“问天”上天了，背后藏了哪些黑科技？

China launched its Wentian space laboratory on Sunday afternoon at 2:22 pm, sending the country's largest-ever spacecraft to Earth's orbit to become part of the Tiangong space station.

Wentian laboratory module consists of three parts: crew working compartment, airlock cabin and service module. With a length of 17.9 meters and a takeoff weight of 23 tonnes, the height of Wentian is almost equal to a six-story building and the weight of ten cars.

There are three sleeping areas and one sanitation area in the Wentian laboratory module. With six beds, the Chinese space station will be cozy and comfortable.

After the subsequent launch of Shenzhou 15 manned spacecraft, crews of Shenzhou 14 and Shenzhou 15 can join forces and once they do, the space station will be fully occupied.

The wingspan of the solar panel in Wentian laboratory module is more than 55 meters, longer than half a football field; each solar panel has an area of about 110 square meters, roughly the size of a three-bedroom apartment, setting a new record for China's solar panel in orbit.

Working together, the two giant solar panels will efficiently collect more solar energy, generating electricity of more than 430 watts on average per day, which provides enough energy for space station operations. The electricity it generates is enough to power a normal household for one and a half months.

The lab will carry a set of 5-meter-long auxiliary robotic arms outside the airlock, which are small but precise, making it easy for small and medium-sized devices to be grasped for more delicate operations.

The auxiliary robotic arms can also be cascaded with the core module's major arm to form a 15-meter-long composite arm for additional extravehicular operations. By then, the arm will be able to crawl between the three space station modules of Tianhe, Tianwen and Mengtian, and the "mech warrior" will be able to control an even greater area outside the cabin.

Outside the Wentian laboratory module, two tripod lamps and four high-definition cameras are set up to shoot and record Earth and the vast expanse of outer space. Ground controller will be able to clearly see the site situation and provide real-time security assurance when astronauts are doing extravehicular activities.

Wentian laboratory is packed with compressors, pumps, fans, refrigerators and other equipment which make noise and may disturb the astronauts. In order to provide a quiet working and resting environment, the engineers identified the nosiest equipment and implemented stricter noise control measures.

For vibration-based noises, a noise dampening device will be fitted to decrease overall sound noise output. Noise caused by acoustic radiation are placed in boxes with good sound insulation. As a result, the noise level in the working area in Wentian laboratory module can be kept between 10-60 decibels, 10 being the lowest setting for the sleeping area, which meets the medical standards, allowing the astronauts to sleep soundly.

推 荐 阅 读

欧洲网传“洗澡只洗4个部位让普京生气”图，普京：他们疯了