China's Tiangong space station is worse than that of the United States?

Tech 2023-07-07 07:00:51 Source: Network

Some friends always like to compare our Tiangong space station with the International Space Station. They always think that the International Space Station is inferior to others

Some friends always like to compare our Tiangong space station with the International Space Station. They always think that the International Space Station is inferior to others. They say that the International Space Station is the fourth generation. We have the advantage of late comers, but we can only build a third generation space station, which is too backward.

Is that really the case?

Today we will analyze and analyze the differences between the two space stations.

From the appearance alone, it is undeniable that the International Space Station is large while the Chinese Space Station is small. We must admit this.

Isometric schematic diagram of active space stations drawn by foreigners

The truss of the International Space Station is 94 meters long. The total length of the truss, including the protruding solar panels, is 109 meters, which is much larger than the Tiangong space station.

In terms of total mass, the International Space Station has reached 450 tons at present, while the Tiangong space station and spacecraft together are only more than 100 tons, much lighter than others.

At the same time, we should see that it took a year and a half (553 days) for the Tiangong space station to complete the transposition and docking from Tianhe core module to Mengtian module to form a T-shaped configuration; The International Space Station launched its first Russian module in November 1998 and finally took shape in June 2011. Its construction took a total of 12 years and 7 months (4600 days), even to form a "dual experimental module configuration" similar to China's Tiangong. The International Space Station also took 9 years and 3 months (3370 days). Who knows if China's space station will grow into a "Gui" or even a "Xi" shape in 9 years?

International Space Station Deformation Record

The International Space Station is composed of seventeen to eight cabin sections and modules, with a pressurized cabin capacity of 1005 cubic meters; The structure of China Tiangong space station is simple. At present, only Tianhe core module and two experimental modules, Wentian and Mengtian, form a three compartment T-shaped structure. The volume of the pressurized module is only 340m3.

In terms of the number of cabin sections, Tiangong is much smaller than the International Space Station, and in terms of internal space, Tiangong is only one-third of that. This determines that the number of Chinese permanent space astronauts is not as good as others: we currently have 3 people, only reaching 6 in a few days of rotation, and the International Space Station has 7 permanent astronauts.

The handover of Shenzhou 14 and the 15th crew in space

We know that the current three module "T" structure is the basic form of the Tiangong space station. In the future, new service modules, Airlock and experimental modules will be added to the forward interface between the Tianhe core module. With the service of the Next-generation crewed spacecraft, the Chinese space station will have more segments and modules, and the number of permanent astronauts will also exceed today's International Space Station.

Space enthusiasts often see "chaotic" photos of the International Space Station: dark, crowded, filled with equipment and wires and cables, astronauts doing scientific experiments with their backs against each other in narrow spaces.

Busy International Space Station

But our Tiangong space station always looks spacious, bright, tidy and orderly on TV.

So some people say that being "crowded" on the International Space Station indicates that someone is doing something, not "acting like it".

The scope of activities of the Divine Twelve Astronauts is limited to the core module

Many of the images we have seen before are in the on orbit verification, assembly and construction phase of the Tiangong space station. The most important task of astronauts is to check whether the systems of the space station are working properly and to splice the space station module by module. The most important scientific research object for astronauts at this time is themselves.

When the first phase of construction is completed, our astronauts will also need to conduct thousands of space science experiments in the experimental module. Their tasks will be heavier, and the space station will correspondingly become more "chaotic" and crowded.

After Tianzhou 5 disengaged, the cabin was used as a temporary cargo warehouse

As mentioned earlier, due to the relatively small internal space of the Chinese space station, it is difficult to maintain cleanliness and order at all times.

Some people say that the Tiangong space station in China is the "third generation" space station, while the International Space Station is the "fourth generation". Despite its latecomer advantages, the Chinese space station is a backward configuration and not as advanced as others.

Is that really the case?

The use of configuration "substitution" is only an artificial classification method. In fact, the use of truss structure on the International Space Station is not because it is more advanced, but precisely because it adopts outdated technology, which is a last resort.

International Space Station

The 8 sets of giant solar wings on the International Space Station are impressive, and from a certain perspective, they are the symbol and symbol of the International Space Station. There are also several heat dissipation panels on the same large area of the space station. In order to support these massive devices, the International Space Station had to assemble a 94 meter long metal structural truss. Even so, the power generation capacity of the International Space Station still cannot meet the demand.

In contrast, China's space station uses a flexible thin film solar wing with a smaller area but higher power generation efficiency, and the thermal management efficiency of each module section is also better, which enables us to use much smaller solar cells to meet the work of more than 20 scientific cabinets. From this perspective, China's "third generation" is actually more advanced than others' "fourth generation".

The giant solar wings and heat dissipation panels look majestic and spectacular, but they are not what scientists want. Because there is still a thin atmosphere at an altitude of 400 kilometers, air resistance will slow down the speed of the space station. The larger your solar panel, the greater the air resistance, and the faster the space station falls down. The International Space Station will fall 2 kilometers every month. Russia frequently launches Cargo spacecraft to "refuel" the space station to maintain its orbital altitude. It will cost 1.4 billion yuan (210 million dollars) to transport 7.5 tons of fuel every year.

Orbital height changes of the International Space Station over the course of a year

The Chinese space station has also adopted a large amount of the latest technology in its design and construction. Not only does it have 5Gwifi in the space station, but it can also achieve high-speed communication between heaven and earth through relay satellites. This allows us to operate scientific experimental equipment, monitor experimental progress, and obtain experimental data on the ground in real-time, while improving the efficiency of space station use and reducing the labor intensity of astronauts.

The International Space Station is a large Low Earth orbit scientific facility involving 15 countries. It is like the popular "Shared space" in some cities. This space is dominated by the United States and Russia, of which the United States pays the most. It has the right of "one vote veto". Several countries once hoped to invite China to participate in the construction and operation of the International Space Station, but the United States did not agree and did not even let a glance at it.

Initial state of Mengtian module

Tiangong is the Chinese space station, although temporarily smaller, it is our own property. In space science research, we are open. As long as the application materials submitted by you can be reviewed and the results can be shared, the experiment can be done in Tiangong Space Station. Of course, the application materials submitted by Americans are too low, and the review always fails, which can only express regret.

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