Building the "Space Station" on Earth - Entering the Environment of China's First Large Scientific Installation in the Aerospace Field | Ground | China
In an orbit over 400 kilometers away from Earth, the Chinese space station has traveled through the sky, becoming one of the important milestones in China's aerospace industry.
Looking at the northeast corner of our motherland, a space environment ground simulation device called the "Ground Space Station" has recently been officially completed and entered the trial operation stage, with many indicators reaching the world's leading level.
As the first large-scale scientific device in China's aerospace field, the Ground Space Station is the first comprehensive research device in the world that has the most comprehensive environmental factors and can achieve multi-scale and cross scale environmental effects research. It will contribute wisdom and strength to the development of China's aerospace industry and human space exploration.
Realizing Dreams: Building a "Space Station" on Earth
The space environment is harsh and complex, which not only tests the reliability of spacecraft, but also poses challenges to the health and safety of astronauts. How to enhance the ability to explore the universe is an urgent problem that needs to be solved.
"If you want to fly farther, stay longer, and explore more finely, you need to have a better understanding of the space environment." Li Liyi, Executive Deputy Commander of the Space Environment Ground Simulation Device and Dean of the Institute of Space Environment and Material Science at Harbin Institute of Technology, said that "ground space station" is to build a basic scientific research platform on the Earth that is similar to the real space environment, which is equivalent to building a "space station" on Earth.
The Ground Space Station is located in the Science and Technology Innovation City of Harbin New Area, Heilongjiang Province, and was jointly constructed by Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Technology Group. In the construction of the park, there are four experimental buildings: one large and three small. The first large refers to the space comprehensive environment experimental building, and the third small refers to the space plasma science experimental building, space magnetic environment science experimental building, and animal culture room.
Researchers at Harbin Institute of Technology conducted debugging of the space life science subsystem for the space environment ground simulation device. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
According to the design plan, the "ground space station" can simulate nine categories of space environmental factors, including vacuum, high and low temperatures, charged particles, electromagnetic radiation, space dust, plasma, weak magnetic field, neutral gas, microgravity, etc. It can explain the impact laws and mechanisms of space environment on materials, devices, systems, and living organisms.
Compared to moving experimental instruments and equipment into space, a ground space station can not only save costs and reduce safety hazards, but also set specific environmental factors according to scientific issues and engineering needs, without being limited by time and space for multiple repeated verifications, thus creating safer and more convenient experimental conditions and research methods.
As the circular arch slowly moved, the lunar dust chamber came into view, and this was the "Simulated Moon" experimental module. In a space with more than one person tall, a one meter square platform shimmers with silver light, and the searchlights and radiation sources suspended at the top have different shapes.
Team member Sun Chengyue said that the lunar dust chamber has overcome multiple key technologies such as the integration of multi-source irradiation charging equipment, uniform sprinkling of small dust, and optical in-situ online detection in strong electrostatic environments. It will provide a scientific research platform for China's major aerospace projects such as lunar exploration, lunar base construction, and manned spaceflight.
This is the lunar dust chamber of the space environment ground simulation device at Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
"In the future, many experiments that require reaching space can be completed on the ground," said Yan Jihong, Vice Dean of the Institute of Space Environment and Material Science at Harbin Institute of Technology. This is what scientists dream of.
Challenge: Sitting the "Cold Bench" Hot
When it comes to the origin of "ground space stations," Li Liyi said that the space environment leads to frequent aerospace failures, which is the key factor restricting the longevity and high reliability operation of spacecraft.
As early as 2005, Harbin Institute of Technology began collaborating with China Aerospace Science and Technology Group to form a team to conduct research and analysis on the research platform conditions for basic scientific issues related to the interaction between space environment and matter.
"Technological breakthroughs are aimed at the most urgent issues," said E Peng, Vice Dean of the Institute of Space Environment and Material Science at Harbin Institute of Technology. The construction of large scientific facilities plays an important supporting role in many basic cutting-edge research and strategic high-tech research.
This is the particle acceleration system of the space environment ground simulation device at Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
After repeated argumentation and prudent decision-making by scientists and relevant departments in the field, the "Space Environment Ground Simulation Device" project was approved in September 2015;
In January 2017, its feasibility study was approved, and in July of the same year, the preliminary design of the device was approved, and construction began at the end of the year;
In September 2019, the Space Environment and Material Science Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology was established, with a team of over a hundred members, covering multiple disciplines such as physics, materials, electromechanical, electrical, chemical, aerospace, and life;
In February 2023, the Space Environment and Material Interaction Frontier Science Center of Harbin Institute of Technology was approved for construction
Unlike other scientific research projects and infrastructure, the large scientific facility is both a scientific project and an engineering project, possessing the dual characteristics of scientific research and engineering construction. It has high technical difficulty, long cycle, and high risk, and there is almost no experience to learn from.
As an important component of the ground space station, the goal of a zero magnetic space environment is to build a near zero magnetic space that shields against external magnetic interference. Under the guidance of her mentor, Sun Zhiyin, a member of the "post-90s" team, innovatively proposed a "nesting doll" magnetic shielding design scheme during her doctoral studies.
Researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology demonstrate a space magnetic environment simulation and research system for ground simulation devices. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
Liu Jianli, the chief designer of the ion accelerator system for the Ground Space Station, recalled that due to a large number of equipment not having mature products, the team needed to start from scratch. Design, processing, installation, debugging and operation, data analysis... Each step requires a 120% investment of energy.
"As a national team for scientific research, we should not only consider what we can do and what we can do, but also what we should do and what we need to do." "Crossing the river by feeling the stones, wherever there are stones, we can move them away." Team members admit that large scientific installations usually require a team of three to four hundred people, but the "ground space station" can be completed with about a hundred people. It is normal to work for more than ten hours a day without rest on weekends and holidays, and often "one person is used as two people".
"Why can a 'ground space station' be achieved? The key lies in independent innovation, showing a strong drive to tackle tough challenges." Han Jiecai, President of Harbin Institute of Technology and Chief Engineer of Space Environment Ground Simulation Equipment, said that the school, in collaboration with multiple collaborative units, continuously tackles key issues, and scientific research and exploration are always running through the construction process, achieving synchronous progress.
Outlook: Opening a New Chapter in Technological Exchange and Cooperation
Harbin in summer is lush with vegetation. Yu Yuanyang, a doctoral student born in 1995 from the Gravity Center of the School of Physics at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, sat in front of the zero magnetic device and carefully observed the experimental data on the computer screen. He will conduct a one month gravitational wave detection related experiment here.
"The key components we use have weak magnetism, and only in specific zero magnetic environments can we obtain more accurate measurement results." Yu Yuanyang said that the "ground space station" is a national treasure and a scientific research tool, which will promote a large number of scientific research achievements.
Currently, domestic and foreign scientists are competing to apply to enter the "ground space station" to conduct scientific experiments. More than 110 institutions have signed user agreements, covering more than 30 countries and regions.
The large-scale scientific installation carries the beautiful wish of humanity to explore the unknown world, and also attracts a group of young scientific and technological workers. They come from multiple universities and research institutes, and closely integrate their personal growth with the needs of national development.
This year, Nie Qiuyue, born in the 1980s, has entered her tenth year teaching at Harbin Institute of Technology. In 2014, after leaving the postdoctoral workstation at Tsinghua University, she resolutely chose to travel north and participated in the development of a space plasma environment simulation and research system.
This is the Space Plasma Environment Simulation and Research System of the Space Environment Ground Simulation Device at Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
"Large scientific facilities will become a new source of competition for technology," said Jin Chenggang, who works at Harbin Institute of Technology from a southern university. From aerospace electronic component inspection to gravitational wave detection, from agricultural breeding to life science experiments, more and more scientific research will be carried out here, and more high-level scientific research talents will gather here.
At present, the spillover effects of the construction of "ground space stations" have become apparent, and more than 80 international and domestic invention patents have been obtained. They will play an important role in neuroscience, life and health, high-end instruments, irradiation breeding, and other fields.
This is the Mars dust chamber of the space environment ground simulation device at Harbin Institute of Technology. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Song
Industry insiders admit that driven by a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, the "ground space station" is expected to solve bottleneck problems in integrated design of aerospace products, modular manufacturing, space environment adaptability, and drive the development of emerging industries such as satellite manufacturing, electronic information, artificial intelligence, new materials, and biomedicine.
Innovation is endless, and seeking innovation is seeking the future. Xiong Sihao, Secretary of the Party Committee of Harbin Institute of Technology, said that the university will strive to build the "ground space station" into an advanced technology research and engineering application platform, making greater contributions to the construction of a strong science and technology country and the exploration of unknown mysteries.
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