This cutting-edge facility, developed through a collaboration between the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), has successfully passed its national-level acceptance review and commenced operations in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.
The SESRI stands as China's inaugural large-scale scientific establishment dedicated to aerospace research, as reported by China Central Television. It represents a leap in China's scientific infrastructure, aimed at probing fundamental scientific and technological challenges within a comprehensive research base. This base is designed to explore the intricate dynamics between space environments, spacecraft, life forms, and plasma interactions.
Dubbed the "ground space station," the SESRI is adept at simulating a wide array of space environmental conditions. These include vacuums, temperature extremes, charged particles, electromagnetic radiation, space dust, plasma, weak magnetic fields, neutral gases, and microgravity. Spanning an area equivalent to around 50 soccer fields, the facility's versatile design allows for the customization of environmental conditions to meet specific scientific and engineering requirements.
This adaptability facilitates the repetition of experiments without the constraints of time and space, paving the way for safer and more efficient experimental conditions and research methodologies.
Li Liyi, the project's deputy commander-in-chief and head of the Institute of Space Environment and Material Science at HIT, highlighted the facility's significance. "It means that many experiments that previously required space travel can now be conducted on the ground," Li stated. He further emphasized the facility's role in ensuring the safety of China's spacecraft operations in orbit, supporting long-term human habitation in space, and bolstering human capabilities to address special and extreme space conditions.
"The facility is to ensure the safe operation of our country's spacecraft in orbit, support long-term human habitation, and enhance human capabilities in dealing with special and extreme space environments. It is now able to operate stably. Based on this research platform, we will be able to do more work in related research areas and provide research environments and conditions for scientists nationwide and worldwide in the future."
The development of SESRI spanned 18 years, from its initial conceptualization to its official inauguration. Since its trial operation last year, the facility has already catered to several domestic and international users. It has played a pivotal role in the development of aerospace electronic components within China and supported a series of major national aerospace missions, yielding numerous landmark achievements.
Han Jiecai, president of HIT and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, underscored the platform's critical role in propelling China toward significant scientific and technological breakthroughs, industrial transformation, and the cultivation of highly skilled talent. "We will continuously optimize the technical indicators of the facility, improve its scientific level, and promote scientific research and exploration based on the facility," Han stated.
He articulated the institution's commitment to uncovering deeper scientific laws, fostering the creation of independent intellectual property, and nurturing world-class scientific and technological talent.
"We will strive to reveal more profound scientific laws, accelerate the formation of more independent intellectual property rights, and cultivate more world-class scientific and technological talent, making new and greater contributions to the significant leap of China from a major space power to a strong space power."
The establishment of SESRI not only underscores China's growing prowess in the global space race but also positions the country as a burgeoning hub for space research and development. Through this facility, China aims to bridge the gap between terrestrial experimentation and the vast, unexplored expanse of outer space, offering a unique platform for scientists across the globe to advance our understanding of the universe.
Based on a Xinhua News Agency article
Related Links
Harbin Institute of Technology
Space Technology News - Applications and Research
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