What is an orbital station? What types of orbital space stations are there? School encyclopedia International Space Station.
(OS) - a spacecraft designed for long-term stay of people in low-Earth orbit for the purpose of conducting scientific research in outer space, reconnaissance, observations of the surface and atmosphere of the planet, astronomical observations...
An orbital station differs from artificial Earth satellites availability of crew, which is periodically replaced by manned transport ships (including reusable ones), delivering to the OS a crew change, supplies of fuel and materials for the operation of the station’s technical systems, crew life support equipment, personal correspondence, spare parts for the repair and modernization of the station itself, equipment units to expand its functions, materials for conducting new research, etc. The descent vehicle of the transport ship delivers replaced crew members and the results of the research and observations to Earth.
Creating an orbital station is a very complex and expensive structure, so so far only the USSR/Russia, USA, Europe/ESA, Japan and China have developed them. At the same time, Russia and the USA had full-fledged orbital stations (Salyut, Almaz, Mir in the USSR and Skylab in the USA), and Europe and Japan had modules of an international orbital station. At the beginning of the 21st century, all these, as well as other countries, created and operate the International Space Station (ISS). China launched the first Tiangong OS in 2011. Iran and private companies also have plans to create an OS.
History of the first orbital station "Salyut"
The first Salyut orbital station, designed for long-term flights in orbit around the Earth, was launched on April 19, 1971. A powerful Proton rocket launched it into orbit at an altitude of 200 to 222 kilometers above the Earth.
After the separation of the last stage of the rocket, the protective covers were dropped, the antennas pressed to the body were released, and the solar panels were spread out to the right and left. The orbital block began to look like a proudly soaring giant bird. His wings began to catch the sun's rays and turn them into electric current. He ran along countless wires and brought the station to life. The engines began to rustle, the instruments woke up, and radio communication with the Earth began to work.
The orbital block is a solid structure! It's bigger than a trolleybus! Length – about 16 meters, diameter – 4 meters, weight – about 19 tons. It flies in automatic mode. On April 23, the Soyuz-10 transport spacecraft is launched into space, on board of which commander V. A. Shatalov, flight engineer A. S. Eliseev and test engineer N. N. Rukavishnikov. A day later they successfully dock with the orbital block, check the reliability of the docking, try to control the orbital block from the ship - everything is fine. They separate and return safely to Earth on April 25.
The orbital block is ready to receive its main crew. On June 5, 1971, the Soyuz-11 transport spacecraft was launched: commander G. T. Dobrovolsky, flight engineer V. N. Volkov and test engineer V. I. Patsaev. On June 7, the ship docks with the orbital block - now the Salyut orbital station is finally assembled, because the orbital block was only part of it. The second part is the Soyuz transport ship. The entire structure is twenty-three meters long and already weighs more than twenty-five tons.
The astronauts move into the orbital block, but do not close the hatch behind them - this is their new big home.
At first, its narrowest part is the transition compartment, only two meters in diameter. Through the hatch, the astronauts swim into the working compartment - it is more spacious, although there is a lot of different equipment around. Everything has been thought out for the life of astronauts: a table for eating, a “treadmill” for exercising, expanders...
The most complex equipment: orientation and motion control system (allows you to deploy the station and keep it in the desired position; by accelerating or slowing down, you can change the orbit); a set of life support means are various devices that create normal living conditions for astronauts; radio complex for radio communication with the Earth. Communication is very different: telephone, television. It is possible to automatically transmit records of the results of scientific work to Earth. If necessary, the station can be controlled from Earth by radio; power supply system - all station equipment operates using electricity, which is provided mainly by solar panels. Along the way, they charge the batteries, due to which the station operates at night when there is no sun.
Work at the station
Work at the station began on June 7, 1971. The cosmonauts accelerate the Salyut a little faster and raise it to a higher orbit - from 239 to 265 kilometers and begin scientific work.
Stars are photographed using a special Orion telescope. They observe and photograph the Earth - clouds, oceans, continents. They carefully monitor their health. They diligently look after the experimental vegetable garden. The seeds of Khibiny cabbage and flax were planted and sprouted there. They keep diaries, recording in them both the details of their life and scientific observations.
The crew worked on the Salyut for 23 days. On June 29, they transfer all scientific materials to the Soyuz-11 spacecraft; on June 30, they move there themselves, close the hatch behind them, separate from the orbital block and go to land. All three are in great spirits. But the unexpected happens: even before entering the atmosphere, thirty minutes before landing, an accident occurs. The tightness of the cabin in which the astronauts are located is broken. Through the resulting gap, air begins to rapidly flow out... A soft automatic landing of the Soyuz-11 spacecraft was made, but the cosmonauts died...
After the tragedy, the empty Salyut orbital block flies in space for another three and a half months, gradually losing altitude. On November 11, 1971, it enters the dense layers of the earth's atmosphere and burns up over the Pacific Ocean.
The scientific materials of the expedition were important for science, and the experience of the astronauts (24 days) proved that a person can live and work for a long time in conditions of weightlessness.
The Salyut station was the world's first long-term orbital scientific station.
On June 25, 1974, the Salyut-3 station was launched in the USSR. Then there will be Salyut-4, Salyut-5... This was a series of manned single-module orbital stations of the USSR, they operated until 1999. Under the general name "Firework" orbital stations were launched into orbit according to the civil program"Long-term orbital station" (LOS), and according to the military program - “Almaz”.
"Skylab"
"Skylab"(lit. celestial laboratory) - first and only national American single-module orbital station designed for technological, astrophysical, medical and biological research, as well as for Earth observation. Launched on May 14, 1973, hosted three Apollo missions from May 1973 to February 1974, de-orbited and collapsed on July 11, 1979.
In terms of their parameters, the Skylab stations exceeded the characteristics of the Soviet orbital stations of the Salyut and Almaz series. The American station was the first where crews worked multiple times, and the first where there were two docking ports (although the second one was not used).
"SkyLab" had a huge internal volume, providing almost unlimited freedom of movement, for example, you could easily jump from wall to wall during gymnastics classes. The astronauts found the living conditions at the station very comfortable: in particular, there was a shower installed there. Each astronaut had a small separate compartment-cabin - a niche with a closing curtain, where there was a sleeping place and a drawer for personal belongings.
There is a lot of scientific equipment here. For example, a very large telescope moved outside to the side. It consists of eight different telescopes connected in one bundle and aimed in one direction. To power all the mechanisms of this very complex instrument, it has its own solar panels. They are arranged in a cross and therefore make Skylab look like a helicopter.
Tiangong-1
China's first orbital station-class spacecraft, referred to as target module and designed for testing technologies for rendezvous and docking of spacecraft. Tiangong-1 should become the first non-Soviet and non-American free-flying manned orbital station, smaller in size, but similar in function to the first-generation Soviet orbital stations Salyut and Almaz.
Station parameters:
- Weight - 8506 kg;
- Length - 10.4 meters;
- Width (solar panels) - 17 meters;
- The residential volume of the station is 15 cubic meters.
The tasks of Tiangong-1 are to test the process of docking with ships of the Shenzhou series, ensure normal life, work and safety of astronauts during a short stay on board (from 12 to 20 days), experiments in the field of space medicine, in the field of use of outer space , as well as testing the technical equipment of the space station.
Multi-module stations
"World"
"World"- Soviet/Russian third-generation orbital station, a complex multi-purpose research complex. Its full name: Orbital near-Earth manned long-term multi-purpose international station “Mir”. This huge structure, resembling a wheel on an axle, slowly turns, bathed in the rays of the Sun. He looks very smart! Not a single empty space. Everywhere there are hatches, windows, protruding observation cabins, instruments built into the walls, antennas, locator bowls, handrails, searchlights, solar panels, docking units, attitude control nozzles, tubes with wires and hundreds and thousands more of all sorts of sophisticated and very beautiful things. details. She was launched into orbit in February 1986 and sank in the Pacific Ocean on March 23, 2001. Over the course of 10 years, the modules were docked one after another. Since 1995, foreign crews began to visit the station - 15 visiting expeditions visited the station, 14 of them were international, with the participation of cosmonauts from Syria, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, France (5 times), Japan, Great Britain, Austria, Germany (2 times), Slovakia, Canada.
As part of the Mir-Shuttle program, seven short-term visiting expeditions were carried out using the Atlantis spacecraft, one using the Endeavor spacecraft and one using the Discovery spacecraft, during which 44 astronauts visited the station.
In the late 1990s, problems began at the station due to the constant failure of various instruments and systems. After some time, the Russian government, citing the high cost of further operation, despite numerous projects to save the station, decided to sink the Mir. On March 23, 2001, the station, which had operated three times longer than initially set, was flooded in a special area in the South Pacific Ocean, near the Fiji Islands.
In total, 104 cosmonauts from 12 countries worked at the station.
Design
The picture shows the blocks of the Mir station. The modular principle of constructing an orbital complex is implemented here; experience with it is now being used for the development of the International Space Station. All modules, except the docking module, were delivered by the Proton launch vehicle.
Base unit
Reminiscent of the Salyut series orbital station. Inside there is a wardroom, two individual cabins, a sealed work compartment with a central control station and communications equipment. There is a portable airlock chamber in the wall of the housing. Externally there are 3 solar panels. Has six docking ports for connection with cargo ships and scientific modules. Docked in February 1986
Module "Quantum"
The astrophysical module carried a set of instruments for observing cosmic X-ray sources. Kvant also made it possible to conduct biotechnological experiments in the field of antiviral drugs and fractions. Docked April 1987
Module "Kvant-2"
Retrofit module for additional comfort of astronauts. Carried equipment necessary for the life support of the station. On the outside there were two rotating solar panels. Docked December 1989
Module "Crystal"
Docking and technological module with scientific equipment for various purposes. Docked July 1990
Module "Spectrum"
Docked in June 1995. Geophysical module. With its help, the atmosphere, ocean, and earth's surface were monitored, and medical and biological research was carried out.
Docking module
Docked in November 1995. This module carried the Atlantis shuttle to enable shuttle docking with the Mir station.
Module "Nature"
Docked in April 1996. He carried equipment for observing the earth's surface at different wavelengths, as well as for studying human behavior during long-term space flight.
International Space Station (ISS)
It is a manned orbital station used as a multi-purpose space research facility. The ISS is a joint international project in which 15 countries participate (in alphabetical order): Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, USA, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan.
The ISS is controlled by the Russian segment from the Space Flight Control Center in Korolev, and by the American segment from the Mission Control Center in Houston. There is a daily exchange of information between the Centers.
During the implementation of the Mir-Shuttle program, the idea of unifying national programs for the creation of orbital stations was born.
In March 1993, RSA General Director Yuri Koptev and General Designer of NPO Energia Yuri Semyonov proposed to NASA head Daniel Goldin to create the International Space Station. A positive decision was not given immediately; there was opposition from the American public, but in 1996 the station’s configuration was nevertheless approved. It consists of two segments - Russian (a modernized version of Mir-2) and American (with the participation of Canada, Japan, Italy, member countries of the European Space Agency and Brazil).
In November 1998, Russia launched the first element of the ISS - the Zarya functional cargo block. In December 1998, the Endeavor shuttle docked the American Unity module to the Zarya module. In June 2000, the Zvezda service module was docked to the Zarya functional cargo block. In November 2000, the manned transport spacecraft Soyuz TM-31 delivered the crew of the first main expedition to the ISS. In February 2001, during the mission, the crew of the shuttle Atlantis attached the American scientific module Destiny to the Unity module. In November 2007, construction of the main American segment of the ISS was completed. In May 2010, the construction of the Russian segment was completed.
After the completion of flights of reusable shuttle-type spacecraft in 2011, the United States was left without its own manned spacecraft and does not have independent access to the ISS.
But on May 22, 2012, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle with the private space cargo ship Dragon was launched from the Cape Canaveral launch site - the first ever test flight of a private spacecraft to the International Space Station.
On May 25, 2012, the Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the ISS.
Design
The station design is based on a modular principle. The ISS is assembled by sequentially adding another module or block to the complex, which is connected to the one already delivered into orbit. The location of the modules relative to each other often changes.
The only source of electrical energy for the ISS is the Sun, the light of which is converted by the station's solar panels into electricity.
Objectives of the ISS
One of the main goals when creating the ISS was the ability to conduct experiments at the station that require unique space flight conditions: microgravity, vacuum, cosmic radiation not weakened by the earth’s atmosphere. Major areas of research include biology (including biomedical research and biotechnology), physics (including fluid physics, materials science and quantum physics), astronomy, cosmology and meteorology. Research is carried out using scientific equipment, mainly located in specialized scientific modules-laboratories; some of the equipment for experiments requiring vacuum is fixed outside the station, outside its hermetic volume.
ISS perspective
Significant modernization of the Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft is planned in 2012-2013.
The American commercial spacecraft Cygnus is scheduled to launch in February 2013 to deliver cargo to the ISS.
In July 2013, the Russian 25-ton multifunctional laboratory module Nauka is scheduled to dock with the ISS. It will take the place of the Pirs module, which will be undocked and flooded. Among other things, the new Russian module will completely take over the functions of Pirs.
“NEM-1” (scientific and energy module) - the first module, delivery is planned in 2014;
"NEM-2" (scientific and energy module) - the second module, delivery is planned in 2015.
UM (nodal module) for the Russian segment - with additional docking nodes. Delivery is planned for 2014.
We know so little about space, about how many unknown secrets it holds. No one can even approximately comprehend the secrets of the Universe. Although humanity is gradually moving towards this. Since ancient times, people have wanted to understand what is happening in space, what objects, besides our planet, are in the solar system, and how to unravel the secrets that they keep. The many mysteries that the distant world hides have led scientists to begin to think about how a person can go into space to study it.
This is how the first orbital station appeared. And behind it are many other, more complex and multifunctional research objects aimed at conquering outer space.
What is an orbital station?
This is an extremely complex installation designed to send researchers and scientists into space to conduct experiments. It is located in Earth orbit, from where it is convenient for scientists to observe the atmosphere and surface of the planet and conduct other research. Artificial satellites have similar goals, but they are controlled from the Earth, that is, there is no crew there.
From time to time, crew members on the orbital station are replaced by new ones, but this happens extremely rarely due to the costs of transportation in space. In addition, ships are periodically sent there to transport the necessary equipment, material support and provisions for the astronauts.
Which countries have their own orbital station?
As noted above, creating and testing installations of such complexity is a very long and expensive process. It requires not only serious funds, but also scientists capable of coping with such tasks. Therefore, only major world powers can afford to develop, launch and maintain such devices.
The USA, Europe (ESA), Japan, China and Russia have orbital stations. At the end of the twentieth century, the above states united to create the International Space Station. Some other developed countries are also taking part in this.
Mir station
One of the most successful projects for the construction of space equipment is the Mir station, manufactured in the USSR. It was launched in 1986 (previously, design and construction took more than ten years) and continued to function until 2001. The Mir orbital station was created literally piece by piece. Despite the fact that its launch date is considered to be 1986, then only the first part was launched; over the past ten years, six more blocks have been sent into orbit. The Mir orbital station was put into operation for many years, but its sinking took place much later than planned.
Provisions and other consumables were delivered to the orbital station using Progress transport ships. During the existence of the Mir, four similar ships were created. For the station to Earth there were also special installations - ballistic missiles called “Rainbow”. In total, more than a hundred astronauts visited the station during its existence. The longest stay on it was for a Russian cosmonaut.
Flooding
In the 90s of the last century, multiple problems began at the station, and it was decided to stop research. This is because it lasted much longer than its intended lifespan; it was originally supposed to last for about ten years. In the year of the sinking of the Mir orbital station (2001), it was decided to send it to the southern region of the Pacific Ocean.
Causes of flooding
In January 2001, Russia decided to flood the station. The enterprise became unprofitable, the constant need for repairs, too expensive maintenance and accidents took their toll. Several projects for its re-equipment have also been proposed. The Mir orbital station was valuable to Tehran, which was interested in tracking movements and missile launches. In addition, questions were raised about significant reductions that would have to be eliminated. Despite this, in 2001 (the year of the sinking of the Mir orbital station), it was liquidated.
International Space Station
The ISS orbital station is a complex created by several states. Fifteen countries are developing it to one degree or another. The first talk about creating such a project came back in 1984, when the American government, together with several other states (Canada, Japan), decided to create a super-powerful orbital station. After the start of development, when a complex called “Freedom” was being prepared, it became clear that the costs of the space program were too high for the state budget. Therefore, the Americans decided to seek support from other countries.
First of all, they, of course, turned to a country that already had experience in conquering outer space - the USSR, where there were similar problems: lack of funding, too expensive implementation of projects. Therefore, cooperation between several states turned out to be a completely reasonable solution.
Agreement and launch
In 1992, an agreement on joint space exploration was signed between the United States and Russia. Since this time, countries have been organizing joint expeditions and exchanging experiences. Six years later, the first element of the ISS was sent into space. Today it consists of many modules, to which it is planned to gradually connect several more.
ISS modules
The ISS includes three research modules. These are the American Destiny laboratory, which was created in 2001, the Columbus center, founded by European researchers in 2008, and Kibo, a Japanese module delivered into orbit the same year. The Japanese research module was the last to be installed on the ISS. It was sent piece by piece into orbit, where it was mounted.
Russia does not have its own full-fledged research module. But there are similar devices - “Search” and “Rassvet”. These are small research modules, which in their functions are slightly less developed in comparison with devices from other countries, but are not particularly inferior to them. In addition, a multifunctional station called “Science” is currently being developed in Russia. It is planned to be launched in 2017.
"Firework"
The Salyut orbital station is a long-term project of the USSR. There were several such stations, all of them were manned and intended to implement the civilian DOS program. This first Russian orbital station was launched into low-Earth orbit in 1975 using a Proton rocket.
In the 1960s, the first designs for an orbital station were created. By this time, the Proton rocket already existed for transportation. Since the creation of such a complex device was new to the scientific minds of the USSR, work proceeded extremely slowly. A number of problems arose in the process. Therefore, it was decided to use the developments created for the Soyuz. All Salyuts were very similar in design. The main and largest compartment was the worker.
"Tiangong-1"
The Chinese orbital station was launched quite recently - in 2011. It has not yet been fully developed; its construction will continue until 2020. As a result, it is planned to build a very powerful station. Translated, the word "tiangong" means "heavenly palace." The weight of the device is approximately 8500 kg. Today the station consists of two compartments.
Since the Chinese space industry plans to launch next-generation stations in the near future, the tasks of Tiangong-1 are extremely simple. The main goals of the program are to practice docking with Shenzhou-type spacecraft that are currently delivering cargo to the station, to debug existing modules and devices, modify them if necessary, and to create normal conditions for long-term stays of astronauts in orbit. The following Chinese-made stations will already have a wider range of purposes and capabilities.
"Skylab"
The only American orbital station was launched into orbit in 1973. It aimed to conduct research covering a variety of aspects. Skylab conducted technological, astrophysical and biological research. There were three long-term expeditions at this station; it existed until 1979, after which it collapsed.
Skylab and Tiangong had similar missions. Since it was just beginning, the Skylab crew had to explore how the process of human adaptation in space takes place and conduct some scientific experiments.
The first Skylab expedition lasted only 28 days. The first cosmonauts repaired some damaged parts and practically did not have time to conduct research. During the second expedition, which lasted 59 days, a heat-insulating screen was installed and the hydroscopes were replaced. The third expedition aboard Skylab lasted 84 days, and a number of studies were carried out.
After the completion of three expeditions, several options were proposed for what could be done with the station in the future, but due to the impossibility of transporting it to a longer orbit, it was decided to destroy Skylab. Which is what happened in 1979. Some of the wreckage of the station was preserved and is now on display in museums.
Genesis
In addition to the above, there are currently two more uncrewed stations in orbit - inflatable Genesis I and Genesis II, which were created by a private company engaged in space tourism. They were launched in 2006 and 2007 respectively. These stations are not aimed at space exploration. Their main distinguishing ability is that, once folded in orbit, they begin to expand significantly in size when unfolded.
The second model of the module is better equipped with the necessary sensors, as well as 22 video surveillance cameras. According to the project, organized by the company that created the ship, anyone could send a small item on the second module for 295 US dollars. There is also a bingo machine on board the Genesis II.
Results
Many boys in childhood wanted to become astronauts, although few of them understood how difficult and dangerous this profession was. In the USSR, the space industry aroused pride in every patriot. The achievements of Soviet scientists in this area are incredible. They are very important and noteworthy because these researchers were pioneers in their field, they had to create everything themselves. stations were a breakthrough. They opened a new era of conquest of the Universe. Many astronauts who were sent into low-Earth orbit managed to reach incredible heights and contributed to space exploration by discovering its secrets.
The first orbital station in the world that was successfully launched into Earth orbit was the Salyut-1 station. It is also the first manned space station in the world.
The rapid development of the space industry in the USSR eventually led to the idea of creating the world's first space station. Such a station, according to the projects of Soviet scientists, was supposed to be a research platform that would open up the possibility of constant and higher-quality space exploration at that time. In addition, such a spacecraft was also supposed to perform the functions of a transport ship and a military facility.
To launch and launch such a spacecraft, a powerful and high-tech carrier was needed. According to Soviet scientists and designers, such a carrier could be the heavy Proton rocket, created in the 60s of the last century.
It should be noted that the creation of the first international space station was actively announced by scientists and government representatives in the United States. These were the years of the so-called Space Race, when two superpowers competed scientifically with each other. According to many experts, the “space race” was part of the “arms race” that broke out between the USA and the USSR against the backdrop of the Cold War.
The development and creation of the Salyut 1 space station was carried out by the design bureaus of Chelomey and Korolev, two outstanding people in the history of world cosmonautics. The creation of the station was completed in the winter of 1971.
Launch and construction of the first space station of the USSR
The world's first space station, Salyut 1, was launched into Earth orbit on April 19, 1971. The launch and delivery to the required altitude of the device was ensured using a heavy Proton K launch vehicle.
This was a station used by a crew of three. On board the station, conditions were recreated as close as possible to those on Earth. The Salyut 1 station was equipped in the most modern way at that time. It consisted of several parts, namely the working compartment, which was a metal, hermetically sealed cylinder.
There were various areas where the crew of the manned space station could rest, store and eat food. The larger edema was equipped with special showers for astronauts, a space toilet, as well as special exercise equipment that allowed astronauts to engage in sports exercises to maintain normal physical shape while constantly being in weightlessness.
In addition, on board the Soviet orbital station there was a special research complex that allowed cosmonauts to conduct all kinds of research and experiments, as well as obtain important information about the processes that occur in outer space.
Expeditions to the Salyut 1 space station
In total, two expeditions were carried out to the Salyut 1 station. The first of them, having received Soyuz 10, was able to safely reach the spacecraft, but due to technical problems that arose, the cosmonauts were unable to complete the docking process and enter the station. The team later successfully returned to Earth.
Spaceship crew"Union - 10 "
The second expedition, called Soyuz 11, was a team of three cosmonaut scientists: Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev. They successfully docked with the station and stayed on board for twenty-two days. But when returning to earth, a tragedy occurred; due to depressurization of the descent module, the entire crew died.
After 175 days spent in Earth orbit, the Salyut 1 station was successfully deorbited. Part of the space orbital station burned up in various layers of the atmosphere, and the other part fell into the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
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At the beginning of the 20th century, space pioneers such as Hermann Oberth, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Hermann Nordung and Wernher von Braun dreamed of vast orbiting . These scientists assumed that space stations were starting points for space exploration.
Wernher von Braun, the architect of the American space program, integrated space stations into his long-term vision for space exploration in the United States. To accompany von Braun's numerous space articles in popular magazines, artists drew concepts of space stations. These articles and drawings helped capture public imagination and interest in space exploration, which was essential to the creation of the US space program.
In these space station concepts, people lived and worked in space. Most stations were wheel-shaped structures that rotated to provide artificial power. Like any port, ships went to and from the station. The ship carried cargo, passengers and supplies from Earth. The departing ships went to Earth, and beyond. As you know, this general concept is no longer just the vision of scientists, artists and science fiction writers. But what steps have been taken to create such orbital structures? Although humanity has not yet realized the full visions of scientists, there have been significant advances in the construction of space stations.
Since 1971, the United States and Russia have had orbiting space stations. The first space stations were the Russian Salyut program, the US Skylab program and the Russian World program. And since 1998, the USA, Russia, the European Space Agency, Canada, Japan and other countries have been building and operating near-Earth spacecraft. On the ISS, people have been living and working in space for more than 10 years.
In this article, we will look at early space station programs, the use of space stations, and the future role of space stations in space exploration. But first, let's take a closer look at why we should build space stations.
Why should we build space stations?
There are many reasons to build and operate space stations, including research, industry, exploration, and even tourism. The first space stations were built to study the long-term effects of weightlessness on the human body. After all, if astronauts ever want to go to Mars or others, then we need to know how long-term microgravity for months and years will affect their health.
Space stations are a place to conduct cutting-edge scientific research in conditions that cannot be created on Earth. For example, gravity changes the way atoms combine into crystals. In microgravity conditions, almost perfect crystals can form. Such crystals could yield better semiconductors for faster computers or for creating effective drugs. Another effect of gravity is that it creates convection currents in the flame, resulting in unsteady processes that make combustion difficult to study. However, microgravity produces a simple, steady, slow flame; these types of flames make it easier to study the combustion process. The information obtained can provide a better understanding of the combustion process and lead to improved furnace designs or reductions in air pollution by increasing combustion efficiency.
From high above the Earth, space stations offer unique views to study the weather, Earth's topography, vegetation, oceans and. Additionally, since space stations are above the Earth's atmosphere, they can be used as manned observatories where space telescopes can look at the heavens. The Earth's atmosphere does not interfere with the views of space telescopes. In fact, we have already seen the benefits of unmanned space telescopes such as .
Space stations can be used as space hotels. Here, private companies can ferry tourists from Earth to space for short visits or long stays. Even greater expansions of tourism are that space stations could become space ports for expeditions to planets and stars, or even new cities and colonies that could liberate an overpopulated planet.
Now that you know why we need this, let's visit some space stations. And let's start with the Russian Salyut program - the first space station.
Salyut: the first space station
Russia (then known as the Soviet Union) was the first to host a space station. The Salyut 1 station, launched into orbit in 1971, was actually a combination of the Almaz and Soyuz spacecraft systems. The Almaz system was originally intended for space military purposes, but was converted for the civilian space station Salyut. The Soyuz spacecraft ferried astronauts from Earth to the space station and back.
Salyut 1 was about 15 meters long and consisted of three main compartments, which housed dining and recreation areas, food and water storage, a toilet, control stations, simulators and scientific equipment. The crew was originally supposed to live aboard Salyut 1, but their mission was plagued by docking problems that prevented them from entering the space station. The Soyuz 11 team was the first team to successfully survive Salyut 1, which they did for 24 days. However, the Soyuz 11 crew tragically died after returning to Earth when the Soyuz 11 capsule depressurized during reentry. Further missions to Salyut 1 were canceled and the Soyuz spacecraft was redesigned.
After Soyuz 11, another space station, Salyut 2, was launched, but it failed to enter orbit, followed by Salyut 3-5. These flights tested the new Soyuz spacecraft and the crews manning these stations for longer missions. One of the disadvantages of these space stations was that they only had one docking port for the Soyuz spacecraft and could not be re-docked with other spacecraft.
On September 29, 1977, the Soviets launched Salyut 6. This station had a second docking port where the station could be replaced. Salyut 6 operated from 1977 to 1982. In 1982, the last of the Salyut programs started. It carried 11 crews and was occupied for 800 days. The Salyut program eventually led to the development of the Russian Mir space station, which we'll talk about a little later. But first, let's look at America's first space station: Skylab.
Skylab: America's first space station
In 1973, the United States placed its first and only space station, called Skylab 1, in orbit. During launch, the station was damaged. A critical meteoroid shield and one of the station's two main solar panels were torn off, and the other solar panel was not fully extended. This meant that Skylab had little electrical power and the internal temperature rose to 52 degrees Celsius.
The first crew of Skylab 2 launched 10 days later to fix the ailing station. The astronauts pulled out the remaining solar panel and installed an umbrella sunshade to cool the station. After the station was repaired, the astronauts spent 28 days in space conducting scientific and biomedical research. The modified Skylab had the following parts: orbital workshop - living and working quarters for the crew; gateway module – access to the outside of the station is allowed; multiple docking adapters - allowed several spacecraft to dock with the station at once (however, there were never overlapping crews on the station); telescopes for observing , and (keep in mind that this has not yet been built); Apollo is a command and service module for transporting crew to the surface of the Earth and back. Skylab was equipped with two additional crews.
Skylab was never intended to be a permanent home in space, but rather a place where the United States could experience the effects of long-duration spaceflight (that is, more than the two weeks required to go to the Moon) on the human body when the third crew's flight was completed. Skylab was abandoned. Skylab remained aloft until intense solar flare activity caused its orbit to be disrupted earlier than expected. Skylab entered the Earth's atmosphere and burned up over Australia in 1979.
Mir: the first permanent space station
In 1986, the Russians launched a space station that was intended to become a permanent home in space. The first crew, cosmonauts Leonid Kizima and Vladimir Solovyov, stormed between the retired Salyut 7 and Mir. They spent 75 days aboard Mir. The world was continually completed and built over the next 10 years and contained the following parts:
– Living quarters – there are separate cabins for the crew, a toilet, a shower, a kitchen and a garbage storage;
– Transport compartment – where additional stations can be connected;
– Intermediate compartment – a working module connected to the rear docking ports;
– Assembly compartment – fuel tanks and rocket engines are located;
– Astrophysics module Kvant-1 – contained telescopes for studying galaxies, quasars and neutron stars;
– Scientific and aviation module Kvant-2 – provided equipment for biological research, Earth observation and space flight capabilities;
– Technological module “Crystal” – used for experiments on biological and material processing; contained a docking port that could be used with the US Space Shuttle;
– Spectrum module – used for research and monitoring of the Earth’s natural resources and the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as to support experiments in the field of biological and materials science research;
– Nature Remote Sensing Module – contained radars and spectrometers for studying the Earth’s atmosphere;
– Docking module – contained ports for future dockings;
– Supply Ship - an unmanned supply ship that brought new products and equipment from Earth and removed waste from the station;
– The Soyuz spacecraft provided the main transport to and from the surface of the Earth.
In 1994, in preparation for the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts (including Norm Tagara, Shannon Lucid, Jerry Lianger and Michael Foale) spent time aboard Mir. During Linier's stay, the World was damaged by fire. During Foel's stay, the Progress ship crashed into Mir.
The Russian space agency could no longer afford to maintain Mir, so NASA and the Russian space agency planned to retire the station to focus on the ISS. On November 16, 2000, the Russian Space Agency decided to return Mir to Earth. In February 2001, the Mir was turned off to slow down its movement. The world re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on March 23, 2001, burned and disintegrated. The debris crashed in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,667 km east of Australia. This meant the end of the first permanent space station.
International Space Station (ISS)
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proposed that the United States, in cooperation with other countries, build a permanently inhabited space station. Reagan envisioned a station that would support government and industry. To help with the huge costs of the station, the US has created a joint effort with 14 other countries (Canada, Japan, Brazil and the European Space Agency, which includes: UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden). During planning for the ISS and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States invited Russia to cooperate on the ISS in 1993; this brought the number of participating countries to 16. NASA took the lead in coordinating the construction of the ISS.
Assembly of the ISS in orbit began in 1998. On October 31, 2000, the first ISS crew was launched from Russia. The three-person team spent nearly five months aboard the ISS, activating systems and conducting experiments.
Speaking of the future, let's take a look at what the future might hold for space stations.
The future of space stations
We are just beginning the development of space stations. The ISS will be a significant improvement over Salyut, Skylab and Mir; but we are still far from realizing large space stations or colonies, as science fiction authors suggest. Until now, none of our space stations have had any seriousness. One reason for this is that we want a place without gravity so we can study its effects. Another is that we lack the technology to practically rotate a large structure, such as a space station, to create artificial gravity. In the future, artificial gravity will be a requirement for space colonies with large populations.
Another popular idea concerns the location of the space station. The ISS will require periodic reuse due to its position in low Earth orbit. However, there are two places between the Earth and the Moon, called Lagrange points L-4 and L-5. At these points, the Earth's gravity and the Moon's gravity are balanced, so an object placed there will not be pulled towards the Earth or the Moon. The orbit would be stable and would not require adjustment. As we learn more about our experiences on the ISS, we can build bigger and better space stations that will allow us to live and work in space, and the dreams of Tsiolkovsky and the early space scientists may one day become a reality.
The Tiangong-1 station weighs 8.5 tons. Its length is 12 m, diameter 3.3 m. It was launched into orbit in 2011. Almost three years later, control of the station was lost. Central Florida University professor Roger Handberg suggested that the orbit correction engines had used up all their fuel.
Debris from the Chinese space station Tiangong-1, which is leaving orbit, may fall on the territory of several European countries. This was reported by The Hill, citing experts from the California Aerospace Corporation. “Most likely, they will crash into the ocean, but scientists nevertheless warned Spain, Portugal, France and Greece that some debris could fall within their borders,”–– writes The Hill.
Soviet orbital space station "Salyut-1" became the first in the world so-called. "long-term orbital station"(DOS), in contrast to early manned orbital stations (POS), had a gateway for docking a cargo spacecraft, and thus gained autonomy and virtually unlimited period of stay in orbit.
Construction of the long-term orbital station "Salyut-1"
Technically, the Salyut-1 orbital station consisted of three compartments: two sealed (transition and working) and an unpressurized unit.
Transition compartment of the Salyut-1 station
In the transition compartment there was a gateway for docking the spacecraft and a hatch for transition to the working compartment of the station. Here, in the transition compartment, the station's control panel, elements of life support and thermal control systems, internal blocks of the Orion star telescope, the Anna-III gamma telescope, a Cherenkov-scintillation telescope for studying charged particle flows, cameras, and blocks for biological experiments were located.
On the outside of the transition compartment there were solar panels, external blocks of the Orion telescope, antennas, and orientation system sensors.
Working compartment of the Salyut-1 station
The working compartment of Salyut-1 consisted of two cylinders connected by a conical part. The working compartment contained control panels for on-board systems, astronaut seats, 15 windows, scientific equipment, television and film cameras, radio equipment, control systems for the on-board complex, power supply, orientation and motion control, and telemetry.
The work compartment also housed a number of specialized work stations intended for scientific research, food and water supplies, and a “treadmill” for training astronauts.
Outside the working compartment, radiator panels for the thermal control system, antennas for communication and radio telemetry systems were installed.
Aggregate compartment and power plant of the Salyut-1 station
In the “tail” part of the Salyut-1 station, a modified assembly compartment of the Soyuz spacecraft was installed, designed to accommodate fuel tanks and onboard engines.
The main source of energy for Salyut-1 was solar panels with a total area of 42 square meters. On the first Salyut, four solar panels were mounted: 2 on the outer surface of the transition compartment and two on the outer surface of the aggregate compartment.
In addition, after the transport ship docks with the station, their power supply systems are combined, and the spacecraft's solar panels also supply power to the station's grid.
Crews and research work of the Salyut-1 space station
First crew (“Soyuz-10”: V.A.Shatalov, A.S. Eliseev, N.N. Rukavishnikov) launched to the Salyut-1 space station April 23, 1971 The launch was scheduled for a day earlier, but it had to be postponed due to an emergency situation: after the announcement of five-minute readiness, one of the masts did not move away from the rocket, although the command for its departure was issued. At the moment of launch, the mast could fall on its own, such cases have happened, but it could not move away and puncture the shell of the rocket. They decided not to risk the lives of the crew, and the astronauts were evacuated from the ship.
The next day, the launch took place safely, the ship entered orbit and a day later approached the station. It would seem that the docking went smoothly: the clutch locks worked, tightening occurred, and then a rigid coupling of the Soyuz with the Salyut occurred.
But telemetry showed that the docking point was leaky, and the hatch could not be opened. The Earth decided to undock and return. There were also problems with undocking: it was successful only on the third attempt.
The next crew was to begin work on the Salyut ( Alexey Leonov, Valery Kubasov, Petr Kolodin). But three days before the launch, during a pre-flight medical examination, Kubasov was diagnosed with darkening in his lungs. The State Commission suspended Kubasov from the flight, and along with him the entire crew. The third crew consisting of Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev(Soyuz-11 crew).
June 6, 1971 Soyuz-11 entered orbit, successfully docked with the station, the crew and began work on board. For about three days, the cosmonauts were engaged in reactivating the station, setting up and preparing scientific equipment for operation.
The cosmonauts carefully checked all the systems and assemblies of the station, conducted experiments on manual control of the complex, autonomous navigation, orbit adjustment, and manual orientation of solar panels. A wide-angle sight designed for precise orientation to the Sun and planets was tested for the first time on board the Salyut.
Using the gamma-ray telescope, the astronauts measured the intensity, angular distribution, spectrum and other characteristics of primary cosmic radiation, and using Orion they studied the spectral composition of the radiation of some stars.
Studies were also carried out on geological and geographical objects of the earth's surface, atmospheric formations, snow and ice cover. The astronauts took a large number of small-scale (to record short-term and seasonal phenomena) and medium-scale (to obtain detailed characteristics of the structure of the relief and natural landscapes) photographs of the Earth. A set of important medical and biological studies was also carried out, in particular, the effect of long-term weightlessness on the human body was studied, special load suits were tested, and the radiation background around the station was measured.
Completion of the Salyut-1 space station
Having fully completed the flight program, upon returning to Earth the crew of the first long-term orbital station died as a result of depressurization of the descent module.
After determining the cause of the death of the cosmonauts, a meeting of the State Commission was held, at which it was decided to temporarily stop flights and modify the Soyuz spacecraft. The cosmonauts had to make further flights only in spacesuits, and therefore the Soyuz crew was reduced to two people. Taking this into account, cosmonaut-researchers P. Kolodin and A. Voronov were withdrawn from the second and fourth crews preparing for flights on the OS.
The Salyut station no longer accepted astronauts on board. While modifications were being made to the spacecraft, Salyut flew in automatic mode.
