The State Council recently approved that April 24th will be designated as "China Aerospace Day" from 2016.
The establishment of the first space day in China is of far-reaching significance. This year, there will be a series of "big moves" in China’s space field, especially in the second half of 2016, China will soon launch Sky-2 Space Laboratory to carry out space science and application experiments in the fields of Earth observation and space earth system science, new space application technology, space technology and space medicine, and build China’s first real space laboratory.
Then the question is coming. What is the origin of Tiangong-2? Why should we move the laboratory into space? What magical scientific experiments will be carried out in this mysterious laboratory?
Space laboratory VS space station
Different from ordinary satellites, Tiangong-2 is a space laboratory undertaking scientific experiments. So, what is a space laboratory?
Space laboratory, as its name implies, is a laboratory built in space.
This special laboratory consists of unmanned space laboratory and manned spaceship. It is necessary to launch an unmanned space laboratory first, and then send a manned spacecraft into space with a launch vehicle to rendezvous and dock with the laboratory in orbit. Next, the astronauts will enter the space laboratory from the spaceship, carry out their work, and then return to Earth by spaceship after completing their work.
Following this line of thought, the first step to build a space laboratory in China is to launch Tiangong-2, and then launch the Long March 7/5 carrier rocket to send the Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft into space and dock with Tiangong-2, thus completing the construction of the space laboratory.
So, what’s the difference between a space laboratory and a space station? Does it mean that China will soon have a space station after the launch of Tiangong-2?
Of course, it’s not that simple: the space station refers to a manned spacecraft that can be visited by many astronauts for long-term work and living. Well-known space stations include the salute series space station launched and built by the former Soviet Union (it is said that the domineering elder brother of the former Soviet Union built the first space station in human history in a rage because the United States planted the national flag on the moon before the former Soviet Union) and the Mir space station, and the international space station jointly built by the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, Brazil and the European Space Agency (ESA) (indeed, "many hands make light work", which is the largest space station ever owned by mankind.
The biggest feature of the space station is its huge scale and volume, and its long time in orbit. For example, the famous International Space Station has been working for human beings for 16 years.
The space laboratory is more like the predecessor of the space station, which is an experimental spacecraft for the development of the space station and the transition from manned spacecraft to manned space infrastructure. In other words, the space laboratory is a preparation for building a more complex space station.
Both theoretical research and practical experience show that launching a space laboratory is an important prerequisite and technical guarantee for building a space station. The launch of the space laboratory can test the key technologies of the space station, gain experience, reduce risks and lay the foundation for the construction of the space station. Therefore, the imminent launch of Tiangong-2 does not mean that China will soon have its own space station, but only that it will lay a good foundation for the construction of the space station, and the space laboratory is not the same as the space station.
The space experiment of "unclear consciousness" on Tiangong-2
As the first real space laboratory in China, Tiangong-2 has carried an unprecedented 14 experimental projects, and it will soon become the "busiest" space laboratory in China.
Being able to get the "admission ticket" to board Tiangong-2, these experiments undoubtedly belong to the most advanced exploration fields in the world today. For example, the Institute of Mechanics of Chinese Academy of Sciences undertook the research project of "Thermocapillary Convection". The project will build two experimental platforms, space and ground, for experimental research. The chief designer of Tiangong-2 Thermal Capillary Convection Space Experimental Project and researcher Kang Qi of Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences explained the project.
First of all, what is the phenomenon of thermocapillary convection?
Researcher Kang Qi explained that thermal capillary convection is a kind of thermal convection phenomenon related to fluid surface or interface. As we all know, there is interaction force between molecules on the interface of fluid, that is, surface tension, and with the change of temperature, the surface tension will change accordingly. Therefore, when the temperature distribution on the fluid interface is uneven, the surface tension will be different at different positions, thus forming a phenomenon that drives the fluid flow, that is, thermal capillary convection. Surface crystal growth is affected by buoyancy convection, resulting in defects, while space crystal growth is affected by thermal capillary convection, and defects also occur from time to time. It is of great significance to study the problem of thermocapillary convection in practical industrial production for improving the quality of crystalline crystals. For example, if we want to produce high-quality semiconductor materials, we must scientifically control the influence of buoyancy convection and thermocapillary convection on monocrystalline silicon during crystal growth.
Since the phenomenon of thermocapillary convection exists widely in actual production and life, why do we have to go to Wan Li to study it in space?
The answer is due to the unique microgravity environment in space.
As we all know, objects in space are hardly affected by gravity, and microgravity environment refers to the environmental conditions where gravity is close to zero. Under this condition, buoyancy convection will be greatly reduced, and the obstacles that affect our study of thermocapillary convection will be infinitely reduced, which means that the real process of thermocapillary convection can be truly displayed, which is conducive to scientists’ deeper analysis and exploration.
Therefore, it is not a waste of taxpayers’ money for Wan Li to send the experimental project into space not far away, but to see the "true face" of the heat-clearing capillary convection phenomenon, and scientists are really struggling.
Why do you do the same experiment in the sky and underground?
As mentioned earlier, in addition to the experimental device attached to Tiangong-2, the same experimental device was set in advance on the ground. What is the reason for doing the same experiment twice? Duan Li, deputy director designer of Tiangong-2 thermal capillary convection space experiment project and researcher of Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, answered this question.
Researcher Duan Li explained that because there are few opportunities and high costs for space experiments, and the relationship between thermocapillary convection and its influencing factors can not be accurately described by simple formulas, it is necessary to conduct ground experiments to provide a scientific and reasonable reference range for the smooth progress of space experiments. In this experiment, the experimental equipment used in the space laboratory and the ground laboratory is the same, that is, an experimental instrument called "liquid bridge".
The above picture is a brief sketch of the liquid bridge model. The liquid is located between the upper and lower bridge columns, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower bridge columns is controlled, so that thermal capillary convection is formed in the liquid.
However, due to the existence of gravity, it is impossible to establish a large-scale liquid bridge model in ground experiments. Usually, a small-scale (4-5mm diameter) liquid bridge is used, but it is still affected by buoyancy convection, which is why scientists want to send it into space for research.
Ground experiments provide data reference for space experiments, and space experiments complete the range that ground experiments can’t achieve. The two complement each other and are indispensable.
In 2011, the successful launch of Tiangong-1 made hundreds of millions of Chinese sons and daughters excited. Now Tiangong-1 "retired" and Tiangong-2 will "relay on duty", which will usher in a new era of space application technology in China.
2016 is the first year of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan. Besides Tiangong-2, Long March 7/5 rocket and Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft will be launched one after another this year. On this basis, China will build a permanent space station around 2020, and it will be fully operational in 2022. With the increasing strength of science and technology, China is making a magnificent turn from a "big" country to a "strong" country in space. Let’s look forward to it.
The article was produced by China, a popular science student, and was authorized to be published in the column "Learning Science with Xiaobian" of CCTV. Please indicate the source for reprinting.
Production: Kang Qi Duan Li, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wu Ruixue, Baby Science Innovation Commune.
Producer: computer network information center



































