The second extravehicular mission of the Shenzhou 13 astronauts was successfully completed! What are the black technologies behind it?

At 00:55 on December 27, 2021, after about 6 hours, the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew successfully completed all the scheduled tasks of the second extravehicular activity, and astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu returned safely to the Tianhe core module.

As the "decisive battle" and "final battle" of the key technology verification phase of China's space station, what is the difference between Shenzhou XIII and Shenzhou XII? What black technology is used in the manned spacecraft? Let the experts help you find the answer!

Text and photos by Zhou Xiubin (China Aerospace Science and Technology International Exchange Center)

Source: Knowledge is Power Magazine

The Long March 2F Yao 13 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft was successfully launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Shenzhou 13: Starry Night to Tianhe

As the "decisive battle" and "final battle" of the key technology verification phase of China's space station, at 0:23 on October 16, the Long March 2F Yao 13 carrier rocket ignited and took off on time at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu, sending the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft into the predetermined orbit. At 6:56, it successfully docked with the radial port of the Tianhe core module using the autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking mode.

The three astronauts who carried out the Shenzhou 13 manned flight mission (Photo courtesy of Zhou Xiubin)

Afterwards, astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu successfully entered the core module of the Tianhe space station and started a six-month space journey. According to the plan, they will carry out 2-3 extravehicular activities, installation and operation of robotic arm components, module transfer experiments, aerospace medicine and scientific experiments, space teaching and other popular science activities. At present, the second extravehicular mission has been successfully completed.

This mission will further verify a series of key technologies such as astronauts' long-term on-orbit residence and regenerative life support, comprehensively assess the functions and performance of various engineering systems in performing space station missions, as well as the compatibility between systems, to prepare for subsequent space station construction missions.

Therefore, this year is a critical year for China's manned space program to build on the past and usher in the future.

What are the new missions of Shenzhou 13?

At 15:54 on June 17, 2021, the Shenzhou XII spacecraft carrying three astronauts successfully docked with the Tianhe core module. After successfully completing its scheduled mission, the Shenzhou XII spacecraft successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site at 13:34 on September 17, and astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo returned safely.

Astronauts of Shenzhou XII manned mission return with honor

The Shenzhou XII manned flight mission is the fourth flight mission in the key technology verification phase of the space station and the first manned flight mission in the construction phase of the space station.

This mission verified in-orbit key technologies for space station construction and operation, such as long-term astronaut stay, regenerative life support, space material replenishment, extravehicular activities, extravehicular operations, and in-orbit maintenance. It tested for the first time the astronaut search and rescue capabilities of the Dongfeng landing site, carried out space applications and tests in multiple fields, comprehensively evaluated and assessed the functions and performance of various systems in the project in performing space station missions, and further assessed the matching and coordination between the systems.

The entire mission process can be described as "precise" and "perfect", and the first manned flight mission during the space station construction phase was a complete success.

Astronauts of the Shenzhou 13 manned mission move into the space station (Photo provided by Zhou Xiubin)

So, what are the differences between the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft and the Shenzhou 12?

The first is the first radial rendezvous and docking. The Shenzhou XIII manned spacecraft adopted an autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking method and docked radially with the space station for the first time. The so-called radial docking means that the Shenzhou XIII manned spacecraft rendezvoused and docked with the space station through the docking interface below the Tianhe core module. Although the direction only changed by 90 degrees, the difficulty of docking was much greater. Fortunately, this arduous task was successfully completed on the day of launch.

The second is the first operation of a four-vessel combination. After the radial docking is completed, the Chinese space station will realize the combined operation of four spacecraft, including the core module, two cargo spacecraft, and one manned spacecraft.

The third is the first six months of work and life in orbit. Astronauts' stay in orbit for up to six months will verify the health, life and work support technologies, which is a test for the astronauts' physical health and the major systems of the space station, such as environmental control and life support.

Fourth, it is the first time that a Chinese female astronaut has entered the space station and carried out extravehicular activities. Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese female astronaut to go out of the spacecraft and into space twice, and she will also conduct many space lectures.

Fifth, produce more new scientific research results. On the basis of the Shenzhou XII mission, further space science experiments and technical tests will be carried out to produce high-level scientific results.

Sixth, it was the first time that a "spare tire" was used directly to carry out a mission. The spacecraft and rocket carrying out the mission were directly switched from the emergency standby backup state to the launch state at the launch site.

In addition, the three astronauts will complete more challenging preliminary work for on-orbit construction, such as 2-3 extravehicular activities and the installation of large and small robotic arm combination adapters and suspension devices.

Hard-core technology on Shenzhou 13

Particularly worth mentioning are the Shenzhou manned spacecraft's black box, microwave radar and other hard-core technological equipment.

Schematic diagram of the docking of the Mengtian experimental module with the space station (Photo provided by Zhou Xiubin)

Black box: The black box of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft is not black, but orange, and is placed under the astronaut's seat. The black box can record data such as cabin pressure, temperature, spacecraft attitude, working status of various equipment, and operation on instruments.

Microwave radar: Microwave radar will be of great use during the rendezvous and docking process. When the spacecraft is about 90 kilometers away from the core module, the microwave radar starts to work, providing accurate distance and speed measurement information between the two spacecraft, achieving long-distance capture, stable tracking, and precise measurement.

The mission will cover the 2022 New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Winter Olympics and International Women's Day. The three astronauts will spend the holidays with the people of the country in space and cheer for the Olympics. That scene will definitely be very exciting, and we "Earthlings" are looking forward to it!

Schematic diagram of China's space station (Tiangong Space Station) (Photo provided by Zhou Xiubin)

Schematic diagram of China's aerospace "family" in the brilliant galaxy (Photo courtesy of Zhou Xiubin)

Knowledge Links

A review of China's aerospace "family" in the brilliant galaxy

China's manned space program is organized and implemented with a "three-step" strategy. The first step is to launch a manned spacecraft, build a preliminary supporting experimental manned spacecraft project, and carry out space application experiments; the second step is to break through the technology of astronauts' extravehicular activities and the rendezvous and docking technology of space vehicles, launch a space laboratory, and solve the problem of space applications with a certain scale and short-term manned care; the third step is to build a space station to solve the problem of space applications with a large scale and long-term manned care.

The first step was completed by the Shenzhou-1 to Shenzhou-5 missions, and Shenzhou-5 enabled China to have the ability to conduct manned round-trip missions between the earth and the sky. The second step was completed by the Shenzhou-6 to Shenzhou-11, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2, as well as the Tianzhou-1 mission. We have mastered key technologies such as multi-person multi-day flight, space extravehicular activities, automatic and manual rendezvous and docking, manned mid-term stay, and in-orbit propellant replenishment.

At present, China has started the in-orbit construction of the space station, which is the last step of the "three-step plan", which is divided into two stages: key technology verification and construction of the in-orbit construction of the space station. The key technology verification stage was completed by the first flight of the Long March 5B, the launch of the Tianhe core module, the Tianzhou 2, 3 and the Shenzhou 12, 13 spacecraft, a total of 6 flight missions.

During the construction phase, the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will be launched, the Shenzhou-14 manned flight mission will be implemented, the Wentian and Mengtian experimental modules will be launched and assembled in orbit, and the construction of the three-module assembly of the space station will be completed by the end of 2022. Subsequently, the Tianzhou-5 cargo supply and Shenzhou-15 manned flight missions will be implemented. After a comprehensive assessment of the status of the space station, the space station will enter the application and development phase.

Part of this article comes from Sina Weibo @CCTV News