"Visible": Let the whole world see "China Star"
According to the overall technical goal of "Dongfanghong-1" determined by 1967, the satellite must be "accessible, graspable, audible and visible". "Visible" means that when a satellite flies in orbit, it should be directly visible to the naked eye on the ground. The researchers finally came up with a method of "borrowing light", that is, installing an observation skirt on the three-stage rocket to increase the brightness. By reflecting sunlight, the brightness of observation is greatly improved. Without reference materials, the development team spent more than a year groping for it. But on the ground, it is always impossible to really verify the visual effect of satellites hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away.
Shen Zuwei, head of the Dongfanghong-1 observation system in No.508 Institute of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: I really have no bottom in my heart. Our orbit has a perigee of 438(439) kilometers and an apogee of 2484 kilometers. If you say you can see it from more than 400 kilometers away, can you see the whole journey of the satellite?
At 8: 29 pm on April 25th, the "Dongfanghong-1" satellite flew over Beijing. Developers still clearly remember the trajectory across the sky.
Liu Fuyu, head of the electrical survey team of the Dongfanghong-1 satellite assembly workshop of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: At that time, everyone stopped (down) and I looked up. This is really a shining satellite walk. I was really excited. Everyone was in tears.
Sun Jiadong, general manager of Dongfanghong-1 satellite technology, winner of the "two bombs and one satellite" medal and the Republic medal, said: When launching Dongfanghong-1, the orbit accuracy was quite high.
One person walks faster, but a group of people can go further. On the day of launch, more than 600,000 people across the country guarded telephone poles on a vast route of more than 2,000 kilometers to ensure smooth communication.
"Listen": Singing Dongfanghong in the universe
Satellites can see, but how can they "hear"
Lu Jiaju, an expert in telemetry system of Dongfanghong-1 satellite in No.502 Institute of Aerospace Science and Technology Group, first proposed the tape recorder. At that time, tape recorders and tapes were so big. You said something that big would go to heaven, and it was mechanical. What about reliability? Then I thought of electronic music.
In fact, this method is to convert the electronic version of Dongfanghong music into a radio signal in space, and then receive it on the ground and play it.
Lu Jiaju, an expert on the telemetry system of Dongfanghong-1 satellite in No.502 Institute of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: At that time, it was basically around it for many years, at least four years.
Reporter: What if this song is not released?
Lu Jiaju, an expert in the telemetry system of Dongfanghong-1 satellite in No.502 Institute of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: That certainly failed.
0/5 minutes after launch/kloc-,the National Broadcasting Bureau reported that it had received the music "Dongfanghong" played by China's "Dongfanghong-1" satellite, with a clear and loud voice.
Up: 13 Failure 6 Success
To launch the173kg "Dongfanghong-1" satellite, it is inseparable from the powerful power provided by the launch vehicle. 1965, a group of young people resolutely came to the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia and started the pioneering of solid rocket motors in China. At the initial stage of development, the technology is immature, and the danger of engine failure or even violent explosion is often encountered. At that time, a total of 19 test runs were conducted, and the previous 13 tests all ended in failure.
Chen Keming: 19 times, the developer of Long March 1 three-stage solid rocket engine in China Sixth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology, all succeeded in the last six times, and failed for six consecutive times.
1On the night of April 24th, 970, when the Long March-1 rocket was about to ignite and launch, Chen Keming was the last person to evacuate from the launch tower. He wanted to make a final inspection of the solid engine.
Chen Keming, a developer of the Long March-1 three-stage solid rocket engine in China Sixth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology: The last process was to install the electric fog tube on the roof of the world, which was the most dangerous, but we were not afraid at that time. It shows that we have made a major breakthrough in cutting-edge technology.
Manual calculation of satellite thermal control scheme
Behind many breakthroughs are extremely difficult conditions. The older generation of astronauts started from scratch and walked out of China's own space road.
Hou Zengqi, a temperature control expert of the "Dongfanghong-1" satellite in the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: This was the thermal control calculation at that time, and it was calculated for different working conditions. At that time, it was calculated with an abacus, and then there was a slide rule.
Hou Zengqi, a satellite temperature control expert of "Dongfanghong-1" in the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: The eighth time of ten is still there. ....
Hou Zengqi, a temperature control expert of the "Dongfanghong-1" satellite in the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: There is no design method for the calculation method. I will deduce the formula myself, establish the equation and then solve it. It is all calculated by hand, which is unimaginable now.
At that time, not only was the equipment simple, but the experimental conditions were also very difficult.
Qi Faren, chief technical officer of Dongfanghong No.1 in the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: For example, where can I do it without a cryogenic laboratory? In the navy's cold storage, we wear coats and plastic shoes to do experiments in summer. After coming out, our plastic shoes are cracked and torn, which is very difficult to handle. But in that case, we can finish the task.
Fifty years ago, the temperature control range of Dongfanghong-1 was about 5 to 40 degrees. Even today, this figure can still meet the requirements of most satellites.
Qi Faren, chief technical officer of Dongfanghong-1 in the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group: Our own Dongfanghong-1 satellite does not use any foreign technology, nor does it use foreign products. Temperature control technology is also very advanced. We can not only signal, but also sing, which foreigners have not done.