Write a comment
Chinese scientists have developed a metallic-based thermal-control coating for the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship that will protect the taikonauts from extreme heat and cold during their six-month stay in orbit.
The new coating works in two ways: providing low solar absorption to help reduce the sun's effect on the spacecraft's interior temperature; and providing low infrared emittance to bl Chinese scientists have developed a metallic-based thermal-control coating for the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship that will protect the taikonauts from extreme heat and cold during their six-month stay in orbit.
The new coating works in two ways: providing low solar absorption to help reduce the sun's effect on the spacecraft's interior temperature; and providing low infrared emittance to block heat release from internal sources.
Tasked with completing the construction of China's Tiangong space station, the orbiting Shenzhou-14 taikonauts will witness several complex station configurations during their six-month journey. Cargo craft and lab modules that dock with the space station core module are likely to block the sunlight to the spaceship, resulting in long-term exposure to the extreme cold found in the shadows of deep space. The spaceship also has to cope with the intense heat found in the direct sunlight of outer space.
Without thermal controls, the temperature of the spacecraft's sun-facing side can soar to above 100 degrees Celsius, while the dark side can plunge to minus 100 degrees Celsius. The extreme high- and low-temperature environments pose challenges to the health of the taikonauts and the functioning of the spacecraft.
Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, the thermal-control coating was first used on the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft, which was launched on Oct. 16, 2021. It kept the cabin environment within acceptable temperature ranges (between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius) during its six-month space journey, allowing the taikonauts to stay cool and comfortable in their orbiting home.
China launched the three-person Shenzhou-14 mission on June 5, providing the third crew for the country's space-station project. During their stay in orbit, the crew will witness two lab modules, the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship docking with the space station core module.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Related Links
China Academy of Space Technology
Space Technology News - Applications and Research
|
| Tweet |
| Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. | ||
| SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly |  | SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
SEAKR Engineering Demonstrates Optical Communications on DARPA's Mandrake 2 Satellites
Centennial CO (SPX) Jun 09, 2022
SEAKR Engineering, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, announced a successful demonstration of optical inter-satellite links between two Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Mandrake 2 satellites. During the first test, more than 280 gigabits of data were transferred at a range of 114 kilometers during a period of more than 40 minutes. "This was a demonstration not only of optical communications in space but also a closer look at some of the foundational building blocks n ... read more