chinese modernization endeavors｜the first space "scientific flight" was launched, and the "post-87" team created a new paradigm of "crowdfunding satellites"
2024-09-16
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the development team of the new space technology test satellite of the microsatellite innovation institute of the chinese academy of sciences. photo by our reporter yuan jing
team profile
the space new technology experimental satellite development team of the microsatellite innovation institute of the chinese academy of sciences was established in february 2021. facing the development needs of multi-payload, low-cost, and short-cycle platforms, the team proposed a new payload low-cost rapid verification design concept, developed a wide-adaptability, low-cost, and sustainable space test platform, created a new paradigm of "crowdfunding satellites", and was awarded the honorary title of "chinese academy of sciences annual team" in 2023.
the satellite weighs 620 kilograms and can carry about 20 passengers. on july 27, two years ago, the innovation x satellite was launched into space.the world's first space "science flight"after achieving a large number of outstanding scientific research results and completing in-orbit verification of 44 new technologies, it is still in service "overage" and continuously transmitting back observation data.
on the ground, the "innovation x" space new technology test satellite development team of the microsatellite innovation institute of the chinese academy of sciences has been recruiting "passengers" for the second phase of the "scientific flight" - in addition to striving for national projects to go into space, it will provide more opportunities for space science experiments and technology verification for more "0 to 1" innovations, creating a "crowdfunding satellite”new paradigm.
"innovation x" stands forinnovation without limitsfrom a new star to a new paradigm in scientific research, this team, about 70% of whom are young people born after 1987, is constantly exploring more possibilities for new space technologies.
a "free trip" opens the road to "crowdfunding"
innovation often starts from long and hard thinking and is achieved by chance.
in 2021, the chinese academy of sciences launched the solid-fuel carrier rocket "lijian-1". when planning the "capacity", the team found that the rocket could carry a small satellite. this news was great news for zhang yonghe, deputy director of the microsatellite innovation institute of the chinese academy of sciences. at that time, he was the chief designer of the einstein probe satellite (ep).
more than a year ago, zhang yonghe had a rather unorthodox idea: there are 12 wide-field x-ray telescopes called "lobster eyes" on the ep satellite. they are brand-new and extremely difficult to develop, and have never been to space. if a test module can be sent into space for verification first, the subsequent risks can be greatly reduced.
since then, zhang yonghe has found many "companions" who have the same desire to go to space. as the country's investment in basic research and technological innovation in the field of space increases, many innovative achievements are in urgent need of moving from the laboratory to space, but only a very few lucky people can get the opportunity to go to space by applying for national projects.
such a good opportunity must not be wasted. in february 2022, the small satellite innovation institute formed a young team to tailor a "crowdfunding satellite" for the "new passengers" of space research from all over the world.
solving problems for "no limits" and creating problems for yourself
previously, satellite development mostly adopted a top-down top-level design model: generally only 3-5 payloads were carried, and everything from the payload and satellite platform to the device interface and circuit routing had to be designed and planned first and then strictly implemented.
"however, the unlimited 'innovation x' satellite was designed after the rocket and payload were built," said zhang xiaofeng, chief designer of innovation x. not only do so many payloads come from nearly 20 different scientific research institutions, but they may also be withdrawn or "joined" for various reasons. this has brought a series of problems, including on-board energy distribution, heat management, satellite attitude control, etc.
"only challenges can inspire the passion for innovation." chen wen, chief commander of "innovation x", said that although many members of the team are young, they have experienced many high-difficulty satellite development tasks and they are also motivated.
at the same time, the small satellite innovation institute insisted on planning, deploying and implementing party building work together with satellite development work. at the beginning of development, a temporary party branch was simultaneously established at the launch site. it focused its efforts and worked hard to complete various tasks, demonstrating the organizational, innovative and combat effectiveness of the main force of the country's strategic scientific and technological forces.
in order to fully understand user needs, the "innovation x" development team held more than 30 user meetings in just two months. a realistic problem is that when development funds need to be "crowdfunded", reducing costs becomes a rigid demand.
the gyroscope is a key component for measuring the angular velocity of the satellite's attitude. if the accuracy of the angular velocity measurement increases from 0.003 degrees per second to 0.001 degrees, the price of the component will increase from hundreds of thousands to millions. in order to save money and achieve the desired indicators, li jinsong, the chief designer in charge of satellite attitude control, improved the device and software, and finally made the angular velocity control accuracy reach 0.0005 degrees per second on orbit.
not only did the team solve the problem, they even created their own problems. the satellite has a system with a sleeve-type non-magnetic extension arm that will unfold a few months after entering orbit and enter the space environment of -273°c. the system's nano-type star sensor happens to need a low-temperature environment to work. liu liu, chief designer of satellite thermal control, proposed to install this star sensor on the tail of the extension arm and send it into space together. "the extension arm is 5.3 meters long, which poses a problem for the satellite's attitude control." zhang xiaofeng recalled that the team decided to give it a bold try, and it worked.
"star ticket" is expected, with multiple flights available in the future
providing low-cost rapid verification for payloads is a new concept of the "innovation x" satellite. by quickly integrating innovative technologies and verifying them in flight through test satellites, the transformation of core key technologies from basic research to on-orbit applications can be accelerated.
in order to achieve this goal, the research and development team not only has to make this star, but also has to design a series of work processes, develop standards, and even form an operating model for this concept.
many scientific research users have no experience in developing aerospace instruments, so the "innovation x" team has compiled a complete set of specifications so that users have a set of rules to follow when developing payloads, so that they can go into space more smoothly and achieve verification results later.
my country's first image of the solar transition zone, the first application of a domestically produced quantum magnetometer in space and the acquisition of a global magnetic field survey map, the world's first wide-field x-ray focused imaging sky map... over the past two years, "innovation x" has continued to bring surprises to scientists and has made more researchers look forward to the next "crowdfunding flight."
just as it celebrated its first anniversary since its launch, the microsatellite innovation institute of the chinese academy of sciences and china space science and technology jointly announced the "innovation x" scientific flight plan, soliciting new payloads and new products with in-orbit verification needs from around the world, and continuing to explore new paradigms of space science exploration and technology verification.
in the future, each launch mission of the force rocket will reserve special space for scientific experimental satellites, providing flexible and convenient opportunities to enter orbit. the "innovation x" team will expand the "science flight" satellites to three different levels of 50 kg, 100 kg, and 600 kg, providing full-chain carrying services for scientists, research institutions, and space companies around the world.
author: xu qimin
text: xu qimin photo: yuan jing/photographer: xu qimin editor-in-chief: ren quan
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