So the question is, how does the Chinese space station realize the wifi network connection at an altitude of 400 kilometers, and how does it realize the communication between the astronauts and the ground?

Communication system of manned space station

The China Space Station is located on a near-circular orbit of 340 to 450 kilometers, with a design life of 10 years and a rated crew of 3 people. In addition, there are cargo spacecraft, experimental cabins and other structures. It is a huge challenge to realize the task of measurement and control communication. There are five main challenges:

1. More than 90% high measurement and control coverage;

2. Long-term continuous high-reliability measurement and control must be maintained for at least 10 years;

3. High data transmission rate, the maximum downlink data transmission rate is not less than several hundred megabytes;

4. Simultaneous measurement and control of multiple targets can support measurement and control support for 3 targets at the same time;

5. Efficient scheduling of measurement and control resources.

How to solve these five challenges? In the process of manned space flight missions, it relies on land-sea-based measurement and control equipment to achieve measurement and control tasks. When the Shenzhou 12 and China Space Station rendezvous and dock, it will be handed over to the relay satellite to realize the measurement and control communication. Before the construction of China’s space station, three “Tianlian-1” relay satellites had been successfully launched, and a space-based measurement and control network covering the world was initially realized. At present, the three “Tianlian-1″ relay satellites are respectively set at 77°E, 176.8°E, and 16.8°E. Their configuration combination can achieve more than 90% coverage of measurement and control, which is a challenge. High measurement and control coverage above %”. Not only that, the “Tianlian No. 1” relay satellite can support a single channel of up to 100 megabytes of data transmission, as well as support for simultaneous measurement and control of dual targets in the same antenna beam. But only relying on “Tianlian No. 1” is not enough. Therefore, on April 9, 2019, the “Tianlian II 01” relay satellite was launched. It is China’s second-generation relay satellite with powerful performance and can also achieve reverse single-channel maximum data of several hundreds of megabytes. Transmission, while also being able to multiplex. The “Tianlian II 01 satellite” is equipped with inter-satellite antennas. Each inter-satellite antenna can support simultaneous measurement and control of dual targets. Therefore, two inter-satellite antennas can achieve simultaneous measurement and control of 3 targets. After the “Tianlian-2 01” relay satellite is launched into the sky, it will be networked with the “Tianlian-1” 03 and 04 satellites, which can support the space-based measurement and control and data relay support of the China Space Station. At the same time, the “Beidou” satellite navigation system can determine the orbit with high coverage and high accuracy, which can help the Chinese Space Station to provide necessary support when implementing rendezvous missions. To realize the communication between the ground and the Chinese space station, the support of the ground-based measurement and control station is indispensable. In order to better communicate with the Chinese space station, the basic measurement and control station (ship) includes 7 domestic stations, 5 foreign stations, and 3 international stations. Website and 3 survey ships. In order to achieve efficient resource mobilization, scientists also coordinated space-based and ground-based measurement and control resources and integrated scheduling, which solved the five major challenges.

Space Wi-Fi?

This time the China Space Station is also equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing astronauts to have video calls with their family members in space, surf the Internet, and use Douyin. How is this done? In the initial stage of the construction of the International Space Station, no Internet service was configured, so 4 two-way e-mails could be sent. This makes the life of astronauts working on the International Space Station very monotonous. Later, after being equipped with the Internet, the Internet was not safe enough, which caused viruses in the computers of the astronauts. Our National Space Station has learned from this experience, so the astronauts are equipped with Internet services. To be equipped with this service, the main thing is to enable the two-way transmission of Internet business data between the space station and the Internet on the ground. This process requires a series of communications such as the space station’s local area network, space communication links, aerospace ground measurement and control communication network, and ground Internet. Link, and the communication equipment used is the relay satellite. Due to the TCP/IP protocol running on the ground Internet, if the space station also uses TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), the transmission performance will be affected by physical factors, resulting in large delays and high bit error rates. In order to solve this problem, scientists can only formulate the AOS protocol of CCSDS based on the TCP/IP protocol. Using this protocol is not only safe, but also can solve the problems of high bit error rate and large instability and delay. So, don’t look at it as just a matter of installing wifi to configure the network, the technology required behind it is also very cutting-edge. This also allows us to understand from the side how difficult the construction of China’s space station is

Poster production: Feng Juan On the 21st, the summer solstice. Astronomical science experts reminded that around the summer solstice, the International Space Station (ISS) ushered in good observation opportunities. It would frequently stroll the night sky and compete with the stars in the night sky for “C position.” By then, if the weather is fine, the public in northern my country can appreciate this rare heavenly “marathon” with naked eyes. Beijing astronomy enthusiast Zong Haiyang took a close-up photo of the ISS in Beijing in February 2018. (Photo provided by me) ISS is currently the largest space platform operating in orbit. It is a space laboratory with modern scientific research equipment that can carry out large-scale, multidisciplinary basic and applied scientific research. The scale of the ISS is close to a standard football stadium, which was jointly constructed by 16 countries including the United States, Russia, Canada, and Japan, and it took 12 years to complete the construction. Guangxi astronomy enthusiast Wang Jin took a photo of the ISS transit trajectory taken at Heishantou, Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, May 15, 2021 (Photo provided by me) Shi Zhicheng, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, said that at night before and after the summer solstice, for mid-latitudes in the northern hemisphere, the sun can shine on the solar panels of the ISS at a position not too low below the horizon to form a reflection, so It looks like a moving “bright star”. A close-up photo of the ISS taken by Beijing astronomy enthusiast Zong Haiyang in Beijing in April 2020. (Photo provided by me) Under ideal conditions, it is possible for the public to witness the ISS flying over China more than 5 times in one night. Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Wang Shuo took a photo of the ISS transit trajectory in Tianjin on May 30, 2021. (Photo provided by me) Astronomical science experts said that ISS transits through my country almost every month, but due to factors such as weather conditions, space station transit orbits, geographic location, urban light pollution and other factors, most of the time the observation conditions are fairly normal. The period when the comprehensive observation conditions are relatively good around the summer solstice is very rare throughout the year. Interested members of the public can try to see the ISS style. Beijing astronomy enthusiast Wang Junfeng took a photo of the ISS flying over the moon halo in Honghe, Yunnan on December 22, 2019. (Photo provided by me) Beijing astronomy enthusiast Wang Junfeng suggested that interested members of the public can use small programs such as “Tenron” or professional apps to view information about the transit time, azimuth, and brightness of the ISS at their location. Wang Junfeng said that the average ISS transit time is 3 to 5 minutes. When the weather is fine, it is easy to see a bright “star” quickly across the night sky. Astronomy enthusiasts in certain areas can also see the ISS quickly passing over the surface of the moon. This phenomenon is called “transiting moon.” Beijing astronomy enthusiast Zheng Zhi took a photo of the ISS “Lingyue” in Beijing on March 25, 2018 (multiple superimposed). (Photo provided by me) Under more severe conditions, through professional observation equipment, you can even see the ISS quickly passing by the surface of the sun during the day. This phenomenon is called “transit”. Beijing astronomy enthusiast Sun Si took a photo of the ISS “transit of the sun” in Beijing on April 7, 2019 (multiple superimposed). (Photo provided by me) Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Wang Shuo took a photo of the ISS “transit of the sun” in Tianjin on May 29, 2021 (multiple superimposed). (Photo provided by me) “ISS’transit of the sun’ and’transit of the moon’ are more difficult to observe and photograph, especially the’transit’. Because the sun is extremely bright and the time is very short, you must not use the naked eye to observe directly, and you need to be equipped with special equipment.” Wang Junfeng Say. ISS Micro Record. (Video content provided by Wang Junfeng, an astronomy enthusiast in Beijing) Although China did not participate in the ISS project, the first launch vehicle of the Chinese space station mission, the Tianhe core module, was successfully launched on April 29 this year. The China Space Station has three cabins: Tianhe Core Module, Wentian Experimental Module, and Mengtian Experimental Module as the basic configuration. At 11:23 on April 29, 2021, the Tianhe core module was launched at my country’s Wenchang Space Launch Site and entered the scheduled orbit accurately. The mission was a success. (Issued by Xinhua News Agency) After the successful launch of the three-cabin vehicles of the China Space Station, they will be in orbit through rendezvous, docking and transposition to form a “T” configuration combination, which will operate in orbit for a long time. The successful autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking of the Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft and the Tianhe core module taken at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center on June 17, 2021. (Issued by Xinhua News Agency) Tianjin astronomy enthusiast Wang Shuo took a photo of the transit trajectory of the Tianhe core module in Tianjin on May 1, 2021. (Photo provided by me) Publisher: Zhao Cheng Producer: Hu Qinghai Planning: Liu Xinhui Reporter: Zhou Runjian Editor: Chong Dahai Jointly produced by Xinhua News Agency and Xinhua News Agency Tianjin Branch Produced by Xingkong Studio

Multi-plan and fully autonomous “rapid rendezvous and docking” Compared with the Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft and the spacecraft in front of it, a big difference between the Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft is the introduction of the rapid rendezvous and docking of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft in the manned spacecraft for the first time. The full-phase and fully autonomous rendezvous and docking function of the second cargo spacecraft. It is reported that according to the functional requirement that the rapid rendezvous and docking required by the mission is less than 6.5 hours (according to the official caliber), the 502 Institute of the 5th Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group combined with the short-distance rendezvous and docking time setting, and designed multiple sets of plans for the long-distance autonomous rendezvous. , These are fully autonomous programs. Of course, the plan can also be personalized, that is, customize on-demand through the ground, and inform the GNC system before launch, then the system will execute the whole process autonomously. Proximity rendezvous was already a fully autonomous plan at the second step of the “three-step” strategy of China’s manned space project. However, due to the new characteristics of the space station’s multiple interfaces and the backward-facing interface when there is a cargo spacecraft docked, it is a cooperative goal for backward cooperation. The occlusion and other constraints. The third step close rendezvous On the basis of the second step, the docking point rendezvous plan, the original design state and flight mode are modified, and new flight conditions are added-the direct rendezvous plan, relative to the docking point rendezvous plan, the direct rendezvous plan It takes less time and consumes less propellant. Set a point cleverly, saving time and effort This is a point in the space near the space station. It is the soul of the short-range fully autonomous direct rendezvous program. It is the crystallization of the further improvement of my country’s space rendezvous and docking technology and orbiting technology. It is also the third step of the manned space project to achieve rapid rendezvous and docking. shortcut. In order to meet the new requirements of multiple pairs of interfaces and rapid rendezvous and docking for space station operation, the three-step strategy for manned space project 502 of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group is based on the second step mastering automatic and manual rendezvous and docking and orbiting technologies, and the third step is In the space station phase, a new flight feature point—the midpoint of sight—is added to the rendezvous and docking mission. The mid-point aiming point is the abbreviation of “midway aiming point” for rendezvous and docking. It is the “transfer station” before the rendezvous and docking of manned spacecraft, cargo spacecraft and space station. It is located behind and below the space station. Through this point, it is the most convenient and quick to complete the connection with the space station. The rendezvous and docking of the forward, radial and backward docking interfaces has the characteristics of saving time (time) and labor (propellant consumption). The introduction of the midpoint is a manifestation of the continuous development of my country’s rendezvous and docking technology and the confidence in design and implementation. If the rendezvous and docking is likened to mountain climbing, the rearward anchoring point rendezvous method in the second step of the manned space project requires a rehearsal or rehearsal to climb several times during the formal summit. The previous summit is for the final formal summit. It is time-consuming and labor-intensive to confirm your own status and related guarantee conditions. The mid-point rendezvous method is through the “mid-point”, the match point near the top of the mountain. During the process, you can confirm the target and guarantee conditions, and dynamically adjust the climbing rhythm according to your own status until you reach the top. The time effort can save up to 40%. . Guangzhou Daily·Xinhuacheng reporter: Xiao Huanhuan, correspondent Chai Yue Guangzhou Daily·New Flower City Editor: Cai Lingyue

Water Bear – Tiny tardigrada that lives in the water. Photo: Earth Life According to CNN (USA), the SpaceX ship will carry necessities, scientific research experiments and even solar panels to the ISS station. In particular, 5,000 water bears and 128 small squids will also be sent to space this time. Both animals will participate in the experiments here. The scientists wanted to find out how water bears can tolerate the environment on the space station and whether microgravity affects the symbiotic relationship between squid and probiotics. Water bear in space Water bears look like little bears under a microscope. Photo: CNN According to Thomas Boothby, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming, water bears are known to be able to survive and thrive in the most extreme environments. They are a group of microorganisms that can survive under extreme pressure. “Water bears have the ability to survive drying, freezing and heating past boiling point. They can withstand radiation levels thousands of times higher than humans and can survive days or weeks without oxygen,” said Boothby. He said this is not the first time water bears have been sent into space. They have been shown to survive and reproduce in spaceflight, and can even survive long periods of exposure to the vacuum of space. “Scientists were able to sequence the genome of the water bear, thereby testing how the microorganism is affected by different environmental conditions based on their gene expression,” he said. more. Boothby’s experiment is also aimed at understanding how water bears are adapted to life in low Earth orbit. This could help to better understand the stressors humans face in the universe. The water bear will arrive at the ISS in a frozen state, then be defrosted, revived and grown in a special system. The results of the study will allow scientists to track which genes help water bears survive. For example, if researchers determine that water bears are making lots of antioxidants to help cope with high radiation levels, that means astronauts need to eat a diet rich in these nutrients. more anti-oxidant. “Our hope is that this knowledge will pave the way to the development of countermeasures or therapies to help protect astronauts during extended space missions,” said Boothby. Glowing squid ink Young long-tailed squid are swimming in sea water. Photo: CNN In addition, the researchers will also conduct the UMAMI experiment – a study that investigates microgravity on interactions between animals and microorganisms. Jamie Foster, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida and the lead researcher on the experiment, said the study aimed to understand how healthy bacteria interact with animal tissue in space. . “Animals, including humans, rely on the microbiome to maintain a healthy gut and immune system,” Ms Foster said. “But we still don’t fully understand how the universe changes those beneficial interactions. The UMAMI experiment using glow-in-the-dark dumpling squid will shed light on these important issues in human health. “. The stomach squid is only about 3mm long, making it the perfect model to study for two reasons. They have special luminous organs in their bodies, which may contain a species of luminescent bacteria. The squid then uses the bacteria to glow in the dark. Since there’s only one species of bacteria and one type of host tissue, it’s easy for researchers to track how that happens. “Squid has a similar immune system to humans. We can see a lot of similarities in how the immune system responds to these beneficial bacteria in the space environment,” she added. The baby squid are born without bacteria, so they must be collected from the environment. The team of experts conducting the experiment will promote a symbiotic relationship by introducing bacteria into the squid and observing what happens in the first few hours. In the experiment, the squids will be placed in an automatic container. The pump will pump water or bacteria as they need it. After that, the squid tissue will be frozen on the ISS station and brought back to Earth. In addition, the scientists also carried out other experiments including mobile ultrasound, remote control of the robotic arm with virtual reality technology, analysis of how kidney stones form in space, studying the microbiome of the kidney. organisms in the mouth and produce more resistant cotton. Hundreds of scientific experiments are conducted every day on the ISS station, which is likened to a space laboratory. Astronauts will monitor this experiment and report their observations to researchers on Earth. These studies will help us better understand zero-gravity life and explore possible benefits on Earth.

According to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, the project to build Russia’s own domestic space station was approved by President Vladimir Putin during a closed-door meeting on the development of the space industry. Work on creating a national orbital station is scheduled to launch in the near future. Experts are faced with the task of building the space object as soon as possible, in order to prevent the long-term absence of Russian cosmonauts in orbit. The publication Moskovsky Komsomolets reminds that the estimated service life of the Russian segment on the International Space Station will end in 2025. After that, the module will be destroyed. The proposal to abandon the ISS was previously announced by the Russian National Space Corporation – Roscosmos. The experts of the above enterprise believe that serious system problems of the orbiting station in operation may begin soon, as its useful life is about to end. According to preliminary estimates, maintaining the Russian segment on the ISS in the coming years will cost 10-15 billion rubles, which is very expensive compared to building a completely new one. The International Space Station has been in use since 1998, its life will end in 2024. Currently, the countries participating in the project are considering options to prolong the existence of the multi-space space research complex. capacity until 2030. In the meantime, it is known that some components for the International Space Station ISS will be utilized by Russia. The first basic module for the future Russian national orbital station could be a component previously designed for the ISS. Experts from RSC Energia are currently working on the Science and Energy module (NEM) and it will be ready for launch in 2025. The head of the Roscosmos Group – Mr. Dmitry Rogozin wrote about this on the Telegram channel of the company. myself. Mr. Rogozin also reiterated that Russia intends to withdraw from the ISS after 2025. By that time, Moscow plans to build its own orbiting station for scientific research purposes. Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that the situation related to the “aging” of the ISS structure could lead to dire consequences. So Moscow should create an alternative as soon as possible and not put the astronauts at risk. In addition, Borisov also revealed that the future national orbiting station could become “high-orbit” (located above the ISS), which would not only be used for scientific research, but also serve as a “transshipment base” in the mission to conquer the Moon. As for the NEM module, work on its creation began in 2012. According to the plan, by 2015 the device should have ensured energy independence for the Russian subdivision on the ISS. However, at that time only the preliminary design was completed. NEM’s ground tests only really started in 2018. While its launch date has been repeatedly postponed. In the coming time, Russian scientists will certainly have to be more active, because progress is increasingly urgent. In addition to the NEM that will become the main module, according to Dmitry Rogozin, two permanent working modules named Nauca and Prichal may also become part of the Russian space station in the future, both modules will be sent to the ISS in the future. this year.

According to Pentagon French speaker Mike Howard, fragments of the 5B Truong Chinh missile, with a length of more than 30 meters and a weight of 22 tons, is expected to fall back into the atmosphere “around May 9”, at the same time. added that the US Space Command is closely monitoring the missile’s trajectory. Using data from the US military, Space Track predicts fragments of the missile will fall between 1:44 a.m. and 4 a.m. on May 9 (international time). Space Track also noted that because it was impossible to determine the correct time of the fall, locating the falling point of the debris is very difficult, but confirmed that it will continuously update the missile wreck’s location through its website. Chinese Truong Chinh 5B missile. Photo: CNN “Risk is possible, there will be some damage but quite small, not insignificant, but the ability to affect people is extremely small” – astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the University Harvard (USA), stated. The European Space Monitoring and Monitoring Agency (EU SST) has predicted a “risk zone” includes “any part of the Earth’s surface, including almost all of the Americas, Africa and Australia. , parts in southern Asia (Japan) and Europe such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece “. The extent of the debris’s influence is such a result of the rocket debris’s dizzying rate, even small effects during the fall can dramatically change its trajectory. . “We expect the debris to reappear sometime between May 8 and May 10,” said McDowell. However, as explained by Harvard astrophysicist, the oceans are still the safest place to bet for debris to land, as seas occupy 70% of the Earth’s surface area. China successfully launched the space station’s core module into space with the Truong Chinh 5B rocket, on April 29. Photo: REUTERS Earlier, on May 7, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that most of the debris from the missile would burn when it falls to Earth and is less likely to cause any harm, CNN said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Uong Van Ban said Beijing is very focused on bringing the rocket’s upper deck back into the atmosphere: “As far as I know, this missile uses a special design. Much of the rocket will be burned and destroyed in the return to atmosphere “. The Beijing government also criticized that the news that the missile unit had fallen out of control and could cause harm was exaggeration by the West. Chinese experts say the situation is nothing to worry about. Fragment of China’s Truong Chinh 5B missile is expected to hit Earth on May 9. Photo: CNN Previously, on April 29, China successfully launched the space station’s core module called Thien Hoa into space with the Truong Chinh 5B boosters from the Van Xuong Spacecraft Launch Center in Hainan Province. This is one of the steps for the country to complete its mission of setting up its own space station, a key effort in China’s plan to master space, probe the Moon, and even Mars. But instead of falling to a predetermined place in the sea like the rockets before, the central stage of the Truong Chinh 5B boosters began to rotate around the globe in a state of out-of-control, according to CNN. Dropping debris from Chinese missile launches to Earth is not uncommon in China. In May 2020, the core of the first Truong Chinh 5B rocket crashed on Ivory Coast, damaging a number of buildings, luckily causing no injuries.

However, an incident later occurred when the core of a missile weighing up to 20 tons lost control and fell back to the ground at an extremely high speed. According to forecasts by both the US space agency (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) at that time, the missile is likely to fall on May 8-10 – and currently the latest forecasts show. It will fall on May 9. Missile Truong Chinh 5B. Description: Thanh Luan Its location is a densely populated place or falls into the sea or uninhabited area is still a big question mark, so this event attracts the attention of most of the world’s major powers. . But many experts advise people in the countries concerned that “should not be too worried”. Specifically, sharing his opinion with CGTN channel on May 8, according to expert Zhang Xiaotian working at the School of Astronaut, Beihang University, told CGTN: “ As for the missile’s return to the ground, we need it to fall into a predetermined safe zone and there are many measures to achieve this goal such as choosing the launch location, controlling the brake. degrees at different stages “. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Uong Van Ban also said that the ability of fragments or missile cores to fall to the ground is extremely low because the missile is designed with special technology. . The Hindustantimes Indian newspaper quoted the Paris-PSL Observatory astronomer Florent Delefie as saying: “ The chance of the debris falling in an inhabited area is very low, with the probability of 1 in 1 million “. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Harvard, in an interview on Space.com even said that the probability of a personal danger being hit by a piece of paper is just 1 in many billions of possibilities. “The chance of someone getting hurt is probably 1% and the chance of you getting hurt is 8 billion times smaller than that, so don’t worry about it.” Even so, McDowell also criticized China for its somewhat irresponsible actions: “Usually, after the missile completes its mission, the engine will be reactivated and dropped into the ocean or inhabited place, so the damage is very little. However, China did not do that,” he said. they put rockets in orbit and then set them free. “ Theverge quoted Dan Oltrogge – founder of Space Safety Coalition as well as leading expert at Commercial Space Operations Center expressed optimism about the missile core will fall into the sea. He said: “Most of the Earth’s surface is covered with water (70%), so there is almost no danger, the chance of it falling into a residential area is not zero but there would be little to worry about if it does. fell into the ocean “. “The chance of anyone getting hit by debris is very low, extremely low”, he stressed . Have there been instances of missile debris hit causing significant injury? In fact, in more than six decades since humans put their first satellite into the air, there have been no cases of debris hitting people causing significant injuries, according to Stijn Lemmens, an expert at Mechanical European Space Agency. The likelihood of falling into the residential area of ​​the Truong Chinh 5B missile core is very low. Photo: Bulletin The China Space Agency, the main unit responsible for this incident, still keeps information related to the missile secret, so it is still possible to estimate the specific drop position of the missile core. a big question. Most recently, they just made an official announcement. This is not the first case of a Chinese space object losing control, before in 2018, a space station named Thien Cung 1 weighing 8 tons also lost control and fell back to the ground. but no one was injured. Articles translated from sources: Space, CGTN, Hindustantimes, Theguardian

Space Station Skylab was launched by the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) in 1973. The agency had planned Skylab to operate for at least 10 years, but that did not happen. The sun radiates more energy than expected, increasing Skylab’s pull back to Earth. Image: NASA . On the night of July 11, 1979, Skylab returned to Earth and exploded over the Indian Ocean, west of Australia. Debris from the 85-ton space station is scattered across fields and small towns. Although no one was injured, the town of Esperance (Australia) fined $ 400 to NASA for littering. However, this agency does not pay. Until 2009, a new radio station in California (USA) paid this fine. Photo: State Library of Western Australia. Not only Skylab, there have been many instances where objects from space fell uncontrollably down to Earth. November 10, 2013, satellite GOCE The European Space Agency (ESA) caught fire and plunged into the Atlantic due to running out of fuel a month ago. According to the Space , GOCE is used to map the Earth’s gravity. Previously, scientists were concerned that the 1-ton satellite could fall to the mainland. Image: Space . Atmospheric Research Satellites (UARS) was launched by NASA in September 1991 with space shuttle Discovery to analyze the Earth’s ozone layer. In December 2005, a satellite weighing 6.5 tons, worth $ 750 million, was stopped by NASA before it fell to Earth in September 2011. While most of the satellites were burned, the remaining 532 kg of UARS fell to Canada, Africa, parts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Image: NASA . NASA launches satellites Pegasus 2 weighed 11.6 tons in 1965 to study asteroids orbiting the Earth. The data was sent back to NASA by Pegasus 2 for about 3 years, then kept on orbit for 11 years. On November 3, 1979, the satellite returned to Earth and then exploded, debris plunging down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Image: NASA . Operated for 9 years from 1971 to 1982, Salyut 7 is the last space station in the Salyut program of the Soviet Union. On February 7, 1991, the 22-ton space station lost control, crashing to Earth after a period of time out of orbit while still connected to the Cosmos 1686 spacecraft. Both burned and exploded in the sky. Argentina, some fragments found in Capitan Bermudez region, no human casualties have been reported. Image: Space Age . On February 1, 2003, space shuttle Columbia exploded in the sky above Texas (USA) when returning to Earth, killing 7 astronauts. Investigations revealed that 82 seconds after the 100-ton ship took off, an insulating foam fell onto the carbon fiber board, puncturing the hull and damaging the body temperature protection while it was in service. speed 28,968 km / h. Although no one on the ground was injured, the Columbia event marked the second deadliest disaster in NASA’s space shuttle program. Image: NASA . Cosmos 954 , the secret satellite of the Soviet Navy used to spy on US nuclear submarines, launched on September 18, 1977 lost control. On January 24, 1978, a 3.8-ton satellite crashed northwestern Canada, causing radioactive debris to scatter over a large area. The Government of Canada asked the Soviet Union to pay $ 6 million for the search and cleanup campaign, but this country only accepted to pay $ 3 million. Image: NASA . On July 27, 2016, a boosters Long March 7 (Truong Chinh 7) China’s free fall, exploding in the American western skies. The image of a missile-generated light trail in the sky is widely shared on the Internet. The Long March missile chain is part of China’s plan to build an outer space station. Image: Matt Holt . Space Station Tiangong 1 (Heavenly Palace 1) China exploded over the southern Pacific on April 1, 2018. The 8-ton space station was launched in 2011, receiving 2 crew from 2012-2013 before completing the mission. In March 2016, China lost contact with Tiangong 1, allowing the space station to fall freely due to the gravity of the Earth. Image: CMSA . SpaceX’s test missile explodes again when it lands on the launch pad SpaceX’s Starship SN9 rocket landed and exploded on 2/2. This is the first phase prototype of a reusable rocket line that will help send people to Mars.

This weekend, China’s Long March 5B (Truong Chinh 5B) missile will fall back to Earth. Instead of falling into the sea as originally planned, the Long March 5B was orbiting the Earth and lost control. The silence from the China National Space Administration (CNSA) coupled with the rocket’s too fast travel speed makes scientists at other space research institutions do not have enough computational data, see rockets. Where will it fall. Hard to have human casualties The Long March 5B missile is 30 meters long, weighs 22.5 tons, and when it falls to the ground the equivalent of a small plane falling and debris flying 160 km away. This is the comment of Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. In 2020, a 50 meter long fragment also from a Chinese rocket crashed into the Atlantic, just 13 minutes after passing New York City with 9 million inhabitants. However, a 12-meter-long piece may have crashed in a village on Ivory Coast, according to the report The Verge , from the source of the local newspaper Afriksoir. The villagers heard a loud explosion, lightning, and noise at the same time that scientists calculated missile debris. The 12-meter-long debris that fell on the village of Mahounou on Ivory Coast in May 2020 is believed to have belonged to the Truong Chinh 5B missile. Photo: Afrik Soir. The orbits re-enter the atmosphere of rockets, which are inherently difficult to predict, because they travel at speeds of thousands of kilometers per hour. Scientists can only calculate accuracy after the rocket has returned to the atmosphere and began to fall. However, according to Mr. McDowell’s estimates, there will be no loss of life. Rockets will usually be burned most of the time when they pass through the atmosphere. Only a few parts, which are designed to be more heat resistant, can fall back to Earth. However, with a planet’s surface area of ​​up to 75% that is water, and also much of the ground uninhabited, the probability that missile debris could fall right where humans are inhabited is very low. “The worst scenario is that when a small piece falls on a person, that person is more likely to die. The probability that a lot of people get a debris fall is not high,” said Jonathan McDoWell. With a landing speed of about 160 km / h, debris falling on structures and vehicles will also leave great consequences. However, since the debris will fall in an area up to 160 km in diameter, the likelihood that they will fall into an inhabited, residential area is also very low. The Long March 5B missile contains the core module of the new space station. Photo: Getty Images. According to the Independent Over the past decade there have been about 100 satellites, and the wreckage of the missile returns to Earth every year, with a total mass of 150 tons. However, most of them do not cause serious consequences. The mass of space junk that fell in 2020 is the fourth largest block to fall back to Earth in history, after the Skylab space station in 1979, the Skylab’s rocket deck in 1975, and the Salyut-7, the Soviet space station, At 1991. Big problem with space junk This is not the first time that CNSA has had problems with objects landing on Earth from space. In 2018, the Tiangong-1 space station freely fell into the Pacific, between Australia and Chile. The Ivory Coast incident in May 2020 was also caused by another Long March 5B missile. Although there is little potential to cause material or life damage, the disposal of rockets and satellites out of use still leaves many scientists a headache. When a satellite expires, becomes unusable, it resumes its orbit. A boosters after completing a mission to put the spacecraft into orbit will also be left in the air. And when two objects in the universe collide with each other and create millions of debris, they are also left in space. Cosmic debris are surrounding the Earth. Photo: Nikkei. No one has put a ship on board and collects debris in space. All materials left by humans so far are known as cosmic trash. NASA scientist Donald Kessler believes that colliding with two large pieces of space debris can create a domino effect, causing thousands of smaller debris to continue orbiting the Earth. Mr. Kessler warns there will be a day when space junk becomes so much that we cannot launch a satellite without hitting another object. By then, we will be prisoners on our own planet, and will not blame anyone else but humans. As for the controllable missiles, the space agencies will calculate to bring them back to Point Nemo, which is considered the “graveyard” of spacecraft in the ocean. With the closest distance to the mainland of 2,250 km, the South Pacific Ocean is considered the “pole of the ocean” and is no different than a desert region in the middle of the sea.

On April 29, at the Van Xuong spacecraft launch center in Hainan province, China successfully launched the first module of the Tianhe space station with the Truong Chinh 5B rocket, marking an important step in the build the country’s own space station. However, instead of falling to a predetermined place in the sea like the previous rockets, the central stage of the Truong Chinh 5B boosters started spinning around the Earth in a low orbit in a state of out-of-control. With a weight of about 21 tons, 30m long and 5m wide, the remnants of the Truong Chinh 5B rocket are flying in orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes / rev, at a speed of 27,600 km / h at an altitude of over 300 kilometer. Since the end of last week until now, this remaining part has decreased altitude by nearly 80km. According to the observations of underground amateur astronomers, this missile is in a very unstable state. Some calculations show that the central floor of the Truong Chinh 5B missile will plunge into the atmosphere on May 8. When it crosses the Earth’s atmosphere, it could be burned, but it is likely that large pieces of the missile will remain and will fall scattered over an area of ​​160km wide. Worth mentioning, this is not the first time that China’s Truong Chinh 5B missile has fallen into a state of out-of-control during the biosphere. In May 2020, a similar incident happened. Beijing is expected to have at least 10 more similar launches, bringing all additional equipment into orbit, before completing the station by 2022. China’s Truong Chinh 5B missile was launched into orbit on April 29 at the Wenchang launch pad, southern China. . Prior to the US Space Command’s forecast that the 2021-035B Truong Chinh 5B (Long March 5B or Chang Zheng 5B) missile core, called 2021-035B, was capable of falling uncontrollably on Earth on the day. May 8-9, many people questioned: Will Russia or the US plan to use the missile to shoot the core of the Truong Chinh 5B missile, to save the planet’s citizens? On May 6, the US said it was tracking the object’s path, but had no plans to shoot it down. Cosmic garbage Australia currently holds the record as the country that contains the largest space waste in the world. In 1979, the 77-ton American SkyLab space station disintegrated in Western Australia, leaving the area around the coastal town of Esperance splashed by debris. Although no deaths or serious injuries have been reported from being hit by these cosmic debris, it is quite dangerous. Just a year before the fall of SkyLab, a Soviet remote sensing satellite, Cosmos 954, crashed into a barren area of ​​Canada’s Northwest Territory, spreading radioactive debris over several hundred square kilometers. As the Cold War was at its height, the nuclear sensitivity of the Cosmos 954 led to unfortunate delays in locating and cleaning the wreck. Who has to pay for cleaning? International law sets out a compensation regime that applies in many cases of damage on Earth, as well as when satellites collide in space. The 1972 conventions, a United Nations treaty, impose liability for the damage caused by space debris, which includes a regime of absolute liability as they fall to Earth like fragments. crumbs. In the case of Long March 5B, this would impose potential liability on China. The new treaty has only been invoked once before (for the Cosmos 954 incident) and therefore may not be considered a incentive. Of course, this legal framework only applies after the damage has occurred. In 1978, a Soviet nuclear-powered satellite crashed in northern Canada, resulting in a $ 3,000,000 fine for the tundra radioactive cleanup for Canada.

Japanese rice balls for astronauts to the International Space Station Onigiri rice ball in Japan is one of the dishes with bold unique culinary culture of Japanese people. Even when Japanese astronauts on a mission on the ISS International Space Station, in zero gravity, they bring this dish with them but with a more special preparation. Japanese rice balls created by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA and Onishi Foods to prepare nutritious, easy-to-carry meals for astronauts in extraterrestrial environments. Since these astronaut rice balls are available in the Japanese market, there is an opportunity for everyone to know about food for astronauts on the ISS International Space Station in zero gravity. force. There are instructions for use on the back of the rice ball package Desiccant bag inside the rice ball package The product is called Space Onigiri, which makes special rice ball product without cooking it. The steps to do include tearing open the package, taking out the moisture-proof bag, filling the bag with water to the dotted line and shaking about 20 times, then waiting. Basically rice is hydrated, you can use cold water or boiling water. Rice ball can be eaten after 60 minutes. The resulting product is the plump rice with a bit of salmon. For the convenience of handling and enjoying the food, the user will cut the dotted line to create a triangle. Smart design from the product helps users to always be clean, have a beautiful shape as well as easy to eat. Ingredients rice ball has more salmon with enough nutrients Space Onigiri can be stored for one year, without refrigeration. Each meal costs about 378 yen, equivalent to about 80,000 VND. Currently, Japanese astronaut Hoshide Akihiko is the only person working on the ISS International Space Station. Recently, Hoshide Akihiko was selected as the commander of the space station and will assume the position for about six months. Astronaut Hoshide Akihiko is the second Japanese to command the ISS station, before that, Mr. Wakata Koichi held the position in 2014.

Again, Russia intends to withdraw from the ISS project after 2025. By then, Moscow plans to build its own orbital station for the purposes of scientific research. Previously, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation – Mr. Yuri Borisov said that the situation related to the “aging” of the ISS structure could lead to dire consequences. So Russia should create an alternative to the current project as soon as possible and not leave the astronauts at risk. In addition, Borisov added that the national orbital station in the future could become “high orbit” (located above the ISS), not only used for scientific research but also acting as a “transit base” in the mission to conquer the Moon. Russia will use the ISS international space station’s energy supply module for its future space facility As for the Science and Energy module, work on creating it started in 2012. As planned, by 2015 the device is expected to ensure energy independence for the Russian subdivision on the ISS. . However at that time only the draft design of the device was ready. NEM’s ground tests only really begin in 2018. While its launch is being delayed, Russian scientists will have to be more active in the near future as time is on. increasingly hurry. It should be noted that in addition to the NEM that will become the main module, according to Dmitry Rogozin, two permanent working modules named “Nauca” and “Prichal” could become part of the space station in the future, both modules will sent to the ISS this year.

Currently, there are 15 members participating in the ISS project, of which 5 main members are: Russia, the US, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency. Construction of the station began in 1998, the first permanent expedition commenced operations in 2000. It was previously announced that, during a meeting with President Putin on Astronaut Day (April 12), Russia decided to withdraw from the ISS project from 2025 and start building its own Orbit Station. The first module for it will be the SEM, which was originally designed for the ISS. Roscosmos notes that the ISS modules have reached the end of their useful life. Usually IS structures are used for only 15 years, but most ISS modules, not only Russian ones, are more than two decades old. Ong Vladimir Soloviev, the leader of the flight division, spoke of the need to create the new station due to technical problems on the Russian segment on the ISS, namely detecting cracks that allow the air to escape. Although the cracks have been sealed, there are still small leaks. Russia decided to leave the ISS and build its own Space Station Mr. Soloviev predicts, after 2025 there will be mass technical problems with the parts of the station. Carrying out repairs and maintenance is extremely costly and downright dangerous. In October, Mr. Soloviev revealed the appearance of a new Russian orbital service station. Under the plan, it will include at least five modules: Basic part, target production, logistics warehouse, platform (slide) for spacecraft assembly, launch, reception and servicing, as well as one The commercial module can accommodate four travelers. According to the documents, for the purpose of being used in the Russian Orbital Station component, this module needs to be adapted to accommodate the “Angara-A5M” boosters from Vostochny aerospace, instead of missile “Proton-M” from Baikonur airport. In addition, on the module will have to replace the assembly from active to passive, place two cabin compartments for astronauts and adjust the systems in charge of movement and navigation, telemetry, communication. and heat guarantee. According to published documents, the plan to build Russia’s Orbital Station will be divided into two phases. Energy Science (NEM) modular model on the Russian Space Station In the first phase between 2025 and 2030, NEM, node, base, and entrance modules are expected to launch. In the second phase, from 2030 to 2035, Roscosmos will produce the target modules as well as the foundation for the maintenance of space apparatus. The Russian orbit station will fly in a Sun synchronous orbit – at an angle of 97 degrees from the equator, on which its solar panels will always receive light. Such orbits also allow the crew to see the North Pole every hour and a half, and every two days they see any point on our planet. In this connection, it is planned to have the part of the Earth-facing Station within the range of the observation system in various spectral bands – from optical to radar, and on the opposite side a device. are intended for monitoring outside of open spaces. To board the New Station in the first phase will be the manned transport “Progress” and the “Soyuz” manned, while in the second stage the manned train “Oriol”.

In April alone, ISS has been busy with flights up and down. On April 9, the Russian Soyuz rocket sent 1 American astronaut and 2 Russian astronauts to the ISS laboratory 420km from the Earth’s surface. Eight days later, another Soyuz rocket carried another trio of American and Russian astronauts back to Earth. On April 23, the US spacecraft SpaceX brought two more Americans, one Japanese and one French to connect to the ISS. However, such bustling scene on ISS is about to come to an end. Last week, Russia announced it would withdraw from the ISS by 2025. Despite the growing tensions between Russia and the US over the past decade, the two countries ‘space agencies continue to work closely with each other, along with 13 countries’ space agencies. According to the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), since 2000, ISS has welcomed 243 people from 19 countries. According to the Financial Times, Professor Anu Ojha, director of the UK National Aerospace Institute and an advisor to the European Space Agency (ESA), said: “I only hear positive things about astronauts and astronauts as they work together “. In the early years of building and assembling modules of ISS, since 1998, Russia and Western partners cooperated closely. “NASA and ESA cannot build a space station without Russian experts,” said Ojha. The Russians are masters of building modular space stations ”. The ISS station once welcomed astronauts from many countries Western countries need Russian rockets to carry materials and people to and from the ISS. This reliance increased when NASA decommissioned the space shuttle fleet in 2011 and Soyuz became the only passenger vehicle that could put astronauts in orbit. Only in 2020, NASA will begin to use the SpaceX spacecraft system of billionaire Elon Musk. For the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos), cooperation with the West through the ISS also adds to the financial resources. NASA spent $ 3.9 billion to hire Soyuz to transport astronauts to the ISS from 2011 to 2019. Although astronaut Mark Vande Hei’s trip to the ISS in April may not be the last of an American on Russian rockets, the majority of non-Russian astronauts will travel on SpaceX or on Boeing’s Starliner, expected to go into service from 2022. During the first 15 years, the ISS crew focused on assembly and engineering work, which meant that the zero gravity work environment was only just being established. Recently, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, who just returned to Earth in mid-April, recounted her hundreds of hours on the ISS to do biological experiments, from decoding DNA on a space station to growing human heart tissue and vegetables. . ISS’s most important area of ​​research is its attempt to understand the long-term effects of space travel on human health, in preparation for planned attempts at the Moon or travel to Mars. Other direction of cooperation For Russia, the decision to end ISS participation is expected to lead to more spatial cooperation with China. It is also part of the Kremlin’s broader pivot to Beijing. Since Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow in connection with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has doubled down on its efforts to strengthen ties with China. The two countries reached agreements on defense and space cooperation while bilateral trade nearly doubled compared to 2010, reaching $ 110 billion in 2019. In 2020, Roscosmos rejected an offer from the US to join NASA-led Artemis program, aimed at bringing people to stay longer on the Moon. In March, Russia and China agreed to jointly develop a base on the Moon to “promote the peaceful discovery and use of space for all mankind” (according to a memorandum of understanding between the two. country). Roscosmos last week also said it aims to set up its own Russian space station by 2030, using modules designed like the ISS. The Interfax news agency quoted Roscosmos Director, Dmitry Rogozin, as saying: “It is likely that by 2030, we can put a space station into orbit, that will be a huge breakthrough.” On Russian television, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that in the future, on the Russian space station, in addition to astronauts, there will be the participation of artificial intelligence and robotics. He stressed that Russia is ready to consider for foreign crews to visit, but definitely the Russian space station must be national. Interfax quoted an unnamed source as saying that Russia planned to spend up to $ 6 billion to put this project into operation. China will also soon introduce the module to build the China Space Station (CSS). The ship carrying this module is scheduled to take off at the end of April. This is the culmination of the project that the Chinese government launched in 1992. After this module goes into space, China plans to launch at least 10 more times. Another launcher carries the remaining modules and cargo to complete the CSS assembly by the end of 2022. The 100-ton, T-shaped CSS will consist of three main modules: the 18-meter core module, called Tianhe, and two 14.4-meter lab modules, called Wentian, that are permanently attached to the sides. of the core module. As the station’s control and control center, Tianhe can accommodate 3 astronauts with a stay of up to 6 months. CSS has volume less than 1/4 the volume of ISS. Instead, configure 3 modules based on China’s need in doing the necessary scientific experiments. The 440-ton ISS with a construction cost of $ 150 billion will end its lifespan and should be returned to Earth expected by 2025. The future of the ISS is still under negotiation after the current cooperation agreements expire. by the end of 2024. According to NASA, from a technical point of view, the ISS can operate until the end of 2028. Of course, the ISS will be upgraded if it wants to last longer, especially electrical and communication systems. .

International space station. Photo: Getty The Russian Deputy Prime Minister’s office also said that “information on operational incidents is being recorded more frequently than in recent times” and that an examination of the ISS is required to avoid possible emergency situations out. Astronauts have had to find a way to fix the leak due to cracks in some modules. Mr. Vladimir Solovyev, Deputy Director of Energia in charge of ISS of Russia in November 2020, said that some components of the ISS station were damaged, could not be replaced and would stop working after 2025. Energia is currently researching. to build a space station named Russia Orbital to replace ISS. The ISS was commissioned in 1998. The life cycle of this space station has been extended to 2020 and then to 2024. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, said after the ISS was shut down, the Progress cargo spacecraft would pull it out of orbit. Then, the ISS will fall into the ocean like the Russian Mir space station when decommissioned in 2001./.