What does this satellite look like?, Flexible solar wings that can be folded like memorials, China | Lingxi | Solar Wings
At 10:50 am Beijing time today, China successfully launched four satellites, including the Four Elephants 01 to 03 and the Galaxy Space Lingxi 03, using the Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The satellites were successfully placed into the designated orbit and the launch mission was a complete success. The Four Symbols 01 to 03 satellites are mainly used to obtain remote sensing observation data and provide commercial remote sensing services; The Galaxy Aerospace Lingxi 03 satellite is mainly used for satellite communication technology verification. This mission is the 479th flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
The Lingxi 03 satellite launched this time is a low orbit communication satellite, which innovatively applies many new technologies and will provide technical support for the rapid deployment of China's giant low orbit communication constellations in the future.
The Pathfinder of China's Giant Low Earth Orbit Communication Constellation on Lingxi 03 Star
CCTV reporter Li Ning: This is the Lingxi 03 star. From its appearance, it is completely different from the shape of our traditional satellite. It is in a flat state, equivalent to a "convex" shape of our Chinese characters. In addition, all of its payloads are exposed, and this satellite is also the first in China to be equipped with a flexible solar wing.
It is understood that Lingxi 03 satellite is equipped with advanced millimeter wave multi beam digital payload, mainly used to verify the related technologies of next-generation low orbit broadband satellite communication.
Hu Zhao, Commander in Chief of Galaxy Aerospace Lingxi 03: It is a broadband communication satellite with millimeter wave multi beam and digital processing load, so it is equivalent to moving the functions of many base stations to the satellite. It can do an analysis of massive user information, greatly improve the flexibility of communication satellite use, and actually lay a good foundation for the future constellation of satellite Internet in our country.
Hu Zhao introduced that Lingxi 03 will also verify technologies such as super large energy, industrial integration molding structure, multi satellite stacking compression and release. To this end, the research team has solved key problems such as active thermal control, providing support for accelerating the construction of China's satellite Internet.
Flat panel satellites can be stacked to fully utilize rocket launch capabilities
The Lingxi 03 satellite has overturned the traditional satellite design concept and physical form, adopting a flat and open configuration, directly attaching all single equipment to the main structure of the satellite. This can greatly save space and fully utilize the rocket's carrying capacity. This launch will complete China's first in orbit multi star stacked launch technology verification for Lingxi 03 satellite.
Hu Zhao, Commander in Chief of Galaxy Aerospace Lingxi 03: Traditional low orbit communication satellites usually have a cubic or trapezoidal structure, and during launch, the carrier rocket often needs to provide an adapter, such as a cylindrical support tube, which occupies a lot of the space of the carrier rocket and cannot fully utilize its transport capacity. So if we adopt this flat structure, we can stack multiple stars for launch, which can fully utilize the space we use to carry the fairing and greatly improve the deployment efficiency of the entire constellation.
Hu Zhao introduced that the Lingxi 03 satellite drew inspiration from the design concept of integral casting of automotive chassis and adopts integrated and highly integrated comprehensive electronic technology, which is easy for mass production of satellites, can shorten the development cycle of satellites, improve the networking efficiency of satellite constellations, and after completing relevant technical verification, plans will be made to implement multi satellite launch with one arrow in the future.
Hu Zhao, Commander in Chief of Galaxy Aerospace Lingxi 03 Star: When we launch in the future, because one section of our launch vehicle is a circle, in order to utilize the space of this circle, we will arrange two stars symmetrically on a single layer and then list them layer by layer. This method basically fills up the space of the fairing.
The first satellite in China to adopt flexible solar wings
Lingxi 03 satellite is the first satellite in China to use flexible solar wings. This type of flexible wing that can generate electricity is very thin, with a single layer thickness of only about 1 millimeter. It can fold like an ancient memorial, with a thickness of less than 5 centimeters when compressed. When working in space, the length of the solar wing can reach about 9 meters.
CCTV reporter Li Ning: This is the latest type of flexible solar wing. Compared with traditional rigid solar wings, you can take a look. It is very obvious that both its size and weight may only be a few tens of times that of rigid solar wings, but its power generation can fully meet the needs of our spacecraft in orbit.
It is reported that this flexible wing has the characteristics of small size, light weight, modularization, etc., and is easy to store. Compared with the traditional rigid solar wing, it has a larger area under the same weight, and can absorb more solar energy. It is suitable for the stacking and launching of satellites in large quantities, and is of great significance for accelerating the construction of satellite Internet.
Hu Zhao, Commander in Chief of Galaxy Aerospace Lingxi 03 Star: With the use of flexible solar wings, we can reduce the thickness of a rigid substrate, which was originally about 20 millimeters, to one millimeter, which is a basic thickness of one twentieth. This way, we can make the most of the space of our entire launch vehicle to improve its utilization efficiency.
