Why do rockets that launch satellites always fly along an arc on the earth's surface?

Chang'e-1 was launched at 18:05 on October 24, 2007!

The launch was confirmed to be successful at 19:15 on October 24, 2007!

Chang'e-1 is my country's first artificial satellite orbiting the moon. Named after the ancient Chinese mythological figure Chang'e, it is planned to be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at around 18:05 (UTC+8:00) on October 24, 2007. The entire "flying to the moon" process will take about 8-9 days. The total weight of the satellite is expected to be about 2,350 kilograms, and its lifespan is greater than one year. The main detection goals of the satellite are: to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface; to analyze the content of useful elements and the distribution characteristics of material types on the lunar surface; to detect the thickness of the lunar soil and the space environment from the earth to the moon.

Overview

The "Chang'e-1" satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and named after the ancient Chinese mythological figure Chang'e. It is mainly used to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface and analyze the lunar surface. It is related to the distribution characteristics of material elements, detecting the thickness of the lunar soil, detecting the Earth-lunar space environment, etc. At present, this satellite has entered the preliminary prototype development stage. At this stage, there will be two prototype satellites, the Electric Star and the Structural Star, to undertake satellite testing.

Aerospace experts said that the test of electric stars is mainly used for comprehensive testing of some equipment with electronic properties. The tests of structural stars are mainly used to assess the rationality of structural design and the temperature on the entire star. The rationality of control design. At present, the structural manufacturing of these two prototype satellites has been completed, and testing of the entire satellite will begin before the end of the year. On this basis, the development of the "Chang'e-1" prototype satellite will be carried out. According to reports, the entire preliminary prototype testing phase will last until June next year, and will then enter the development phase of the satellite prototype.

In addition, the Long March-3A rocket responsible for satellite launch tasks has now been put into production. In order to ensure the completion of the lunar exploration mission, scientific researchers conducted 41 reliability design tasks on the Changsanjia rocket to improve its carrying reliability.

Technical difficulties

1. Orbit design and flight program control issues

2. Three-vector control issue for satellite attitude control

3 , Satellite environment adaptability design

4. Long-distance measurement, control and communication issues The "Chang'e-1" satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. It is mainly used to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface and analyze related materials on the lunar surface. Distribution characteristics of elements, detection of lunar soil thickness, detection of the Earth-lunar space environment, etc. The "Chang'e-1" lunar exploration satellite consists of two parts: the satellite platform and the payload. The satellite platform was developed using Dongfanghong-3 satellite platform technology, and scientific researchers made adaptive modifications to eight subsystems including structure, propulsion, power supply, measurement and control, and data transmission. The payload includes scientific detection instruments such as CCD stereo cameras, imaging spectrometers, solar cosmic ray monitors and low-energy particle detectors.

The "Chang'e-1" lunar exploration satellite will be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in October 2007 by the "Long March 3A" carrier rocket. After the satellite is launched, it will take 8 to 9 days to complete the phase-modulation orbit segment, the Earth-moon transfer orbit segment and the lunar orbit segment to perform scientific exploration missions. It will complete four major scientific tasks. The primary purpose is to "portrait" the moon, that is, to obtain lunar surface images and three-dimensional images through various means. In addition, it is also necessary to analyze the distribution characteristics of the content of useful elements and material types on the lunar surface, and to detect the thickness of the lunar soil and the cislunar space environment.

Experts said that the Chang'e-1 satellite is two meters square. After the solar wings are unfolded, it can be up to 18 meters long. It has a take-off weight of 2,350 kilograms. It will take 10-12 days for the satellite to fly near the moon. Chang'e-1 is designed to have a lifespan of one year and will not return to Earth after its mission. Launch steps

After the "Chang'e-1" satellite is launched, it will first be sent into a geosynchronous elliptical orbit. The closest distance to this orbit from the ground is 500 kilometers and the furthest distance is 70,000 kilometers. The lunar exploration satellite will After circling this orbit in 26 hours, it accelerates and then enters a larger elliptical orbit. The closest distance to the ground is 500 kilometers and the farthest is 120,000 kilometers. It takes 48 hours to complete a circle. After that, the detection satellite continued to accelerate and began to "run" to the moon. After about 83 hours of flight, when it was about to reach the moon, it relied on the reverse boost of the control rocket to slow down.

After being "captured" by the moon's gravity, it became a lunar satellite, and finally flew around the moon in a polar orbit at an altitude of 200 kilometers from the lunar surface, and carried out work such as shooting three-dimensional images.

It is estimated that the satellite will take a total of 157 hours to fly to the moon and will be close to 384,400 kilometers from the earth. In the past, satellites launched by China were generally about 35,800 kilometers away from the ground, a difference of almost 10 times.

Chang'e Project Lunar Exploration Project

Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China's lunar exploration project and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that "Chang'e 1" is the longest-distance satellite launched by our country, from the earth The average distance is 380,000 kilometers, and before that, the longest distance satellite launched by our country was 40,000 kilometers from the ground.

The lunar exploration project will accomplish the following four major scientific goals:

1. Obtain a three-dimensional image of the lunar surface, finely divide the basic structure and landform units of the lunar surface, and conduct lunar surface impacts. The study of crater shape, size, distribution, density, etc. provides basic data for the classification of the surface age of terrestrial planets and the study of early evolutionary history, and provides basic data for the location selection of soft landing areas on the lunar surface and the optimization of the location of lunar bases.

2. Analyze the content and distribution characteristics of useful elements and material types on the lunar surface, mainly to survey the content and distribution of 14 elements such as titanium and iron that are valuable for development and utilization on the lunar surface, and map the entire moon for each element. Distribution maps, thematic maps of lunar rocks, minerals and geology, etc., discover the enrichment areas of various elements on the lunar surface, and evaluate the development and utilization prospects of lunar mineral resources.

3. Detecting the thickness of the lunar soil, that is, using microwave radiation technology to obtain the thickness data of the lunar soil, thereby obtaining the age and distribution of the lunar surface, and on this basis, estimating the nuclear fusion power generation fuel helium -3 content, resource distribution and resource amount, etc.

4. Detect the space environment from the earth to the moon. The average distance between the moon and the earth is 380,000 kilometers, and it is located in the far magnetotail area of ??the earth's magnetic field space. In this area, satellites can detect high-energy particles of solar cosmic rays and solar wind plasma, and study the interaction between the solar wind and the moon, as well as the magnetotail of the earth's magnetic field and the moon. .

Luan Enjie, deputy director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, director of the National Space Administration and commander-in-chief of the lunar exploration project, said,

It consists of lunar exploration satellites, launch vehicles, launch sites, measurement and control and ground The lunar exploration engineering system composed of five major systems including applications will achieve the following five engineering goals:

1) Develop and launch my country’s first lunar exploration satellite;

2) Preliminary Master the basic technology of lunar exploration;

3) Carry out lunar scientific exploration for the first time;

4) Preliminarily build a lunar exploration and aerospace engineering system;

5) For the moon Detect and accumulate experience in follow-up projects.

History

The lunar exploration plan has been brewing for 10 years

my country’s aerospace science and technology workers conducted a study on the necessity and feasibility of lunar exploration activities as early as 1994.

In 1996, the technical solution research for the lunar exploration satellite was completed.

In 1998, the research on the key satellite technology was completed, and in-depth demonstration work was carried out thereafter.

After 10 years of deliberation, it was finally determined that my country's entire lunar exploration project is divided into three stages: "circulation", "landing" and "return".

1) The first phase of the lunar orbiting project will launch the lunar exploration satellite "Chang'e-1" in 2007 to detect the lunar surface environment, landforms, topography, geological structures and physical fields.

2) The second phase of the project is scheduled from 2007 to 2010. The goal is to develop and launch a spacecraft and land on the moon in a soft landing for detection. The specific plan is to use patrol vehicles and automatic robots to safely land on the lunar surface to detect the rock and mineral composition of the landing area, measure the heat flow and surrounding environment at the landing site, conduct high-resolution photography and on-site detection or sampling analysis of lunar rocks, and prepare for the future. The site selection for establishing a lunar base provides the chemical and physical parameters of the lunar surface.

3) The third phase of the project is scheduled from 2011 to 2020, with the goal of lunar surface patrol survey and sampling return. In the early stage, the main focus is to develop and launch a new soft landing lunar patrol vehicle to conduct inspections and surveys of the landing area.

In the later stage, that is, after 2015, small sampling return capsules, lunar surface rock drills, lunar surface samplers, robot operating arms, etc. will be developed and launched to collect key samples and return them to the earth, and conduct inspections of the landing area to prepare for the next step of manned lunar landing. Providing data for site selection for detecting and establishing lunar outposts. The completion of this section of the project will bring my country's aerospace technology to a new level.

Testing

The payload prototype system of "Chang'e-1", the first satellite of China's lunar exploration program, is undergoing final joint testing to ensure that scientific exploration equipment can work properly in space in the future. .

The development and testing of the "Chang'e-1" satellite payload is handled by the Space Science and Applied Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Wu Ji, commander-in-chief of the payload and director of the Space Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in an interview on the 16th: "In the final stage of joint testing of the payload prototype system, all developers should continue to maintain a rigorous and meticulous work attitude and complete the work according to quality requirements. Prototype joint testing ensures the smooth delivery of payload equipment and the successful completion of engineering tasks. ”

Satellite payloads vary according to different space missions. At this stage, they are mainly instruments for scientific exploration and scientific experiments. equipment. The "Chang'e-1" satellite payload will include a microwave detector subsystem, a space environment detection subsystem, and a payload data management subsystem.

It is understood that the microwave detector subsystem will mainly estimate and evaluate the thickness of the lunar soil. This is the first time in the world that passive microwave remote sensing methods have been used to detect the lunar surface. The space environment detection subsystem consists of three devices including the solar high-energy particle detector, which will detect the space environment parameters of the Earth, the Moon and the near moon.

The "Chang'e-1" plan is to be launched in 2007 and then orbit the moon for one year of exploration.

After long-term preparation and 10 years of demonstration, China's lunar exploration plan was officially launched in January 2004 and is called the "Chang'e Project". The project currently focuses on lunar exploration, lunar three-dimensional image analysis, global content and distribution investigation of useful lunar elements and material types, lunar soil thickness exploration, and cislunar space environment detection.

Related information

Portrait of the moon

The lunar exploration project is the first phase of my country's lunar exploration project, that is, the development and launch of the first lunar exploration satellite . The satellite will orbit the moon and transmit the acquired detection data back to the ground. The project consists of five major systems: lunar exploration satellites, launch vehicles, launch sites, measurement and control, and ground applications. It has been determined that the lunar exploration satellite mainly uses the "Dongfanghong-3" satellite platform, the launch vehicle uses the "Long March 3A" rocket, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center is selected as the launch site, the detection system uses the existing aerospace measurement and control network, and the ground application system is provided by China The Academy of Sciences is responsible for development.

The specific plan is that the "Long March 3A" rocket will take off from the Xichang Launch Center, send the "Chang'e-1" satellite into the geosynchronous transfer orbit and then separate the satellite and the rocket. The satellite will finally enter the orbit around the south and south of the moon. It operates in a circular orbit at the North Pole and detects the moon. The orbit is 200 kilometers above the lunar surface.

The "Chang'e-1" satellite, with a design life of one year, will carry a variety of scientific instruments such as a stereo camera, imaging spectrometer, laser altimeter, microwave radiometer, solar cosmic ray detector and low-energy ion detector. , to detect the moon. During its mission around the moon, it mainly acquired three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, analyzed the content of useful elements and the distribution characteristics of material types on the lunar surface, detected the thickness of the lunar soil, and detected the Earth-lunar space environment. Among them, the first three projects have never been carried out abroad, and the fourth project is the first time that my country has obtained space environment parameters 80,000 kilometers away. In addition, the United States has detected 5 kinds of resources on the moon, and our country will detect 14 kinds. The important target is the helium-3 resources on the moon. Helium-3 is an important fuel that is safe, efficient, clean and pollution-free. According to statistics, helium-3 on the moon can meet human power supply needs for more than 10,000 years. The content of helium-3 in the lunar soil can reach 5 million tons.

Observation

my country's first lunar exploration satellite "Chang'e-1" is about to be launched, and the public's enthusiasm to witness "Chang'e flying to the moon" is growing day by day. The reporter learned from Jinying Travel Agency in Xichang, Sichuan, which organized the visit to the launch event, that more than 1,000 people have signed up to visit. At the same time, the previously booked 800 yuan ticket price may be adjusted upward.

Foreign tourists have no chance to visit the "site"

According to the staff of Xichang Jinying Travel Agency, as of the afternoon of September 27, 2007, there have been tourists in many cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. More than 1,000 people signed up to participate, mainly as individual visitors. Since the Xichang Satellite Launch Base only has a maximum of 2,000 on-site seats available for visits, and people from the military, scientific research institutions, government and other departments must first be satisfied. Therefore, the actual number of ordinary visitors is less than 2,000.

The price of 800 yuan tickets previously reported by the media may rise. The specific price adjustment results will be announced by the travel agency on September 28, 2007.

It is understood that these visitors are limited to domestic tourists in our country. At present, foreign tourists are still not within the reception range of on-site visits.

Notify the local police of your identity

It is understood that Chinese tourists only need to send their identity documents to travel agencies and pay a deposit of one to two hundred yuan to "book" a tour quota. There is no need to provide other information such as work unit. Once the launch center determines the specific launch date, travel agencies will notify applicants a few days in advance.

After the travel agency receives the applicant’s ID copy, it will be backed up and provided to the Satellite Launch Center for review. The launch center will also verify the identity of the tourist with the local public security agency and notify the local public security agency so that relevant persons can be contacted quickly and at any time in case of emergency.

Admission up to two hours in advance

According to the travel agency’s information from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the launch date of "Chang'e-1" is initially set to be around October 26, 2007, and the specific date is The launch time is "most likely in the evening." However, the more precise launch time has yet to be finalized by relevant departments. Previously, some media reported that it would be launched at the end of October.

Can impatient tourists enter the launch base in advance to witness the elegance of "Chang'e-1"? In this regard, travel agency staff said that it was "absolutely impossible" because vehicles entering and exiting the base must have special passes before they can be released. Individual travelers organized by travel agencies will take a unified bus to enter the launch base, "up to one or two hours in advance."

Cameras can be used to film the launch

On the day of the launch, all tourists will gather in Xichang city, more than 60 kilometers away from the satellite launch center, and then take a special bus to enter the launch center , and then returned to Xichang city after visiting the grand launch event that night. It is also understood that the observation deck is about 2.5 kilometers away from the launch point. In order to meet the tourists' request for taking photos, the travel agency revealed that this visit will be the same as before, allowing tourists to bring cameras and video cameras to take pictures and record the exciting moment. In addition, in order to cooperate with the "lunar exploration tourism", local travel agencies have also developed and designed a wealth of scenic spots, forming "one-day tours", "two-day tours", etc.

The launch is initially scheduled for 18:05 on October 24, 2007

According to experts, determining the optimal launch time of the satellite is quite complex and requires careful consideration of local lightning, precipitation and cloud cover. Conduct detailed analysis of factors and make judgments based on relevant historical data. After repeated consultations between aerospace, satellite launch, meteorology, astronomy and other departments, the optimal launch window was finally determined to be around 6:05 pm on October 24.

Preparations at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center are currently intensive and orderly. The Long March-3A rocket used to launch "Chang'e 1" has been hoisted into the rotating platform of Tower 3, and "Chang'e 1" The No. 3 launch tower has also entered the launch area and stands quietly. The blue rotating platform is tightly closed and in a testing state. The scientific and technical personnel of the five major systems of Xichang Satellite Launch Center, including test launch, measurement and control, are racing against time, taking precise measurements, and making final preparations to ensure the smooth launch of the "Chang'e 1" satellite. The preparations are currently going well.

It is understood that in order to ensure the smooth launch of "Chang'e 1", the Xichang Satellite Launch Center has carried out dozens of technical modifications on the No. 2 and No. 3 launch towers. Currently, both towers in the center have the capability to launch "Chang'e 1". Some experts commented that the upgraded No. 3 launch tower has become one of the most advanced launch towers in the world. A few days later, "Chang'e 1" will take off from the 85-meter-high No. 3 launch tower and rush to the moon 380,000 kilometers away. By then, the world will once again pay attention to China.

"Chang'e 1" has "stationed" on the transmission tower

On the afternoon of October 17, the reporter drove from Xichang City and went southwest along the Luhuang Expressway. Along the way, rocket sculptures and slogans such as "Satellite City" can be seen from time to time. About 35 minutes later, the car got off the Luhuang Expressway from Manshuiwan Town and turned onto a simple asphalt road. The locals call entering this simple road "entering the ditch". I wonder if it is related to the fact that the satellite launch base is in a mountain ditch.

The launch center will be heavily guarded on the 17th and can be visited on the 18th.

Due to the imminent launch of the satellite, the Satellite Launch Center will be closed to tourists all day on October 17th.

Standing in front of the stone sculpture of "Xichang Satellite Launch Center", you can see a tall building in the distance. According to local people, it is the launch pad of the "Chang'e-1" that is about to be launched. In front of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, a guard stood majestically while another guard went back and forth to check the documents of passing vehicles and pedestrians.

According to local travel agency staff, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center will be open to tourists normally on October 16 and October 18.

In addition, before the launch of "Chang'e-1", residents within a four-kilometer radius will be evacuated, and residents within a 2.5-kilometer radius must evacuate from the area. It is said that this move is to prepare for the failure of the rocket launch and avoid causing casualties to nearby residents.

Lights flashed under the "Chang'e" launcher

On October 17, reporters entered the area near the launch center, only 200 meters away from the nearest satellite launcher. Standing on the hillside to the south of the launch center, you can see that the launch center is surrounded by mountains on three sides: Yak Mountain on the left, the mouth of the canyon on the right, and the opposite mountain peak is smaller, and the locals have not yet named it.

The reporter saw that the tall No. 2 transmitting tower and No. 3 transmitting tower were separated into two areas. Asia's tallest launch tower No. 2, the fixed frame and the mobile tower are in a separate state, standing at both ends of a railway track.

The most eye-catching one is Tower 3, where the "Chang'e-1" is about to be launched. Different from Tower 2, Tower 3 is fully enclosed. From the outside, it looks like a windowless building with a huge orange-red crane above the roof.

According to evaluations by aerospace experts, the upgraded No. 3 launch tower has become one of the most advanced launch towers in the world. In addition, six lightning protection tower spiers distributed throughout the launch base tower into the sky, the longest one is about 70 stories high.

It is understood that as of the afternoon of October 17, the Long March-3A rocket used to launch "Chang'e-1" and "Chang'e-1" have been hoisted onto the launch tower and are undergoing final testing.

The reporter saw that vehicles and personnel were busy going back and forth in the base. Under the "Chang'e-1" launcher, several electric lights were shining brightly, like flames ejected during launch.

Previously, in order to ensure the smooth launch of "Chang'e-1", the Xichang Satellite Launch Center carried out dozens of technical transformations on the No. 2 and No. 3 launch towers. Currently, both towers in the center have the capability to launch "Chang'e-1".

The viewing platform has an iron roof.

For 800 yuan, you can watch the launch of "Chang'e-1" in a designated area. Reporters learned yesterday that Xichang Jinying Travel Agency, which organized the viewing of the satellite launch, has stopped accepting registrations and pre-registrations. At noon yesterday, the reporter came to the travel agency, and the staff were nervously notifying tourists who had paid deposits from all over the country.

“We informed these tourists to arrive in Xichang on the 23rd.” A female staff member said. The reporter found that only a few tourists from Wuhan signed up to watch the satellite launch.

It is understood that Jinying Travel Agency is entrusted by China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center to exclusively handle the visit procedures for domestic and foreign tourists. The travel agency opened a satellite base tourist souvenir store and established a satellite base explanation team.

The reporter also visited the "Chang'e Flying to the Moon" viewing platform in advance. Under the guidance of the staff, the reporter saw that the "viewing platform" was a four-story building.

A two-story "viewing platform" was built with iron sheets on the roof. "When the satellite is launched, you can see the rocket rising into the sky here," a staff member said.

Standing upstairs and looking straight ahead, you can vaguely see the majestic appearance of the "Chang'e-1" launcher. ——This is exactly 4 kilometers away from the launch base.

"

Chang'e 1" will use the "laser eye" built in Shanghai to take the first Chinese version of the full moon topographic map

Whether "Chang'e" flies to the moon Or to land on the moon, the first thing to do is to make a lunar map. This is a must-answer question for every country formulating a lunar exploration plan. The "Chang'e-1" satellite, which is expected to be launched later this month, is no exception.

The reporter learned that the satellite is equipped with a laser altimeter independently developed by Shanghai scientific researchers. It will assume the responsibility of my country's first "lunar exploration photographer" and take the first high-precision Chinese version of the moon for the world. Monthly topographic map.

The first space "laser eye"

As one of the most important payloads of "Chang'e-1", the prototype of this laser altimeter has been installed on the satellite. Its first prototype product can be seen in Shanghai, with a "length" of 30 centimeters and a "weight" of 15 kilograms. It looks like a camera placed in an iron box, but the things it "shoots" are not flat images, but Three-dimensional. Experts are proud that the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Precision Machinery, based on previous scientific research, delivered this "laser eye" on time in just two years. All key components are domestically produced, and the overall level has reached international standards. It is advanced and will soon become my country's first laser altimeter launched into space.

Laser photography "stopwatch"

The mapping form of "laser eye" is extraordinary. It does not rely on imaging, but on "stopwatch". The laser altimeter will continuously emit and receive reflected laser light to the moon and continue to accurately time it. With it, "Chang'e-1" is like sending "light speed sprinters" to the moon's surface one after another. As soon as these "athletes" touch the moon's surface, they immediately return to the original route; the laser altimeter can calculate the speed of light based on their "running" results. The distance traveled can be calculated in real time to identify which parts of the moon are high and which are low, which are mountains and which are basins. Finally, the actual altitude of each place is obtained and combined into a complete topographic map with the elevation of the moon.

According to the plan, after "Chang'e-1" enters the moon-circling stage, the laser altimeter will start working. No matter whether it is day or night on the lunar surface, or whether the satellite is flying forward or sideways, it will be on for a long time. , emitting a laser beam every second at an orbital altitude of 200 kilometers. In this way, "Chang'e" circled the moon like a ball of wool, leaving behind laser "footprints" one after another, scanning all the conditions on the lunar surface.

Laying the foundation for later landings

Laser altimeter technology will not only lay the foundation for later lunar exploration projects, but will also extend to other deep space exploration fields. American scientists used this kind of laser altimeter on both the first and second generation Mars probes. Different colors were used to calibrate different altitudes, and the Martian landscape was displayed concisely and vividly. This also helped select the best landing site for the Mars probe. Provides extremely valuable evidence.

It is reported that our country has begun to demonstrate the detection of Mars and asteroids, and this type of "laser eye" is expected to play a role in it.

"Chang'e 1" will be launched at around 6 pm on October 24. Experts in astronomical space research also confirmed this statement.

According to experts, determining the optimal launch time of a satellite is quite complicated and requires detailed analysis of factors such as local lightning, precipitation, and cloud cover, as well as judgment based on relevant historical data. After repeated consultations between aerospace, satellite launch, meteorology, astronomy and other departments, the optimal launch window was finally determined to be around 6:05 pm on October 24.

Preparations at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center are currently intensive and orderly. The Long March-3A rocket used to launch "Chang'e 1" has been hoisted into the rotating platform of Tower 3, and "Chang'e 1" The No. 3 launch tower has also entered the launch area and stands quietly. The blue rotating platform is tightly closed and in a testing state. The scientific and technical personnel of the five major systems of Xichang Satellite Launch Center, including test launch, measurement and control, are racing against time, taking precise measurements, and making final preparations to ensure the smooth launch of the "Chang'e 1" satellite. The preparations are currently going well.

It is understood that in order to ensure the smooth launch of "Chang'e 1", the Xichang Satellite Launch Center has carried out dozens of technical modifications on the No. 2 and No. 3 launch towers. Currently, both towers in the center have the capability to launch "Chang'e 1". Some experts commented that the upgraded No. 3 launch tower has become one of the most advanced launch towers in the world. A few days later, "Chang'e 1" will take off from the 85-meter-high No. 3 launch tower and head for the moon 380,000 kilometers away.

By then, the world will once again pay attention to China.

If an abnormality occurs on Chang'e-1, it can be destroyed by laser

There are two or three parts in the rocket. One or two parts are allowed to be broken without affecting the entire rocket. of normal operation. Some equipment is "double-point dual-line redundant" and so on.

In addition, the technicians at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center also "lightened the burden" on the rocket (professionally called "derating design") and adopted a dual-line design to leave margin to ensure line safety. Generally, the burden on the equipment can be reduced by half.

It is reported that the Xichang Satellite Launch Center has made some related system-level redundancies since 2003, mainly the redundancy of the control system.

The reporter learned that when the rocket is flying, there is a measurement system to measure its position, speed, etc. Its computer equipment uses 3 CPUs. According to reports, the rocket includes a control system (equipment such as steering), a structural system (bearing capacity), a power system and a measurement system.

If the abnormal operation exceeds the safe range, the rocket will be crushed

Currently, the launch safety work of "Chang'e 1" has been foolproof. In terms of personnel evacuation, the local government is responsible (this newspaper has reported in detail). Other security aspects are the responsibility of the military and scientists.

Not only that, "the base is technically prepared to deal with the worst-case scenario, and it is very advanced and mature." Yesterday, relevant people who participated in the "Launch Safety" meeting in Manshui Bay revealed to reporters: "For The launch base has provided full technical support for the two possible failure scenarios that may occur during rocket takeoff. ”

One situation is that when the Long March 3A rocket takes off, For some unpredictable reason, it suddenly stopped. Once such signs appear, the entire system's emergency plan will be quickly activated to eliminate all dangers that may occur. It is said that this technology is in the absolute leading position in the world and can completely prevent problems before they occur.

Another situation is that when the rocket ignites normally and takes off, an orbital abnormality suddenly occurs within a very short period of time, and this abnormality exceeds the safe range. At this critical moment, the lasers and other instruments that guard the rocket will take effect quickly, aim at the core target, and smash it into pieces. The fragments will surely fall within the safe evacuation area, without causing any casualties to humans or animals.