Successfully launched 6 manned spacecraft, 5 unmanned spacecraft, and 2 space laboratories into space; Escort 11 Chinese astronauts and 14 others to complete their space journey——

Build dreams in space and conquer the nine heavens. The Long March 5 Y3 carrier rocket has been successfully launched, the Beidou global network has entered its sprint period, Chang'e has landed gracefully on the back of the moon, and the space laboratory has completed its service and returned... Over the past year, China's aerospace industry has made remarkable progress and achieved fruitful results. On the morning of November 20, 1999, the Shenzhou-1 spacecraft was launched, and the curtain of China's manned spaceflight slowly opened. In the blink of an eye, 20 years later, as the main force in the development and design of manned spacecraft in China, the Shenzhou team has achieved one remarkable result after another: successfully launching 6 manned spacecraft, 5 unmanned spacecraft, and 2 space laboratories into space; Escort 11 Chinese astronauts and 14 others to complete their space journey, with a maximum orbital time of 30 days; This excellent team, with an average age of only 33, has achieved space extravehicular activity, rendezvous and docking, and space teaching. They resonate their passion and youth with the development of their motherland, always charging forward to uphold the Chinese nation's dream of manned spaceflight.

At the end of the year and the beginning of the year, in the building of the Manned Space Department of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the research workers of the Shenzhou team hurriedly walked.

Last July, the Tiangong-2 space laboratory completed its mission and returned smoothly, and the Shenzhou team immediately devoted itself to the next research and development task. For over 20 years, the Shenzhou team has successfully launched 6 manned spacecraft and 2 space laboratories into space; Escort multiple astronauts to complete their space journey; Behind this impressive achievement of completing tasks such as extravehicular activity, rendezvous and docking, and composite flight, lies decades of scientific research and development by the research team.

Explore unknown territories!The key core technology cannot be bought

Every technological advancement in the field of aerospace is a step forward for humanity towards the vast starry sky, "said Mr. Chen Zugui, who is over eighty years old, telling reporters about the development process of China's manned spaceflight industry. The past is like a rolled up scroll, slowly unfoldingThe poem "The circle is nine fold, which is the best? What is the merit of this poem, which was first written?" describes the dream of the Chinese people to explore the universe. Since then, the dream of flying has been deeply embedded in the blood of the Chinese nation.

In 1999, three major events occurred: the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the return of Macau, and the launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. For a moment, people's enthusiasm for exploring the universe was reignited. The significance of 'Shenzhou I' is, in my opinion, greater than that of 'Shenzhou V.' Looking back on the past, Academician Qi Faren, the first chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft, was quite touched. He said that when the Shenzhou V spacecraft safely returned with astronaut Yang Liwei, he wanted to go and see where 'Shenzhou I' was recovered.That was a career accomplished under such difficult conditions! "Said Academician Qi. In the 1960s and 1970s, China had a development plan for the first generation of return satellites, the "Shuguang 1". Constrained by the level of computer technology, China's manned spaceflight industry did not make much progress until the 1980s. We wanted to independently develop on-board computer chips to promote the rapid development of manned spaceflight industry. After unremitting efforts, we finally succeeded, "said Chen Zugui.

The hardware has been developed, but software writing has become a challenge. In a simulation experiment of satellite ground docking, the team found that the satellite attitude data was significantly abnormal. At that time, there was no relevant software, making it difficult to locate the source of the problem, and the team was under great pressure. The team members worked day and night in the laboratory, and when they were tired, they would lie down on their desks and rest for a while, and when they were hungry, they would eat something casually. After repeated investigation, it was ultimately found that it was not a software issue, but rather a faulty storage unit on the chip.

It was under such difficult conditions that Chen Lao led his team to successively overcome the development of control systems for computer-controlled satellite attitude, mastering satellite full attitude capture technology, satellite emergency controller technology, and so on. Later, during the research and development period of Shenzhou, they also successfully developed the GNC system for China's manned spacecraft and successfully applied it to 9 Shenzhou spacecraft.In 1992, China's manned spaceflight project was officially launched. At that time, there were many difficulties without experimental sites and equipment, "said Academician Qi." Only by conducting sufficient ground experiments can we ensure success, which requires the establishment of a sound scientific research base.What equipment is needed for spacecraft development, and how are these devices developed? This challenge is no less than developing the spacecraft itself, "said Academician Qi. At that time, the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology was designing, drawing, and constructing at the same time. In Beijing, they built a general assembly plant using the AIT integrated design concept, the largest vacuum tank and electromagnetic compatibility laboratory in Asia, and a vibration table

Yang Hong, the chief designer of the Manned Space Department, considers himself a "lucky one" as soon as he started working, he caught up with the "Shenzhou" project proposal. In the initial stage, our understanding of the entire manned space system was not sufficient. He remembered that he had burned down four devices during a ground inspection. Because the design of circuits and the development of power devices require a little trial and error in experimentsIn the early stages of development, the team also sought help from international peers. But key core technologies cannot be bought, "Chen Zugui recalled. Many so-called" core "technologies were simply copied from publicly published articles.

The team did not give up. Taking sea recovery as an example, in the 5200 kilometer sea area, we do not rely on aircraft carriers' sea rescue technology, and sea recovery has become a huge challenge. Yang Hong said that for this reason, the team has developed sea based fixed-point recovery technology to ensure that astronauts can smoothly land after a forced landing at sea.In order to develop fixed-point recycling technology at sea, we have written countless programs, conducted countless experiments, and tested countless data, "Yang Hong sighed.

Astronaut safety, guard!Always ask yourself if you dare to ride on your self-developed spaceship

The command "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignite! Take off!" is familiar to every Shenzhou person. Each number represents a different task instruction, which needs to be considered without hesitation and form an inertial action. Within 500 seconds, issue over 100 commands without any mistakes, "Yang Hong said.The reliability of aerospace products is 0.97, because in order to ensure human safety, the failure rate of manned spaceflight must be controlled within 3 ‰. Both requirements must be met simultaneously, and the failure rate must be within 1/300000. In other words, if it is sent once a day, there will be no problems for 30 years. "In this regard, the most common sentence that Academician Qi said to the team was:" We must always ask ourselves whether we dare to ride our self-developed spacecraft

To ensure safety, all reliability measures must be employed. From takeoff to delivering the spacecraft to the designated orbit, there are 8 fault rescue modes. After the spacecraft enters orbit, there are more than 180 fault countermeasures. In fact, out of about 700000 computer programs, 30% are used to deal with normal flight and 70% are used to deal with faults, "said Academician Qi.Since the launch of "Shenyi", the team has achieved excellent results of "zero mistakes" and "10 ring shooting", but "one success does not mean another success, and this success does not mean the next success. We often remind ourselves that we must start from scratch every time," Yang Hong told reporters.

Before the launch of Shenzhou-3, when the spacecraft had entered the shooting range, the team discovered an electrical connector that was malfunctioning. Yang Hong recalled that he had to return to the factory for a failure analysis. After returning, he found that the electrical connector itself had design defects and needed to be redesigned. However, 77 of the same components were used on the spacecraft, and it would take three months to redesign and produce.The command center immediately decided to suspend the launch plan and evacuate all personnel, saying, 'We must not let any spacecraft with even a slight defect go into the sky!'. As the chief designer at that time, Yang Hong was disciplined, which became the most painful thing in his career.

Ground testing exposes problems, and the more exposed they are, the safer it will be next day, "said Chen Zugui, who was once invited to watch astronaut training. Beside the centrifuge, astronauts are burdened with a load equivalent to 4-8 times their own weight, and this training makes their faces pale and their expressions painful. Chen Lao saw it in his eyes and felt pain in his heart.At that moment, I felt a great sense of responsibility and immediately made a promise to the astronauts, not only to ensure their safe return, but also to ensure their comfortable return. After team design, when the Shenzhou V spacecraft returned, Yang Liwei's actual payload was only 3.2 times his own weight, which can be described as "comfortable".

Our relationship with astronauts is like that of a 'chef' and a 'customer'. In the past, we had to make astronauts' eat well ', but now we need to make them' eat well ', which requires us to' try it out '. "Berlin Hou, who used to be the overall chief designer of Tiangong-2, made a vivid metaphor.On the early morning of October 19, 2016, Shenzhou-11 and Tiangong-2 completed their rendezvous and docking, and Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong began their 30 day space life. This' ultra long standby 'poses a huge challenge to the livability design of aircraft.

How to live comfortably? The team has put in a lot of effort: developing an integrated multimedia system that allows astronauts to watch sports games, listen to news, and even video chat with their families and comrades; Design a foldable multifunctional platform to make it more convenient for astronauts to dine and conduct science popularization activities; Developing wireless head mounted devices to solve the problem of entanglement between wired head mounted devices, allowing astronauts to communicate more freely with the ground inside the spacecraftWhen developing on the ground, Berlin Hou and his colleagues often simulate themselves as astronauts and experience them in the cabin. Based on personal feelings and feedback from astronauts, continuously improve the humanized design inside the cabin, such as noise reduction, waste disposal, etc.

Leading high-tech, breaking through!The ultimate goal of scientific research is to serve life

Researchers are all heroes behind the scenes. Behind every success, it is the result of their silent efforts and continuous struggle.Ma Xiaobing, the deputy chief designer of the manned spacecraft system, habitually refers to himself as a "troublemaker". Ma Xiaobing, who has been in the aerospace industry for 15 years, deeply feels the principle of 'doing things to the extreme' that astronauts adhere to.

One late night in 2016, the on duty personnel discovered that there was a problem with the voice communication system between the astronauts and the ground. Because of the contingency plan, the problem was successfully resolved. It was necessary to consider 'all possible issues' on the ground, "Ma Xiaobing recalled.In response, the team has established a ground monitoring and vulnerability prevention mechanism, which solves problems as soon as possible and forms a team culture of "zero defects, zero failures, and zero doubts".

Innovation is another culture of a team.

The new generation of astronauts must have an innovative spirit, "Ma Xiaobing said. In case of emergency, the spacecraft must return quickly within 4 hours, otherwise the safety of astronauts' lives will be threatened. This requires a large amount of data support, which needs to be taken into account during the ground development phase.For example, in spacecraft rendezvous and docking, the spacecraft will undergo multiple orbit changes, and the expected trajectory often deviates. How to ensure real-time data updates and reduce errors has posed a challenge for Ma Xiaobing and his team.It took three years for the team to use neural network algorithms and add autonomous computing programs to solve the problem of data errors by extracting parameters such as spacecraft altitude and flight speed, providing important technical support for the rescue of astronauts, "Ma Xiaobing told reporters.

Take Tiangong-1 as an example, in just 5 years, it has achieved breakthroughs in 11 key core technologies, including large-scale wall panel technology and control torque gyroscope technology, "said Yang Hong.It is understood that in order to meet the survival needs of astronauts in the spacecraft and ensure that the air quality in the long-term sealed cabin meets the standard, the team strictly controls the use of all metal and non-metal materials in the cabin; In order to address the impact of heat generated by work equipment on the living space of astronauts, they adopted ventilation and heat exchange methods, using machine heat to ensure the temperature inside the cabin... With humanized design and multidisciplinary and multidimensional scientific research exploration, the spacecraft has become a warm home for astronauts.

The ultimate goal of scientific research is to serve life, "said Academician Qi. As an important project of the" 863 Program, "the manned spaceflight project will drive progress in various scientific research fields. For example, after the future space station is built, multiple disciplinary experimental projects can be carried out, which will have a great promoting effect on fields such as agriculture, forestry, medicine, new materials, environmental protection, biology, and new energy technology, and ultimately change people's lives, "Yang Hong said.Memorabilia of manned spaceflight

November 20, 1999China's first independently developed unmanned experimental spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, has been successfully launched into space

October 15, 2003Yang Liwei sailed into space aboard Shenzhou V and successfully returned after completing 14 orbits around the Earth and flying for 21 hours

October 12, 2005Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng entered space aboard Shenzhou VI and stayed in space for 5 days

September 25, 2008The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft carrying three astronauts was successfully launched, and the astronauts achieved spacewalking

September 29, 2011China's first target spacecraft, Tiangong-1, was launched into space; Subsequently, Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 completed automatic rendezvous and docking

2013Shenzhou-10 and Tiangong-1 achieved rendezvous and docking; Astronauts conducted the first real-time 'space teaching'

2016Tiangong-2 was launched into space; Subsequently, two astronauts entered Tiangong-2 via spacecraft and stayed there for up to 30 days

April 22, 2017Tianzhou-1 and Tiangong-2 have successfully engaged in automatic rendezvous and docking, and have supplied fuel to Tiangong-2 multiple times

Expected around 2022The construction of China's space station

Source: Xinhua News AgencyWhen developing on the ground, Berlin Hou and his colleagues often simulate themselves as astronauts and experience them in the cabin. Based on personal feelings and feedback from astronauts, continuously improve the humanized design inside the cabin, such as noise reduction, waste disposal, etc.
Leading high-tech, breaking through! The ultimate goal of scientific research is to serve life
Researchers are all heroes behind the scenes. Behind every success, it is the result of their silent efforts and continuous struggle.
Ma Xiaobing, the deputy chief designer of the manned spacecraft system, habitually refers to himself as a "troublemaker". Ma Xiaobing, who has been in the aerospace industry for 15 years, deeply feels the principle of 'doing things to the extreme' that astronauts adhere to.
One late night in 2016, the on duty personnel discovered that there was a problem with the voice communication system between the astronauts and the ground. Because of the contingency plan, the problem was successfully resolved. It was necessary to consider 'all possible issues' on the ground, "Ma Xiaobing recalled.
In response, the team has established a ground monitoring and vulnerability prevention mechanism, which solves problems as soon as possible and forms a team culture of "zero defects, zero failures, and zero doubts".
Innovation is another culture of a team.
The new generation of astronauts must have an innovative spirit, "Ma Xiaobing said. In case of emergency, the spacecraft must return quickly within 4 hours, otherwise the safety of astronauts' lives will be threatened. This requires a large amount of data support, which needs to be taken into account during the ground development phase.
For example, in spacecraft rendezvous and docking, the spacecraft will undergo multiple orbit changes, and the expected trajectory often deviates. How to ensure real-time data updates and reduce errors has posed a challenge for Ma Xiaobing and his team.
It took three years for the team to use neural network algorithms and add autonomous computing programs to solve the problem of data errors by extracting parameters such as spacecraft altitude and flight speed, providing important technical support for the rescue of astronauts, "Ma Xiaobing told reporters.
Take Tiangong-1 as an example, in just 5 years, it has achieved breakthroughs in 11 key core technologies, including large-scale wall panel technology and control torque gyroscope technology, "said Yang Hong.
It is understood that in order to meet the survival needs of astronauts in the spacecraft and ensure that the air quality in the long-term sealed cabin meets the standard, the team strictly controls the use of all metal and non-metal materials in the cabin; In order to address the impact of heat generated by work equipment on the living space of astronauts, they adopted ventilation and heat exchange methods, using machine heat to ensure the temperature inside the cabin... With humanized design and multidisciplinary and multidimensional scientific research exploration, the spacecraft has become a warm home for astronauts.
The ultimate goal of scientific research is to serve life, "said Academician Qi. As an important project of the" 863 Program, "the manned spaceflight project will drive progress in various scientific research fields. For example, after the future space station is built, multiple disciplinary experimental projects can be carried out, which will have a great promoting effect on fields such as agriculture, forestry, medicine, new materials, environmental protection, biology, and new energy technology, and ultimately change people's lives, "Yang Hong said.
Memorabilia of manned spaceflight
On November 20, 1999, China's first independently developed unmanned experimental spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, was successfully launched into space. On October 15, 2003, Yang Liwei piloted Shenzhou-5 into space and launched the return program after orbiting the Earth 14 times and flying for 21 hours. On October 12, 2005, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng entered space aboard Shenzhou-6 and stayed in space for 5 days. On September 25, 2008, Shenzhou-7, which carried three astronauts, was successfully launched, and the astronauts achieved spacewalking. On September 29, 2011, China's first target spacecraft, Tiangong-1, was launched into space; Subsequently, Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 completed automatic rendezvous and docking. In 2013, Shenzhou-10 and Tiangong-1 achieved rendezvous and docking; The astronauts conducted the first real-time "space teaching" in 2016 when Tiangong-2 was launched into space; Subsequently, two astronauts entered Tiangong-2 through the spacecraft and stayed there for 30 days. On April 22, 2017, Tianzhou-1 and Tiangong-2 successfully docked and automatically intersected, supplying fuel to Tiangong-2 multiple times. It is expected that the Chinese space station will be completed around 2022
Source: Xinhua News AgencyWhen developing on the ground, Berlin Hou and his colleagues often simulate themselves as astronauts and experience them in the cabin. Based on personal feelings and feedback from astronauts, continuously improve the humanized design inside the cabin, such as noise reduction, waste disposal, etc.
Leading high-tech, breaking through! The ultimate goal of scientific research is to serve life
Researchers are all heroes behind the scenes. Behind every success, it is the result of their silent efforts and continuous struggle.
Ma Xiaobing, the deputy chief designer of the manned spacecraft system, habitually refers to himself as a "troublemaker". Ma Xiaobing, who has been in the aerospace industry for 15 years, deeply feels the principle of 'doing things to the extreme' that astronauts adhere to.
One late night in 2016, the on duty personnel discovered that there was a problem with the voice communication system between the astronauts and the ground. Because of the contingency plan, the problem was successfully resolved. It was necessary to consider 'all possible issues' on the ground, "Ma Xiaobing recalled.
In response, the team has established a ground monitoring and vulnerability prevention mechanism, which solves problems as soon as possible and forms a team culture of "zero defects, zero failures, and zero doubts".
Innovation is another culture of a team.
The new generation of astronauts must have an innovative spirit, "Ma Xiaobing said. In case of emergency, the spacecraft must return quickly within 4 hours, otherwise the safety of astronauts' lives will be threatened. This requires a large amount of data support, which needs to be taken into account during the ground development phase.
For example, in spacecraft rendezvous and docking, the spacecraft will undergo multiple orbit changes, and the expected trajectory often deviates. How to ensure real-time data updates and reduce errors has posed a challenge for Ma Xiaobing and his team.
It took three years for the team to use neural network algorithms and add autonomous computing programs to solve the problem of data errors by extracting parameters such as spacecraft altitude and flight speed, providing important technical support for the rescue of astronauts, "Ma Xiaobing told reporters.
Take Tiangong-1 as an example, in just 5 years, it has achieved breakthroughs in 11 key core technologies, including large-scale wall panel technology and control torque gyroscope technology, "said Yang Hong.
It is understood that in order to meet the survival needs of astronauts in the spacecraft and ensure that the air quality in the long-term sealed cabin meets the standard, the team strictly controls the use of all metal and non-metal materials in the cabin; In order to address the impact of heat generated by work equipment on the living space of astronauts, they adopted ventilation and heat exchange methods, using machine heat to ensure the temperature inside the cabin... With humanized design and multidisciplinary and multidimensional scientific research exploration, the spacecraft has become a warm home for astronauts.
The ultimate goal of scientific research is to serve life, "said Academician Qi. As an important project of the" 863 Program, "the manned spaceflight project will drive progress in various scientific research fields. For example, after the future space station is built, multiple disciplinary experimental projects can be carried out, which will have a great promoting effect on fields such as agriculture, forestry, medicine, new materials, environmental protection, biology, and new energy technology, and ultimately change people's lives, "Yang Hong said.
Memorabilia of manned spaceflight
On November 20, 1999, China's first independently developed unmanned experimental spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, was successfully launched into space. On October 15, 2003, Yang Liwei piloted Shenzhou-5 into space and launched the return program after orbiting the Earth 14 times and flying for 21 hours. On October 12, 2005, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng entered space aboard Shenzhou-6 and stayed in space for 5 days. On September 25, 2008, Shenzhou-7, which carried three astronauts, was successfully launched, and the astronauts achieved spacewalking. On September 29, 2011, China's first target spacecraft, Tiangong-1, was launched into space; Subsequently, Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 completed automatic rendezvous and docking. In 2013, Shenzhou-10 and Tiangong-1 achieved rendezvous and docking; The astronauts conducted the first real-time "space teaching" in 2016 when Tiangong-2 was launched into space; Subsequently, two astronauts entered Tiangong-2 through the spacecraft and stayed there for 30 days. On April 22, 2017, Tianzhou-1 and Tiangong-2 successfully docked and automatically intersected, supplying fuel to Tiangong-2 multiple times. It is expected that the Chinese space station will be completed around 2022
Source: Xinhua News Agency