Transposition, flyby... Common terminology in manned space flight, help you learn about spacecraft thermal knowledge!

Parking, maneuvering, and flying around... Friends who follow China's space program must have seen these words often. What do they mean? Today, let's learn about the terminology related to spacecraft!

0 1 Manned spacecraft

Aircraft used for manned space flight, operating in orbit around the earth or in outer space on a controlled flight route, including manned spacecraft, cargo spacecraft, space laboratories, space stations, etc. In addition, the extravehicular space suits worn by astronauts for extravehicular activities are also manned spacecraft, a kind of miniature spacecraft.

The Tianhe core module and the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft

02

Manned spacecraft

A manned spacecraft that allows astronauts to enter space, live and work in orbit, and return to the ground. It is generally composed of an orbital module, a return module, and a propulsion module. The orbital module is the living area, test area, and storage area for astronauts while the spacecraft is in orbit. The return module is the cabin for astronauts during the launch and return phases of the spacecraft, and the propulsion module can provide thrust for the spacecraft during its autonomous flight and return braking. The manned spacecraft that my country currently uses to send astronauts to the Chinese space station is the Shenzhou spacecraft.

Shenzhou XIV manned spacecraft

03

Cargo spacecraft

A spacecraft used to transport materials (including cargo and waste) and to control the orbit of a space station. It generally includes a cargo cabin and a propulsion cabin. Cargo spacecraft are divided into fully sealed cargo spacecraft, semi-open cargo spacecraft and fully open cargo spacecraft. The cargo spacecraft currently used in my country is the Tianzhou spacecraft.

Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft

04

Space Laboratory

A manned spacecraft that can fly autonomously in orbit for a long time, accommodate astronauts for short-term or medium-term stays, and carry out space applications of a certain scale. Tiangong-2 is my country's first true space laboratory, consisting of an experimental module and a resource module.

Schematic diagram of the Tiangong-2 space laboratory in orbit

05

space station

Through replenishment, it can fly autonomously for a long time, and can accommodate astronauts for a long time and carry out large-scale space applications. It is generally assembled in orbit from multiple functional modules such as the core module and the experimental module. The overall configuration of the Chinese space station is three modules, including the Tianhe core module and the Wentian and Mengtian experimental modules. The overall configuration is T-shaped, which can accommodate 3 to 6 astronauts to work and live in orbit. After completion, the overall space will reach 110 cubic meters.

Schematic diagram of China's space station in orbit 06

Parking/Dockage

Parking refers to the process in which the tracking spacecraft temporarily stops at a certain distance from the target aircraft and keeps its relative position unchanged with the target aircraft to facilitate subsequent operations. Docking refers to the process in which the tracking aircraft flies with the target aircraft after rendezvous and docking with the target aircraft.

Schematic diagram of the Wentian experimental module parked at a 200-meter parking spot away from the space station complex 07

Rendezvous and docking

The process of two spacecraft achieving orbital rendezvous and completing docking is often referred to as the "space kiss". It can be done automatically through system design or manually by astronauts. The entire docking process is like "threading a needle through thousands of miles". The passive docking party is called the "target spacecraft", while the active docking party is called the "tracking spacecraft". The tracking spacecraft can complete docking from the forward, backward and radial directions of the target spacecraft.

08

Fly around

In order to complete the forward docking or radial docking, the tracking spacecraft flies around the target spacecraft, which requires the spacecraft to perform multiple orbit changes and attitude maneuvers, which is affectionately called "air ballet". For example, Tianzhou-2 separated from the rear port of the core module and circled to the forward port to complete the automatic rendezvous and docking, leaving space for the subsequent Tianzhou-3 to visit.

09

Transposition

The process of transferring a spacecraft or module from one docking port to another docking port or berthing port on the space station. For example, when the module of the space station is transferred, the module is first unlocked and separated from the space station, and then dragged by the robotic arm to transfer in a plane with the core module node module cabin ball as the center until the module docks with the other port of the core module.

10

Separation/Evacuation

Separation usually refers to the process of unlocking the docking locks of two manned spacecraft and breaking away from mechanical contact from a rigid connection state. Evacuation refers to the process of separating a spacecraft from the docking state of the assembly and moving away from the assembly.

Tianzhou-3 evacuates space station complex 11

Refill/Supply

Propellant replenishment is the process of cargo spacecraft replenishing propellant in the propellant tank of a space station (or space laboratory), commonly known as "space refueling". Space material replenishment is the process of replenishing propellant, water, food, spare parts and materials and other consumables for manned spacecraft, usually completed by cargo spacecraft, and is called "space express".

12

Recycle

Activities that involve on-site disposal of manned spacecraft, debris and payloads that have returned to a specific area on Earth and transport them to a designated location. For example, after the Shenzhou 13 flight crew completed all the scheduled tasks in orbit, they landed successfully at the Dongfeng landing site on the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft return capsule, and the on-site staff recovered the return capsule.

The return capsule of the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft landed at the Dongfeng landing site