the post-85s star-making team pioneered the crowdfunding model to go to space! a satellite carries nearly 20 "passengers"
2024-09-19
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while people were watching the "supermoon" during the mid-autumn festival this year, my country's "einstein probe" space x-ray observatory also transmitted back x-ray photos of the moon from space on the 17th. this is the first time that chinese scientists have obtained an x-ray image of the entire moon using a space telescope developed by themselves.
it is not just the "x-ray image" of the moon. with the rapid development of aerospace technology and space science, the number of new technologies and ideas that the scientific research field hopes to observe and verify in space has increased dramatically, but the opportunity to go to space through national projects is "hard to come by." the space new technology test satellite development team of the microsatellite innovation institute of the chinese academy of sciences (hereinafter referred to as the "satellite innovation institute"), which participated in the development of the "einstein probe", built the satellite through "crowdfunding."
on july 27 two years ago, the "innovation x" satellite developed by the satellite innovation institute was launched into space. this 620-kilogram satellite carried about 20 "guests".
zhang yonghe, deputy director of the satellite innovation institute and deputy chief designer of the "innovation x" satellite, recently told china business news that the "crowdfunding" model is one in which all participating parties make independent investments, and multiple different types of payloads are "gathered" on a satellite into space in order to gain opportunities for space science experiments and technology verification.
as early as 2020, when zhang yonghe's team was developing the einstein probe satellite, they planned to send one of the wide-field x-ray telescope test modules into space first to verify the feasibility of its technology for subsequent optimization and research and development, but they were unable to find a suitable carrier satellite.
zhang yonghe explained that the "innovation x" satellite launched later is like a car that can carry a large number of test payload "passengers" into space at the same time. the costs of rockets, satellite platforms, and launches are shared by multiple research and development teams. in this way, the team has the opportunity to verify new technologies and new products in space at a low cost without having to squeeze into national projects.
"the world's first wide-field x-ray focused imaging sky map", "my country's first image of the solar transition zone", "the brightest gamma-ray burst in the world to date"... since its launch, the "innovation x" satellite has completed the verification of 44 new space technologies and is still continuously producing large amounts of scientific data.
hundreds of applications received
at the beginning of 2021, the chinese academy of sciences' "lijian-1" carrier rocket's maiden flight project was approved. based on the principle of "sharing risks and prioritizing science", the new space technology experimental satellite got a chance to be launched into space.
the reason why this star is called "innovation x" is that it is innovative and cross-cutting. innovation is reflected in every link, from project selection, configuration design to personnel allocation. zhang yonghe told caixin that they have been thinking about how to shorten the path and use more effective and low-cost methods to get scientists' products into space. so can they try "crowdfunding"?
subsequently, the space new technology test satellite was quickly approved and received hundreds of applications. after screening, it was determined that 19 payloads would be carried on the satellite. in the end, a total of 16 payloads were successfully launched. "most of the new payloads and new technology products we selected are basic research and new technologies in the aerospace field that are just one step away from success," said zhang yonghe.
in addition to the new crowdfunding model, many of the development teams of the payloads carried this time participated in the development of satellite payloads for the first time. in february 2022, the satellite innovation institute formed a young team, more than two-thirds of the team were born in the 1980s and 1990s. in order to ensure the smooth progress of the project, the team adopted a "dual responsibility system", with an experienced "master" responsible for technology and quality control for each subsystem, and the young "apprentice" leading the design of the program and project promotion.
"although many members of the team are young, some of them have already gone through many high-difficulty satellite development missions," said chen wen, chief commander of "innovation x."
"pilot platform" in space
the weight of the new space technology test satellite is 620 kilograms, and it usually takes 3 to 5 years to develop a satellite of this size. however, the "force arrow 1" carrier rocket was originally scheduled to be launched at the end of 2021, which means that the team had less than 1 year from project approval to launch, and only half a year was given in the end.
launching such a large number of new payloads of different types on a satellite within one year has brought great challenges to the development team of the new space technology test satellite. faced with a new team, a new model and a short cycle, the satellite development team has explored a route that suits them.
zhang xiaofeng, chief designer of the "innovation x" satellite, told reporters that the research and development team hopes to provide a general technology verification platform for scientists. "this is a new research paradigm. the satellite is equivalent to a service module, and we are the waiters. as long as scientists have ideas and instruments, we can provide them with 'nanny-style' services through a standardized platform."
for example, since many of the development teams of the payloads carried this time participated in the development of satellite payloads for the first time, in response to this situation, the commando team formulated test payload interface specifications, format agreements and verification requirements in advance, identified risk projects, carried out key control, and assisted in completing the payload design work. in terms of satellite platform design and development, unlike previous satellites, the "innovation x" series is designed as a universal platform for dynamic integration of payloads. it not only has rich interfaces, but also has multiple observation modes such as high-precision solar observation, earth observation, and inertial orientation.
just last year, when the "innovation x" was one year old, the satellite innovation institute and china space science and technology jointly announced the "innovation x" scientific flight plan, soliciting new payloads and new products with in-orbit verification requirements from around the world, and continuing to explore new paradigms for space science exploration and technology verification. in the future, each launch mission of the force arrow launch vehicle 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.
(this article comes from china business network)
