Tiangong-1 of China’s manned spaceflight industry

The "Tiangong-1" mission conducted a system-wide quality review before rocket refueling. The results show that the technical status of each participating system is correct, the facilities and equipment function normally, the performance meets the mission requirements, the reliability and safety measures are implemented, and the conditions for reporting the launch are fully met.

The launch site organized and implemented the rocket filling equipment, filling hoses and signal cable connections to prepare for the subsequent filling of fuel and oxidizer. The meteorological department will pay close attention to the weather conditions at the launch site in the next few days, using the newly introduced "ensemble weather forecast system" and the newly established "wind field model" for real-time monitoring. The implementation of these tasks marks that the "Tiangong-1" mission has entered the final preparation stage for launch.

1. Mission objectives. The first is to develop and launch the Tiangong-1 target aircraft and complete the space rendezvous and docking flight test of the spacecraft together with the Shenzhou spacecraft. The second is to operate a short-term manned space test platform, conduct space residency tests for astronauts, and verify key technologies of the manned space station. The third is to carry out earth remote sensing, space environment and space physics detection, space science experiments, aerospace medical experiments and space technology experiments.

Space rendezvous and docking technology refers to the technology in which the tracking aircraft and the target aircraft meet on a predetermined orbit in space and are structurally connected into one. This technology is the basis for completing tasks such as spacecraft assembly in orbit, astronauts traveling to and from space, cargo transportation, fuel supply, and space rescue. It is a basic technology that must be mastered in the construction of manned space stations and the development of manned spaceflight.

2. Task planning. First, the Tiangong-1 target aircraft was launched, and then the Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9, and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft were launched successively to conduct rendezvous and docking with them to verify and master space rendezvous and docking technology, as well as key technologies such as assembly operation control and astronaut residency. Carry out space science experiments, aerospace medical experiments and space technology experiments.

Based on the mission preparation progress and launch window calculations, it is planned to launch the Tiangong-1 target aircraft in late September, followed by the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft to implement my country's first unmanned space rendezvous and docking test; Shenzhou will be launched separately in 2012 The Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10 spacecrafts are conducting unmanned or manned rendezvous and docking tests.

3. Technical status. The Tiangong-1 target aircraft is newly developed and adopts a two-cabin configuration of an experimental module and a resource module. It has a total length of 10.4 meters, a maximum cabin diameter of 3.35 meters, a take-off mass of 8,506 kilograms, and a designed on-orbit life of 2 years. The experimental cabin consists of a sealed cabin and an unsealed rear cone section. The sealed cabin has an effective activity space of about 15 cubic meters, which can meet the work and living needs of three astronauts in the cabin. The unsealed rear cone section is equipped with remote sensing test equipment. A passive docking mechanism and a rendezvous and docking measurement cooperation target are installed at the front end of the experimental cabin. After docking with the spacecraft, a transfer channel with a diameter of 0.8 meters can be formed. The resource cabin is a cylindrical unsealed cabin equipped with a propulsion system, solar cell wings, etc. to provide power and energy for space flight.

The Tiangong-1 target aircraft was launched by an improved Long March-2 F/T1 rocket. This type of rocket has developed a new fairing based on the original Long March 2F rocket, and has improved the booster, control system and fault detection system to improve the carrying capacity and orbit insertion accuracy. The rocket has a total length of 52 meters, a take-off mass of 493,000 kilograms, and a carrying capacity of 8,600 kilograms.

The measurement and control communication system consists of two Tianlian-1 relay satellites, 16 domestic and foreign land-based measurement and control stations, 3 survey ships, as well as the Beijing Flight Control Center and Xi'an Measurement and Control Center.

4. Flight procedures. The Tiangong-1 target aircraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. After two orbit changes, it entered a near-circular orbit with an altitude of about 350 kilometers and completed the on-orbit test of the aircraft platform. Before the launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft, the target aircraft began to de-orbit and phase, entering a docking orbit at an altitude of about 343 kilometers, waiting for rendezvous and docking with the spacecraft.

During its in-orbit flight, Tiangong-1 will rendezvous and dock with the Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecrafts to form a rigidly connected assembly.

After the combined mission ended, Tiangong-1 separated from the spacecraft. After the spacecraft returns, Tiangong-1 will ascend to a near-circular orbit with an altitude of about 370 kilometers, switch to long-term on-orbit operation and management mode, carry out space science and technology experiments, and wait for the next rendezvous and docking.

At the end of its life, the Tiangong-1 target aircraft voluntarily deorbited and crashed into the South Pacific.