This article is adapted from China's manned spaceflight
The Dawn functional cargo module is the first segment of the International Space Station November 20, 1998 from Proton carrier rocket It was launched into orbit from Baikonur Space Launch Site. The launch of Dawn officially kicked off the construction of the International Space Station, marking the ninth space station in human history, the largest space station and the most expensive spacecraft—— The International Space Station was born 。
Dawn functional cargo compartment
Dawn functional cargo compartment Funded by the United States , developed by the Khrunichev Space Center of Russia. Russia named it It is Dawn, which means it symbolizes the dawn of a new era of international cooperation in aerospace. In December of the same year when Dawn was launched, the United States made Soyuz node module was launched and connected with Dawn.
Dawn photographed by the space shuttle Endeavour
Where did Dawn come from?
"Dawn" photographed by the International Space Station
The Dawn functional cargo cabin is based on the improved design of the transport and supply spacecraft under the Soviet Salute space station plan, Originally planned to be used as a segment of Mir space station , as Russia plans to decommission Mir space station, Dawn Not launched into orbit , but improved for the International Space Station. Although it is not applied to Mir space station, Dawn functional cargo cabin inherits a lot of technologies from Mir space station, bringing a new dawn to the construction of the International Space Station.
What's in the cargo hold?
Inside Dawn functional cargo compartment
The Dawn functional cargo module is one of the key components of the International Space Station Airlock 、 Cargo hold 、 Scientific instrument cabin and Multi function module Composition: The airlock cabin can be used for astronauts to enter and exit the cabin, the cargo cabin is equipped with a large number of equipment and cargo, the scientific instrument cabin is equipped with a multispectral camera and a smelting furnace for space material processing technology research, and the multi-functional cargo cabin is also equipped with life support equipment and living facilities.
How powerful is Dawn?
Looking through the Dawn window
As the first segment of the International Space Station sent into space, Dawn was responsible for providing advance 、 Navigation 、 signal communication 、 electricity generation 、 Heat proof 、 live 、 Storage of fuel And other functions; As more specialized modules are launched into orbit and participate in the construction of the space station, Dawn is currently mainly responsible for the international space station Internal pressurized cargo matter and External fuel storage Function.
There are Pressurized compartment 、 Docking system 。 The pressurized compartment of Dawn can meet the needs of life support, command and data processing, power and docking. Its docking system can be used for docking Soyuz spacecraft and Progress spacecraft. Environmental control and life support system It can control the circulating fan, heat converter, fire detection equipment, etc. It is completed by the electrolysis of water equipment to produce nitrogen and oxygen circularly. In addition, Dawn functional cargo compartment has Independent fuel storage capacity Propellant replenishment can be realized by using Progress cargo spaceship.
Where will Dawn go?
Extended service time
The design service life of Dawn functional cargo cabin is 15 years, but today, 20 years later, Dawn is still in normal operation. The International Space Station is expected to be in service until 2024, but the participating countries of the project are also discussing the issue of extending its service period to 2028 or 2030.
The relay cabin section is ready for departure
In order to deal with the unexpected situation, the Khrunichev Space Center has built a module section that is the same as the Dawn functional cargo module, called the functional cargo module - 2. This segment has now been improved to become a multi-functional experimental module of Science, which is planned to be launched into orbit in 2021 to enhance Russia's space application capability.
The International Space Station (ISS) has been established for 12 years, which is the scientific and technological crystallization of 15 countries in the world. The successful operation of the International Space Station has bridged seemingly incompatible ideologies. As the culmination of mankind's long-term existence in space, it is also the outpost of mankind in the sky. At present, China's manned space program has fully entered the stage of building space stations in orbit, Tianhe Core Module, the first segment of China's space station, is ready to launch And be ready for the new journey of China's manned space industry.
In the future, China's space station will be built into an open platform for scientific and technological cooperation and exchange facing the international community. It will adopt various modes such as intergovernmental cooperation and commercial cooperation to carry out extensive practical cooperation in the fields of space station construction and operation technology, space science and application, astronaut selection and training, and transformation of high-tech achievements in manned spaceflight, Make it a space laboratory for the benefit of all mankind. Looking at the Milky Way, the future is foreseeable.
