At 9:56 on April 16, the return capsule of the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft landed successfully at the Dongfeng Landing Field. The three astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu who had been on a "business trip" for half a year in space safely and smoothly departed. cabin and return to the embrace of the earth.
At present, the three astronauts who have successfully completed the Shenzhou 13 manned mission have safely arrived in Beijing on the mission aircraft on the afternoon of April 16.
Astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu (left to right) safely and smoothly exited the spacecraft (imposition photo). (Xinhua News Agency)
So, why did Shenzhou 13 choose the Dongfeng landing site for its return? Why did you “go home” so quickly this time? Why can the return capsule land upright? How long does it take for an astronaut to recover after a half-year "business trip"? Let’s find out together!
Dongfeng Landing Field has three major advantages
Starting from the Shenzhou-12 manned mission, Dongfeng Landing Field started the normalized emergency standby search and rescue mode of the landing field system. From the backup landing site to the home field, what are the advantages of Dongfeng Landing Site?
On April 16, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft successfully landed in the predetermined area of ??the Dongfeng Landing Field. (Xinhua News Agency)
First, the Dongfeng Landing Site requires only one search and rescue force to meet the search and rescue mission requirements of each mission segment. Bian Hancheng, deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space Engineering Landing Site System, once said that relying on the construction of the Dongfeng Landing Site at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and deploying a search and rescue force, diversified search and rescue missions can be performed in various mission stages of launch, operation, and return. It can not only search and rescue the spacecraft recovery capsule, but also search for rocket debris and complete astronaut emergency search and rescue missions on a regular basis.
Second, the construction and maintenance costs are low and the search and rescue capability is strong. The Dongfeng Landing Site can rely on the human resources of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and facilities and equipment such as measurement and control, communications, meteorology, medical care, transportation and logistics support, and is mainly composed of limited-scale professional search and rescue forces. It can form a complete functional system and complete professional categories at any time. The search and rescue team can better coordinate and utilize resources, which can not only reduce the cost of landing site construction and maintenance, but also maintain strong search and rescue capabilities.
Third, the geographical advantages of Dongfeng Landing Site are very obvious. It is located in the Gobi Desert, where there are sparsely populated people, few pastures and arable land, and there is currently no large-scale economic construction plan. Not only will the landing site not affect the original local economic construction, it can also drive local economic development through the development of the aerospace and tourism industries.
Why did you “go home” so quickly this time?
The entire journey from separation from the Tianhe core module of the space station to return to the ground took just over 9 hours. For the first time, a Chinese manned spacecraft used the rapid return mode to "go home".
The rapid return mode is mainly achieved by reducing the number of times the spacecraft flies around the earth in orbit. After the manned spacecraft evacuates the space station, it needs to fly around the earth several times before choosing an opportunity to enter the atmosphere and return to the earth. After adopting the rapid return mode, not only the astronauts return speed is accelerated, but the overall comfort level is also further improved.
The main parachute of the return module of the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft opened.
The Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft uses an 11-turn return mode, and it takes about 1.5 hours to fly around the earth. While maintaining the main projects, the Shenzhou 13 mission compressed and rationally tailored some of the flight events during the return process. The flight events that previously required 11 orbits around the earth were compressed to 5.
It is understood that the rapid return mode will become the norm for my country’s future manned missions.
Why can the return capsule land upright?
On the morning of the 16th, the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft returned to the ground safely, and the return module landed upright, which was perfect. Such a landing posture is rare in China's manned spaceflight history. It has flown 13 times so far, and only Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 13 have landed upright.
Whether the astronaut can land upright requires the astronaut to do it himself. He must "cut" the parachute rope at the critical moment.
Because it is rare, the Shen-13 return capsule that landed neatly is eye-catching. At the same time, many people also wonder, how will the astronauts in the return capsule get out of the capsule?
"Actually, upright landing is the most ideal landing state, so that astronauts receive the least impact." Pang Zhihao, chief science communication expert on national space exploration technology, said that the vertical height of the return capsule reaches 2.5 meters, and the horizontal landing is The advantage is that it is more convenient for astronauts to exit the vehicle autonomously. Vertical landing requires rescue team members to use special exit auxiliary equipment. The "slide" that appears in the live broadcast is a device designed for upright landing.
"Business trip" for half a year means a longer recovery period
After six months of business trip in space, the three astronauts of the God-13 crew created a new space residency in the history of China's spaceflight Time record.
The radiation they endure in space is much higher than that on Earth. The longer they stay, the greater the amount of radiation. The risks they face include radiation-induced diseases, changes in the central nervous system, etc. Moreover, being in a closed, microgravity or zero-gravity environment for a long time will also have an impact on the human body.
On November 7, 2022, astronaut Zhai Zhigang conducted extravehicular activities on the space station.
The "business trip" of God's Twelve Crew in space is three months. After returning to Earth, it takes about half a year to recover from normal life, work and training. The God 13 crew carried out the mission for half a year, which meant a longer recovery period.
After astronauts land, it is very important to take various protective measures. The recovery of astronauts' physical condition needs to adhere to the principle of "step-by-step", and the condition and recovery process must be tracked for a long time. According to the experience of Shenzhou-12, the entire and dynamic tracking, maintenance and observation work must last at least one year.