China operates first ground-based space station

ChinadailyChina's first Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure (SESRI), also known as the "ground space station", has passed the national acceptance assessment and officially started operating on February 27 in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China, reported on February 29.

Developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, SESRI is the country's first major national-level science and technology infrastructure in the aerospace field.

This ground space station is about the size of 50 standard football fields, and can simulate 9 types of space environmental factors, such as vacuum, high and low temperatures, space dust, electromagnetic radiation, electron/proton radiation, weak magnetism, microgravity...

The facility's systems can be adapted to specific environmental factors based on scientific and engineering needs, allowing for multiple iterations without time and space constraints. This helps create safer, more convenient experimental conditions and research methods.

"This is equivalent to bringing the space station back to Earth. It means that many experiments that previously required flying into space can now be performed on the ground," Li Liyi, director of the Institute of Space Environment and Materials Science at the Harbin Institute of Technology, told the news agency.Xinhua News Agency.

“This system is intended to ensure the safe operation of spacecraft in orbit, support long-term human habitation, and enhance human capabilities in dealing with the special and harsh space environment. The system is currently operating stably. In the future, we will be able to carry out more work in related research fields, providing scientific research environments and conditions for scientists at home and abroad,” he added.

It took China 18 years to complete the project since discussions began in 2005.

SESRI began testing last year and has served a number of domestic and international units. The facility supports the development of various aerospace electronic components in China and plays an important role in a series of national-level aerospace missions, achieving a number of landmark results.

Mr. Han Jiecai, President of Harbin Institute of Technology, said that SESRI is of great significance to China in scientific and technological innovation with major breakthroughs in science and technology, industrial transformation and upgrading as well as training of high-level talents.

"We will continuously optimize the technical indicators of the system, improve the scientific level, and promote scientific research and exploration based on this. We will strive to explore more profound scientific laws, accelerate the formation of independent intellectual property rights, and cultivate more world-class science and technology talents," Mr. Han said.

According toXinhua News AgencyTo date, more than 110 organizations from more than 30 countries and territories have signed user agreements to conduct scientific experiments at China's ground space station.