Source Title: Chinese Space Station Astronauts Out of the Cabin for the First Time: A Romantic Flight, A Great Journey
At 14:57 on July 4, 2021, Beijing time, after about 7 hours of exiting activities, the crew of Shenzhou 12 astronauts worked closely together and successfully completed all the scheduled tasks during the exiting activities. The astronauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo are safe The return to the core module of Tianhe marked the complete success of the first astronaut out of the space station in my country.
On July 4, 2021, an astronaut working outside the cabin was shot on the big screen of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center.
A romantic flying
The exit mission was jointly performed by three astronauts. Among them, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo replaced the extravehicular space suits to exit the cabin, and Nie Haisheng performed command and coordination tasks in the cabin.
At 8:11 on July 4, Beijing time, Liu Boming successfully opened the exit door of the node module of the Tianhe core cabin;
As of 11:02, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo wore a new generation of “Flying” extravehicular spacesuits independently developed by China. They successfully exited from the node module of the Tianhe core module and completed the installation of foot stoppers and capsules on the robotic arms. Work outside the workbench;
At 14:57, the three-person flight crew of Shenzhou 12 successfully completed all scheduled tasks and returned to the Tianhe core cabin safely.
After a lapse of 13 years, the vast space once again left the Chinese figure today. This is the second space outing activity carried out by Chinese astronauts after the Shenzhou-7 manned mission in 2008, and it is also the first space outing activity of Chinese astronauts during the space station stage.
On July 4, 2021, two astronauts working outside the cabin were filmed on the big screen of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center.
Through vigorous coordination between the world and the earth, and close cooperation inside and outside the cabin, the Shenzhou 12 astronaut crew successfully completed the assembly of equipment related to extravehicular activities and the lifting of panoramic cameras. It was the first time to test the functional performance of my country’s new-generation extravehicular spacesuits. The ability of the astronauts and the robotic arm to work together and the reliability and safety of the supporting equipment related to the exit activities were tested, which laid an important foundation for the smooth implementation of the subsequent exit activities of the space station.
According to Yang Yuguang, a researcher at the Second Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology and vice chairman of the International Astronautical Federation Space Transportation Committee, for this trip, astronauts have been using neutral buoyancy pools for arduous training while on the earth. “This kind of training is very hard. Underwater training suits are heavier than real space suits and are more difficult to use. There are reports that astronauts who have finished pool training cannot even raise their hands and use chopsticks normally when eating.”
With the help of divers, astronauts receive underwater training that simulates weightlessness in space.
In addition to the weightless environment training, the China Astronaut Center has also formulated a series of training courses that can better adapt to the space environment, such as the operation training of extravehicular aerospace clothing equipment and the training of the exit and gate procedures for the astronauts’ exit design, and try to simulate them on the ground as much as possible. The space environment enhances the ability to perform missions outside the cabin.
Every effort will not be in vain. Today, with the cooperation of ground support personnel, all the training of the astronauts has turned into a stunning dance for the Chinese in the vast space.
A great journey
On April 15th, the Shenzhou XII spacecraft arrived at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in batches safely to carry out the assembly and testing of the launch site;
On April 30, the Shenzhou 12 flight crew completed most of the mission training and moved to the mission intensive training phase;
On June 9, the Shenzhou 12 ship-and-arrow assembly was transferred to the launch area to carry out various functional inspections and joint tests before launch;
On June 16, the Shenzhou 12 flight crew was determined to be composed of astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo;
On June 17, the launch of the Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft was a complete success;
At 15:54, Shenzhou 12 successfully completed the docking with the core module of Tianhe;
At 18:48, astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo entered the Tianhe core module one after another, marking the first time that the Chinese entered their own space station;
The astronaut crew of the Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft stationed in the Tianhe core module taken at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center on June 17.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liwang
On June 18, the astronauts successively installed various equipment and set up communication, catering, and sanitation facilities;
On June 23, General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke with astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo Tiandi;
On July 4, the first astronaut out of the space station stage of my country was successfully completed.
Tall buildings rise from the ground, and now China’s great journey of manned spaceflight is accelerating.
According to reports, during the Shenzhou 12 mission, the three astronauts will complete two exit operations, which is also a key technology that must be mastered in the construction of a space station. “Whether it is the International Space Station or China’s space station, the exit activity is a necessary technology for on-orbit assembly and construction. Now we are assembling and constructing the cabin space station and raising the camera bracket. This is equivalent to perfecting the infrastructure, and a large number of subsequent space experiments may be turned to. Aspect.” said Wang Hao, head of the manned spacecraft in-orbit maintenance technology laboratory of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group.
According to Ji Qiming, Assistant Director of China’s Manned Space Engineering Office, according to the overall arrangement of the Shenzhou 12 manned mission, the three astronauts will not only carry out two out-of-vehicle activities and out-of-vehicle operations as planned during their orbit. Carry out the daily management of the core module assembly, space science and technology experiments, and astronauts’ own health management.
“Made in China” helps successfully exit the cabin
1. A new generation of “Flying” extravehicular space suit
During the 7 hours of extravehicular work, the new generation of “Flying” extravehicular spacesuit independently developed by my country performed very well.
According to reports, astronauts leave the space station and enter space, facing a series of tests such as a temperature difference of more than 200 degrees Celsius and space radiation. The flying extravehicular spacesuit has a multi-layer design to achieve vacuum protection, high and low temperature protection, and radiation protection. Compared with Shenzhou VII astronaut Zhai Zhigang’s outboard outer suit, it has higher safety and reliability, longer service life, and autonomous working time of up to eight hours.
At the same time, the spacesuit has been improved to meet the requirements of people with a height of 1.6 meters to 1.8 meters, and can be adjusted according to the size of the astronaut. Although it weighs 130 kg, it is quick and easy to put on and take off. A trained astronaut can put on and take off in about 5 minutes. Next to the drinking pipe in the outer suit, there is also a long hole for a food stick. As long as the astronauts stretch their mouths, they can eat delicious bar-shaped food.
In addition, in the design of appearance and decorative elements, the elements of flying, auspicious clouds and phoenix are combined, and two main colors of Chinese red and space blue are selected. At the same time, the decorative patterns designed according to the proportions of the Chinese people’s body also allow the clothing to achieve an overall slimming effect visually, which looks more integrated and more spiritual. Compared with the space suits of the United States and Russia, there are also obvious differences and higher recognition.
2. The first robotic arm that can orbit in space for a long time
The manipulator of the core module of the space station was developed by the Fifth Academy of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group. It is currently the most complex, largest, and most precise space intelligent mechanical system among similar aerospace products. Eight types of on-orbit tasks, including cargo handling outside the cabin, state inspection outside the cabin, and maintenance of large-scale equipment outside the cabin. The unfolded length is 10.2 meters, and it can carry a weight of up to 25 tons. It is the “Hercules” in the mission of the space station.
In the past, astronauts had to rely on the handrails set on the Shenzhou spacecraft to move on the surface of the cabin. The locks of the spacesuit were connected to the handrails to prevent the astronauts from drifting away. This time, the exiting astronauts can use external auxiliary forces such as robotic arms to more freely carry out exiting activities. After the astronaut out of the cabin is fixed to one end of the robotic arm, the astronaut in the cabin controls the robotic arm to send the astronauts outside the cabin to the designated area for operations.
On July 4, an astronaut working outside the cabin was filmed on the big screen of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liwang
In addition, in order to expand the reach of the mission, the manipulator of the core module of the space station also has a “crawling” function. Through the docking and separation of the end effector and the target adapter, and the joint movement of each joint at the same time, the crawling transfer on the cabin body is realized. As one of the new areas in the development of my country’s aerospace industry, a number of national space robot industry standards have been formed.
3. The “Sky Road” of communication in space
In the space station mission, the astronauts will carry out multiple exit activities to complete the repair, maintenance and construction of the space station. It is particularly important to establish high-speed and timely communication with the ground during exiting activities. The exiting activities are not only a comprehensive test for the astronauts, but also a major test for the communication capabilities between the space station’s space station and the core module and the ground monitoring and control station. According to reports, the third-generation relay terminal product developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation establishes relay links with relay satellites Tianlian-1 and Tianlian-2 to realize relay communication and ensure that astronauts communicate with the ground. The real-time smooth flow. This is like building a “skyway” between the ground and the relay satellite, and between the relay satellite and the astronauts in space.
In addition, the biggest difference in design between the space station relay terminal and other models is that in order to ensure a long service life in orbit, it needs to be maintainable in orbit. The relay terminal of the space station adopts an integrated and modular design idea, which is convenient for astronauts to repair and replace while ensuring the quality of the transmission signal; the exit communication subsystem realizes the communication between the astronauts inside and outside the cabin, and between the astronauts inside and outside the cabin and the ground personnel. Full-duplex voice communication between astronauts and extravehicular astronauts can achieve full coverage of wireless communication within the astronaut’s extravehicular activity range, and support the call function when multiple astronauts are out of the cabin at the same time. The outside image transmission subsystem provides wireless network coverage for the outside of the cabin, and transmits images through the network “hotspots” provided by the out-of-vehicle wireless transceiver equipment, realizing real-time display of astronauts’ out-of-vehicle activities.
The starry sky is endless, and the dream is farther. In the future, China Aerospace will create more excitement!
(Liu Xuan, editor of Dazhong.com·Poster News, Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, People’s Daily Client, Voice of China, Poster News, etc.)
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