7-8 meters per second. This phase is essential to ensure the safe landing of astronauts.
Explanation of tumbling and dust
However, during the landing phase, the tumbling and dusty sights that people saw raised many doubts. The explanation for these phenomena may be relatively simple. First of all, the dust is generated due to the presence of four landing thrust reverser engines in the heat-resistant outsole at the bottom of the re-entry capsule. When the re-entry capsule needs to land safely at a speed of about 2 meters per second, these engines ignite at the same time, creating a powerful jet force. This caused dust to fly around near the landing site, especially in dry desert areas.
As for the tumbling of the return capsule, it could have been caused by a number of factors. The effects of high winds may cause the re-entry capsule to change direction during landing, resulting in rollover. In addition, the slope of the ground may also affect the landing state to some extent. These circumstances do not indicate mission failure, as the astronauts landed safely and successfully exited the re-entry capsule.
The success of Shenzhou-16
The success of the Shenzhou-16 mission is an important milestone in China's space program. It demonstrates China's outstanding capabilities in manned spaceflight, including the successful implementation of high-risk rapid return programs. The success of this mission has also laid a solid foundation for China's future space exploration and space station construction.
With the return of Shenzhou 16, the Shenzhou 17 mission will continue. However, this task presents new challenges. Astronauts will carry out maintenance missions on the station's solar wings, an unprecedented technical challenge. The solar wings were hit by tiny particles in space, causing minor damage. The mission of Shenzhou-17 will include maintenance work, which is a huge opportunity and challenge for China's space technology.
Challenges and opportunities of space exploration
In the future, China's space program will continue to face many challenges and opportunities. The field of space exploration is fraught with uncertainties, but it also allows scientists and engineers to constantly seek innovation and breakthroughs. The success of the Shenzhou-16 mission, as well as the maintenance of the Shenzhou-17 mission, marks the gradual development of China's own space technology, which is an important opportunity for the country and has a positive impact on the world's space exploration.
China's space program is designed to continuously advance scientific research and technological development. Through international cooperation, China has the opportunity to share its experience and resources with other countries to advance the cause of global space exploration. For example, China participates in the United Nations' space cooperation program, which supports global issues such as climate change, natural disaster monitoring, and resource management.
The rise of the space economy
The space economy is rapidly emerging as a huge business opportunity. With the continuous investment of the private sector and national space agencies, business opportunities in areas such as space resource extraction, space tourism, and satellite communications are emerging. China is also actively seeking to play its part in the space economy. In the future, China is likely to participate in more commercial space programs, bringing new opportunities for the country's economic growth.
The space field has become an arena for international competition. China has made remarkable progress in its competition with the United States, Russia, and other countries. Competition in space is not limited to international competitions, but also includes military competition in space. China's military capabilities in space are evolving, which has raised concerns in the international community. However, space cooperation is also important, and many countries have common interests in the field of space, so there is a need to balance the relationship of competition and cooperation.
Goals for future exploration
China's space program is moving toward even more ambitious goals. China plans to build a permanent space station in the future, which will become a key node in international space exploration. In addition, China is also planning lunar exploration and Mars exploration missions to explore further areas of space. The goals of these explorations will help promote scientific research and technological development, and will also stimulate more international cooperation and innovation.
While space exploration presents many opportunities, it also comes with controversy. One of the points of contention is the issue of space junk, which is accumulating as space activity increases and could pose a threat to space exploration and satellite communications. Another controversy is the space arms race, in which countries have stepped up the construction of space armaments, triggering instability in international relations. The exploitation of space resources has also sparked controversy, as it could trigger the depletion of Earth's resources and environmental destruction.
conclusion
Space exploration is an area full of challenges and opportunities. The success of the Shenzhou-16 mission marks significant progress in China's space exploration, and also provides hope for future exploration and cooperation. China will continue to promote scientific research, technological innovation and international cooperation to contribute to the future of human space exploration. However, space exploration also comes with many controversies that require the joint efforts of all countries to resolve. It is only through international cooperation and sustainable development that space exploration can achieve peace and prosperity. It is hoped that future space exploration will benefit all mankind, promote the development of science and technology, and provide new opportunities for solving global problems.
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