China's vacuum measurement technology reaches international advanced level

The results of vacuum metrology research by Li Detian, a researcher at Lanzhou Institute of Space Technical Physics and his research team, have been applied to major national projects such as lunar exploration, spacecraft space environment simulation, heavy ion accelerators, and synchrotron radiation sources, making China's vacuum metrology technology international Advanced level.

 

In a recent interview with reporters, Li Detian said that through more than ten years of continuous research, the team has successfully developed vacuum measuring instruments and devices such as rapid leak detectors for manned spacecraft doors, solving the problem of small gas flow in the aerospace and nuclear industries. Accurate measurement challenges.

 

As China ’s pace of space exploration continues to accelerate, it is urgent to establish ultra-high / ultra-high vacuum measurement standards to meet the needs of the vacuum environment detection of the lunar surface, interplanetary space, and interstellar space.

 

Li Detian said that in manned space projects, astronauts have to fly in space for many days, during which astronauts must repeatedly enter and exit the cabin, and operate the doors to open and close. Astronauts live in the cabin, and the gas to maintain their normal life cannot leak, so it is important to accurately and quickly detect the tightness of the door.

 

Li Detian said that the rapid door leak detector developed by the team weighs less than 5 kilograms and takes less than 8 minutes to complete all the tests automatically, realizing fast and accurate leak detection of the door and the docking surface, and the technology has reached international advanced standards. Level.

 

This device has been successfully used in Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9, Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft and Tiangong-1 target aircraft, providing important guarantees for the implementation of China's manned spaceflight project.

 

Li Detian revealed that the door rapid leak detector is also determined to be used in subsequent space stations and cargo spacecraft, etc. It is an indispensable scientific instrument for the construction and operation of China's space station.

 

In addition, Li Detian and his team also developed a deep-space exploration space mass spectrometer, creating a critical payload for deep-space exploration in China.

 

"Before, China did not have a mature space mass spectrometer. For various reasons, the channels introduced from abroad were not smooth." Li Detian said that through repeated technical research, the small space magnetic deflection mass spectrometer developed by the team successfully verified flight in 2012, and the measurement results are consistent with the data published by NASA. This indicates that China has successfully mastered the core technology of the product development, and the mass spectrometer is still in normal operation.

 

Li Detian's team also developed a special leak rate measurement system for the lunar sample packaging device, which is used to accurately measure the vacuum leak rate of the lunar sample packaging device in the third phase of lunar exploration.

 

"The scientific objective of the third phase of lunar exploration is to return by sampling. The unmanned automatic encapsulation of the lunar soil is required under the extremely high vacuum conditions on the lunar surface. The accuracy of the measurement results of the tiny vacuum leak rate of the packaging device directly affects the successful realization of the scientific goals. That said, using this measurement system can ensure that the moon samples are brought back to earth safely and without pollution.