According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, on July 18, 2022, Beijing time, the Wentian experimental module and the Long March 5B Yao-3 carrier rocket have been transported to the launch area. In the follow-up, various functional inspections and joint tests before launch will be carried out as planned.
The Wentian experimental module and the rocket combination are transported to the launch area, which is an iconic key process in the entire launch mission, which means preparing to enter the “last mile” before launch. Previously, the Long March 5B carrier rocket has undergone 45 days of complicated and meticulous final assembly testing in the vertical final assembly plant. Let us take a close look at the process from the final assembly test to the vertical transfer of the rocket.
One of the landmark buildings of Wenchang Space Launch Site: the vertical assembly and test workshop. Here, technicians need to hoist and assemble the Wentian experimental module and the Long March 5B carrier rocket that arrived in Wenchang in sections, and then complete the overall test before sending the assembly to the launch tower, waiting for the final launch. The Long March 5B carrier rocket is a new-generation carrier rocket with the largest carrying capacity in low-Earth orbit in my country. It is huge, which brings greater challenges to the hoisting work.
Liao Guorui, commander of mission 01 of the Wentian experimental cabin:The hoisting method of Chang 5 rocket (B) is different from that of other rockets, and the support method of our Chang 5 rocket (B) is also different from other rockets, that is, our four boosters then support our core first stage , which is equivalent to a “carrying a sedan chair” mode. Because the diameter of the Changwu rocket (B) is relatively large, the diameter of the first stage of the core is five meters. During the entire hoisting process, it is operated in a restricted space to complete the hoisting of such a large diameter rocket, which requires our fine operation and careful operation. Command, in order to complete the complex lifting tasks.
Thirteen young people with an average age of only 25 years old completed the rocket hoisting work. Due to the difficulty of working together and the high precision, they are called the “Twelve Arhats for Lifting”, and the thirteenth person is the commander of the lifting team.
Gao Peng, commander of the rocket hoisting system for the Wentian experimental module mission:Lifting the rocket requires us to look at the rocket very small and very heavy. Once the arrow body is hoisted and suspended, the stress points of each key point must be stable. At the same time, I also have to report the points back and forth with each trumpeter to grasp the spatial position of the interior of the workshop and the arrow body, and do a good job of pre-judgment and positioning debugging in advance. .
In recent years, in order to effectively cope with the high-density mission situation at the launch site, the rocket hoisting system has strictly implemented the quality system, continued to carry out pre-job training and on-the-job training for operators, improved emergency plans, strengthened emergency response training, and took multiple measures for each space launch mission. Provide reliable vertical assembly guarantee.
Chen Xiaojie, operator of the hoisting system:In the two years I worked on the hoisting system, I was involved in four space station construction missions. What impresses me the most is that the hoisting work is embroidery work with rockets, just like our team’s slogan “focusing on the giant arrow without distraction, and the strength is very close to the minute”. Being able to contribute to the construction of the motherland’s space station in this way is also what we are most proud of.