China News Agency, Xi’an, April 16 (reporter Zhang Yichen) - the return capsule of Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site on the morning of April 16, and astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and ye Guangfu returned safely. So far, the mission of the key technology verification stage of the Chinese space station has been completed and will soon be transferred to the on orbit assembly and construction stage.

The application software of relay terminal, antenna network and instrument controller developed by Xi’an Branch of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group (hereinafter referred to as Xi’an Branch) for the Chinese space station escorts the astronauts on their “way home”.

Before going home: the astronauts and the core module are under control

Before returning to the ground, astronauts have to go through many links, such as sorting out the “room”, packing up “luggage”, exercising and getting familiar with the process. Among them, the connection between astronauts and the ground and the physical health of astronauts are the most concerned things of ground researchers.

The relay terminal developed by Xi’an Branch for the space station and the core module is an important channel for the space station to establish communication with the ground. The living conditions of astronauts in the space station and the core module, the communication with the ground, and the measurement and control of the ground to the space station and the core module are realized through the relay terminal.

In addition, the instrument computer application software subordinate to the instrument and lighting subsystem of the core module is the “smart brain” of the whole core module. All information related to the core module needs to be collected into the instrument computer application software and finally transmitted back to the ground through the relay terminal for data analysis by scientific researchers.

On the way home: “space Skyway” and “space app” help in the whole process

When the astronauts left the “new space home” and entered the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft from the space station Tianhe core module, the “space travel trio” embarked on the “way home”.

The relay terminal developed by Xi’an Branch for Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft realizes “space handshake” with TIANLIAN relay satellite, and builds a space channel for information transmission. The communication between the ground and spacecraft and astronauts and the transmission of ground measurement and control signals need to be completed through the “space road” built by the relay terminal. When the propulsion module is separated from the return module, the relay terminal installed on the propulsion module completes its mission.

It is reported that in the process of the return capsule of Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft returning to the ground, the ground measurement and control station controls the smooth return of the spacecraft by calculating the return control parameters of the spacecraft. At the same time, in order to further ensure the safety of astronauts and improve the autonomous operation ability of the spacecraft, the spacecraft system has designed a life-saving scheme for on orbit autonomous emergency return. Once the spacecraft loses contact with the ground, the spacecraft will start the autonomous emergency return system. At that time, the instrument controller application software developed by Xi’an Branch, as the “space app” of astronauts, can predict the orbit, calculate the control parameters of the landing point through neural network, find the optimal scheme of the landing point, and realize the autonomous emergency return of the spacecraft outside the ground measurement and control communication network.

When you get home: the antenna network guides the search and rescue direction

When the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft return module returns to the ground smoothly, how to quickly find the return module and astronauts?

The antenna network of the return capsule of Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft played an important role at this time. After the spacecraft landed, select the antenna facing above the ground through the switch to ensure that the search and rescue personnel on the ground can find the return capsule through the antenna network.

The antenna network developed by Xi’an Branch for Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft is responsible for establishing independent channels for communication signals, measurement and control signals, positioning signals and search and rescue signals, ensuring the stability and smoothness of their transmission, and building important channels and bridges for the transmission of Shenzhou spacecraft return module and ground signals, so as to effectively ensure the safe and smooth “home” of spacecraft and astronauts. (end)