This long holiday just past, the researchers of the Key Laboratory of Modern Fashion Design and Technology of the Ministry of Education of Donghua University did not have a day off: adding new to the astronauts' "wardrobe" is one of the reasons why they are busy.
Spacesuits are typical high-tech products, and each upgrade contains the wisdom and sweat of researchers. From the first manned spacecraft "Shenzhou V" to the upcoming launch of "Shenzhou XIII", from solving the problem of outer protective materials for extravehicular spacesuits to developing and designing special clothing for astronauts, the scientific research team of Donghua University has participated in the design of each generation of spacesuits.
"China's spacesuits not only have higher and higher scientific and technological content, but also represent the national image with designs full of Chinese elements, highlighting the style of a new generation of 'flying'." Li Jun, head of the astronaut clothing R&D and design team of Donghua University and dean of the School of Fashion and Art Design, revealed that the new technologies used in the research and development process of space suits have also promoted the progress of more special industry clothing, and even ordinary people's daily clothing materials and cutting technology.
From satisfying functions to taking into account aesthetics and fashion, spacesuit design is becoming more and more elaborate
The spacesuits worn by astronauts, even the seemingly ordinary cabin work clothes and ground training suits, are actually very "connotation".
"When we first participated in the design of spacesuits, we generally first considered meeting and ensuring functional needs, and did not care about aesthetics. But now, we can design these special overalls to look both everyday and stylish. Li Jun told reporters that the special clothing of the "God TWELVE" astronauts has integrated a wealth of design elements with Chinese characteristics, showing the charm of traditional Chinese culture to the world and even the whole universe.
Nearly 20 years ago, a joint research group composed of nine disciplines of Donghua University solved the bottleneck problem of extravehicular spacesuit manufacturing technology - extravehicular spacesuit coating. This is the "armor" of the extravehicular spacesuit, which is softer than leather, thinner than the lenses, and lighter than the mobile phone, but can protect the safety of astronauts' spacewalks like "armor".
However, at that time, this core technology did not have any data and physical objects to refer to. The donghua university team joined hands to tackle the problem, and finally completed this high-tech material with tear resistance, wear resistance, heat radiation resistance, micro meteor resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, ion radiation resistance and other properties, and achieved a breakthrough in high temperature resistance and radiation resistance.
With the development of technology, space suits are also more elaborate in design. Li Jun gave an example of the live video of the "space business trip trio". Many people still remember these images: astronauts usually wear overalls inside the space station, change into sportswear when pedaling bicycles, and also use casual clothes, weightless protective clothing, sleeping gear, etc.
More than 30 types of astronaut-specific clothing developed and designed by the Donghua University team can help astronauts fight the adverse effects of weightlessness on human muscles during long-term space flights, and some can protect astronauts' emotions and moods. At the same time, details such as photography, videography, and display after image transmission are also taken into account in the light environment of the cabin.
In addition to clothing, astronauts' "space home shoes" were also developed by Donghua University, and the new materials ensure the comfort and safety of astronauts' feet when they move in the spacecraft cabin and the weightless environment of the space station.
For decades, we have continued to tackle key problems and help the development of the aerospace industry in an all-round way
Walking into Donghua University and chatting with the teachers and students here, what impressed the reporter most was the sense of pride unconsciously revealed in their eyes and words. Prop up a "space umbrella", weave a pair of spaceship "glass wings", and even make a caring "space toilet"... In fact, since the launch of China's aerospace industry, different discipline teams in Donghua have become accustomed to "forming teams", breaking down disciplinary barriers and working together, and have been committed to the all-round scientific and technological research of the aerospace industry for decades.
In the 1980s, the scientific research team led by Professor Pan Ding of the School of Materials science launched an impact on the "card neck" technology, and successfully developed aerospace-grade high-purity viscose-based carbon fiber in 1994, making China the third country in the world to master the technology.
In the School of Textiles, Professor Chen Nanliang's team developed the "key material of the semi-rigid battery sail glass fiber grid", and woven the glass fiber into thread and made into fabric, and inserted "glass wings" for cargo ships such as "Tiangong No. 1", "Tiangong No. 2" and "Tianzhou No. 1", making the spacecraft lighter, but more intense and longer-lasting. The "spaceborne antenna metal network" innovatively designed and manufactured by the team is a space umbrella supported by the spacecraft, breaking the monopoly of foreign technology and greatly improving the communication capabilities of China's high-performance satellites.
The highly reliable passivation glass of the spacecraft used in the "Shenzhou V" manned spacecraft comes from the senior engineer team of Han Wenjue of the School of Materials. This allows the high-power rectifier device of the control system to resist the ultra-high temperature or ultra-low temperature in space, and also prevents the strong radiation of particles such as space photons, neutrons, and protons, and accompanies China's aerospace hero Yang Liwei to fly into space for the first time.
The team of Professor Yuan Qinhua of the School of Chemical Biology aimed at the big topics in the daily small things, carried out multidisciplinary research, and finally developed the "space toilet" - "HYF" urine collection and emergency stool collection device, and successfully applied the developed aerospace hygiene materials to the space life of astronauts.
More high-tech clothing will be "lowered", so that ordinary people can wear healthier and smarter
Generations of researchers of Donghua University not only rely on a series of scientific research achievements that "stand on top of the sky", take the initiative to undertake major national aerospace tasks such as "Shenzhou", "Tiangong", "Beidou" and "Chang'e", but also with their efforts, more high-tech unlocked through the research and development of aviation services has also begun to "go down". In the words of a young researcher, in the near future, more ordinary people can dress healthier and smarter like astronauts.
In space, extravehicular spacesuits can be tested in a minute from one hundred degrees Celsius to minus tens of degrees Celsius. Therefore, an important part of the extravehicular spacesuit is the liquid-cooled suit worn close to the body, which can keep the temperature of the human body in a normal state at all times. However, the first to try on this high-tech costume was not the astronauts, but the warm body dummies developed by the team of Professor Zhang Weiyuan of the School of Fashion and Art Design of Donghua University.
"Whether the spacesuit is qualified or not is up to these dummies to decide." Li Jun told reporters that this kind of high-tech technology developed for the manufacture of spacesuits will slowly benefit more ordinary people in the process of commercialization and civilianization, such as the development and testing of new fabrics and clothing for small babies.
"It is difficult for a small baby who can't speak to clearly express whether his clothes are soft, sweat-absorbing, hot and cold, etc., which requires the development of more advanced fabrics and designs to meet people's new needs." Li Jun said.
Author: Chu Shuting
Editor: Gu Jun
Image source: All courtesy of Donghua University