China focuses on space exploration

from this week, Shenzhou 12 . spacecraftCreated by China Aerospace Science and Technology GroupThe L missile.ong Mar 2 F-Yao 12 They are already on the launch pad for what will be China’s first manned mission to the station tianhe. This is the first habitable unit that this nation puts into orbit and the three astronauts who will begin a new phase in the search for this nation will arrive in the coming months.

In the past decade, China has conducted several successful space missions to Exploring the Moon and MarsIn addition to your system equipment Satellites s telescopes To explore the universe and open up a field in discovering new frontiers outside Earth.

The base unit was launched in Tianhe at the end of April this year. Currently, it is habitable only for three astronauts, who on the first mission to the site will have to check the overall operation of the navigation instruments, vital aids, and docking equipment for the new structures and basic operations of the station.

Until 2022, 11 launches from China are planned for the commissioning of two more units, as well as four missions with a human crew planned until 2023, this space station will be fully operational.

In addition to the explorations that China will make with its own devices, the new space station will, in the middle of this decade, serve as a new center for technological exchange around the Earth. In fact, Tianhe was created with a programming language adapted to Russian systems, one of the countries with the longest history outside the planet.

Along with the goal of creating its first space station, China has also turned its eyes to Mars again. But to get to this point, he developed an extensive career on the moon, where he already owns an exploration vehicle in the less explored part of the satellite and thanks to him he brought several samples to Earth for analysis in the laboratory. This was possible thanks to Chang’e Mission 5, whose devices collected two kilograms of soil and rocks for their research.

After its success on the Moon, where it first arrived in the 1970s, China’s next frontier was Mars. And that was only in 2021 when it became the third country after that United State s Russia, to reach the planet with one of the most advanced exploration tools at the moment.

Usually, explorations of Mars were conducted in two stages. Initially, sensors or satellites are sent to gather information about the place. Then, as with errands Curiosity of a perseveranceScientists send vehicles or drones to do exploration on Earth.

In the case of China, its exploration on Mars is among the most ambitious of all. The country launched three devices simultaneously, all working at the same time sharing data in real time. The first is a probe with high-resolution cameras to find out the structure of the planet.

The second is the “probe” which serves as a kind of small laboratory and communication center to know the status of the third equipment: Rover or space exploration vehicle مركبة.

The Zhurong rover will be responsible for making the first explorations on the surface of Mars. In fact, June 11 China National Space Administration (ANEC) He published the first color photos taken by the tools of this car.

For this task, China focused on three specific components: finding data on water; Determine the presence of ice on the ground and subsoil; Finding signs of life on Mars. To complete this goal, the “rover” has a complex set of tools: an active particle analyzer. other ion analyzer and neutral particle; Two radar cameras under the surface. In principle, it can work at full capacity for three months and then the useful life of the parts will be extended.