Science and Technology Daily reporter Liu Xia
As the third section of the of the Chinese space station, the last link, and the Mengtian Experimental Cabin , was launched in Hainan on October 31. This mission is the final battle of the assembly of the basic configuration of the "T" character of China's Tiangong Space Station.
Currently, 3 Chinese astronauts are staying in the Tiangong Space Station.
Image source: "Nature" website related reports
British magazine " Nature " pointed out in a report on October 28 that China's Tiangong Space Station is about to be completed. In the next ten years, scientists will conduct more than 1,000 experiments on " Tiangong ", some of which will try to re-record the results obtained on International Space Station .
New "Science Playground"
The third and last module of China's Tiangong Space Station - the Mengtian Experimental Cabin takes off from the Wenchang Launch Site, Hainan, China on the Long March 5 B Yao-4 launch vehicle. After the Mengtian Experimental Cabin was launched, it formed a T-shaped configuration with the three cabins of Tianhe Core Cabin and Wentian Experimental Cabin.
Nature magazine reported that "Tiangong" is the only two laboratories in orbit, with an estimated service life of 10 years. During this period, scientists will conduct more than 1,000 scientific experiments on the Tiangong Space Station, including studying the impact of microgravity on living tissues and the combustion of flames.
Australia's space technology research and development expert Paul de Souza said that building space station is a huge achievement. "This is great! The Tiangong Space Station has opened a new scientific playground for Chinese researchers." Researcher Zhang Wei, director of the Center for Space Application Engineering and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Nature that more than 25 research projects are currently being carried out at the Tiangong Space Station, including studying the impact of microgravity on plant cells, bones and muscles, as well as protein crystallization experiments.
Chinese astronauts have brought about 12,000 seeds, including alfalfa , oats and fungal seeds to the Tiangong Space Station, which will expose them to cosmic radiation and microgravity for 6 months, and then send them back to Earth for planting in April next year. Researchers from of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also reported that in late July this year, the celery and rice seedlings planted in the Wentian experimental cabin had already begun to germinate.
Verify whether the results of ISS can be reproduced
The main research areas of the Wentian Experimental Cabin and Mengtian Experimental Cabin are different. The Wentian Experimental Cabin was launched in July this year. It is mainly aimed at space life science research, supporting the research on the growth, development, genetics, aging and other response mechanisms of various types of plants, animals, microorganisms, , etc. under space conditions; while the Mengtian Experimental Cabin is mainly aimed at microgravity scientific research.
Nature website pointed out in the report that there are more than 20 small laboratories on the Tiangong Space Station, equipped with centrifuge , cooling chamber with temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Celsius, high-temperature furnace, multiple lasers and optical atomic clocks. These devices will be used to conduct experiments similar to those conducted on the International Space Station (ISS), including studying the impact of long-term low-Earth orbit on astronauts' health, how to prevent fire from various materials, and the quantum properties of gases. Three facilities located outside the space station will help study the impact of cosmic radiation on plants and microorganisms.
De Souza said the arrival of the new space laboratory means that researchers can repeat experiments conducted on the International Space Station to test whether the results can be reproduced.
Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker told Nature that researchers from other countries can also enter the orbital laboratory to "play". Through a collaborative project with the United Nations, China has selected nine international experiments to go to this scientific research outpost, developed by researchers in Japan, Russia, India and other countries such as , Mexico, and .
