Due to the difference between the outer space environment and the ground environment, for example, when flying in outer space, the spacecraft, space station, and astronauts are in a state of weightlessness, and some experiments and experiments that cannot be completed on the ground can be carried out. There are now two space stations in low Earth orbit, one of which is the International Space Station, which has been in operation for more than 20 years, and the other is the Chinese space station, which we have only completed and put into operation in recent years. At present, many astronauts are on missions in the International Space Station or the Chinese space station.
Although many scientific experiments and experiments can be carried out in the space station, the quality requirements for astronauts in all aspects are relatively high, such as high physical fitness requirements and high requirements for aerospace technology, so not all countries have the ability to send astronauts to space to carry out tasks. If some devices capable of simulating the space environment are built on the ground, then some scientific experiments do not need to be carried out in space, which greatly reduces the cost of scientific research. Does such a device really exist?
The second "space station" of our country is coming
Of course, the second "space station" mentioned here is not running in space like China's space station and the International Space Station, but China's first "space environment ground simulation device". This simulation device, jointly built by Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, can comprehensively simulate nine types of space environmental factors such as low temperature, vacuum, and electromagnetic radiation, so it is vividly called the "ground space station".
"Ground space station" is China's first large scientific device in the field of aerospace, in 2005, the "space environment ground simulation device" has begun to demonstrate, lasted 18 years, in last year began trial operation, so far, this "ground space station" has served a number of user units at home and abroad, has achieved a lot of results. On February 27, the "ground space station" project successfully passed the national acceptance.
The terrestrial space station "covers an area the size of almost 50 football fields, and can be set up according to scientific problems and engineering needs, and can be repeated many times without time and space constraints." Such a "terrestrial space station" has many advantages over orbital space stations operating in space, one of which is that it is larger in size and allows more scientists to conduct scientific research in it.
You must know that during the rotation of two astronaut crews in orbit on our space station, only 6 astronauts are in orbit at the same time, and there are only 3 astronauts in normal times. There may be more astronauts on the ISS, but there are usually only a few.
In addition to being able to accommodate more researchers to carry out scientific research at the same time, the "ground space station" is not limited by time and space, and specific environmental factors can be set according to scientific problems and engineering needs. Experts say that during a flight in space, it is unreliable when those cosmic rays, small space particles, hit the spacecraft, and where they hit the spacecraft. In the simulator, our research can be more targeted and the goal clearer.
The Shenzhou-17 astronauts chose the opportunity to leave the capsule
At the same time that the "ground space station" has successfully passed the acceptance, the latest news has also come from the Tiangong space station operating in space. According to reports, the astronauts of the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft are about to choose the opportunity to leave the capsule to carry out their second out-of-cabin activity of this mission.
As early as December 21 last year, the astronauts of the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft carried out their first out-of-cabin activities, and in the first out-of-cabin activities, they completed the established tasks such as the solar wing repair test of the Tianhe core module. The second out-of-cabin event is now approaching, and it is uncertain exactly what tasks will need to be completed.
Thrilling out of space?
For human beings, spacewalking is no longer a difficult task, but the risk factor of space exit is still relatively high, and it can even be said to be thrilling. When astronauts go out of the capsule, they will leave the spacecraft and space station and directly enter the outer space environment, where small space particles, cosmic radiation, and huge temperature differences can be deadly threats. How to ensure the safety of extravehicular astronauts is the top priority. In order to ensure the safety of astronauts and the smooth progress of out-of-cabin activities, scientists have developed extravehicular spacesuits.
The extravehicular spacesuit is completely different from our daily clothes, because the extravehicular spacesuit is essentially a small manned spacecraft, which needs to ensure comfort, air tightness, heat resistance and other characteristics, and even has the ability to resist the impact of small particles in space. In order to achieve this, the extravehicular spacesuit is basically equivalent to installing all kinds of equipment and facilities in the manned spacecraft into the spacesuit, and has a complete life support system.
When astronauts go out of the capsule, they will wear extravehicular spacesuits, even in the environment of outer space temperature difference of about 300, astronauts wearing extravehicular spacesuits will not feel uncomfortable, but also can resist the impact of those small particles in space.
In addition to safety, flexibility, convenience and comfort are also very important, because astronauts are now out of the capsule for several hours at a time. In such a long period of extravehicular activities, astronauts cannot eat, if the flexibility of the extravehicular spacesuit is not high enough, then the astronaut may be less efficient during the mission, and need to spend more physical strength.
It is precisely because the extravehicular spacesuit is equivalent to a small manned spacecraft, which is very powerful and very difficult to design and manufacture, so the manufacturing cost of the extravehicular spacesuit is very high, generally tens of millions of yuan.