Characteristics and functions of space exploration

Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief of International Space magazine of China Academy of Space Technology, reviewed the characteristics of global space exploration activities in 2004 and analyzed the future development trend. In 2004, the world space exploration showed a gratifying scene of prosperity, and various new achievements played a positive role in promoting the progress of space technology, other scientific research and the development of human society. Space exploration has entered a new era of all-round development and has some remarkable characteristics different from the past. First of all, space exploration has become diversified, not monopolized by one or two countries such as the United States and the Soviet Union. Europe is rising rapidly, not only successfully launching Mars probes, moon probes and comet probes, but also launching Venus and Mercury probes. In early 2004, it announced a huge "Dawn" space exploration plan, which challenged the United States to send people to Mars around 2030. China and India will also play a role in space exploration. In early 2004, China officially began to implement the "Chang Er" lunar exploration project, and launched its first lunar exploration satellite in 2006-2007. In 2004, India decided to advance the launch of the lunar Chu Hang probe originally scheduled for 2008 to 2007 or earlier.

The second feature is that the level of detection technology has been greatly improved. For example, the performance of "Courage" and "Opportunity" is much higher than that of 1997, the rover "sojourner", which first traveled on Mars, and realized a large-scale mobile investigation of Mars, representing an important stage of Mars exploration. After a flight of 13 months, the European "Wisdom" lunar probe 1 entered the orbit around the moon on June 1 5, 2004, indicating that the1th space probe in the world, which combines solar electric propulsion system and lunar gravity, has achieved the expected results and is beneficial to future space technology. After about seven years of interstellar travel and a voyage of 3.5 billion kilometers, Cassini, the world's first probe dedicated to Saturn, finally entered Saturn's orbit on July 1 2004. It has sent back many valuable images and will release the Huygens lander to the surface of Titan on February 25th, 2004.

The third feature is that comet detection has become a "new favorite". From June, 5438 to October, 2004 10, the long-flying American comet probe Stardust met with the comet Wilder 2, and the comet nucleus material of very low density silica aerosol was obtained for the first time at a very close distance from the comet nucleus. Now it is flying back to earth. This will be the first time that human beings have sent back samples to the earth except the moon, which is the first sample return mission after the Apollo program. These samples can provide important clues for studying the formation of the universe and the origin of life on earth. On March 2, 2004, the European Space Agency launched its 1 comet probe "Rosetta". It will go through a long journey of 10 years, enter the "Churyumov-Gerasimenko" orbit and land on the comet, which is unprecedented in the history of human space. The space exploration obtained in 2004 can make people know more about the origin and evolution of the solar system and the universe (including life), and prepare for the development and utilization of space resources and the expansion of human living space. For example, scientists believe that comets are actually primitive substances left over from the creation of the universe, so detecting comets will help people understand the origin of life on earth. The discovery of water directly on the surface of Mars by the Mars Express probe of the European Space Agency is also of great significance to human beings, because water can not only be used for human beings to survive on Mars in the future and open up a second home, but also hydrogen in water can be used as fuel for future human interstellar travel.

Generally speaking, space exploration will lay a technical foundation for human beings to develop space resources on a large scale and solve energy problems, population problems and environmental problems existing on the earth. For example, the population that the earth can accommodate is limited, about 8 billion-1 1 100 million, so some people began to study the plan of emigrating to outer space; The energy on the earth is also increasingly tense, and the development of space mineral deposits is also a major goal of space exploration.

Looking forward to the future development trend of space exploration, Pang Zhihao believes that the scientific significance and economic benefits of space exploration have been recognized by more and more countries after the end of the Cold War. Therefore, with the rapid economic and technological progress of various countries, the number of countries participating in space exploration is gradually increasing, and the depth and breadth of space exploration are also expanding. The plan of space exploration is getting longer and longer, and the investment is getting bigger and bigger. On June 65438+1October 14, 2004, US President Bush announced a new space plan, aiming at exploring space and extending the footprint of mankind to the whole solar system, that is, the United States will manufacture a new generation of spacecraft, so that American astronauts can return to the moon as early as 20 15 and set up a base as a springboard, and in 2035. The "Dawn" plan launched in Europe in 2004 is similar to that of the United States, and it is also an unprecedented "package" plan.

Due to the large investment in space exploration, international cooperation will be one of the characteristics of future space exploration. India, for its part, has received applications from 20 countries to participate in its lunar exploration program. At present, the United States, Israel, Canada, Germany and the European Space Agency have all submitted cooperation applications, and they all hope to put scientific instruments on the Indian lunar probe which is expected to be launched in 2007. The United States, Russia and Europe are also actively exploring ways of international cooperation in manned Mars exploration. Considering human's scientific understanding, technical level and economic conditions, in the foreseeable future, the focus of space exploration will still be the moon and Mars. The strategic goal of lunar exploration is to build a lunar base, develop and utilize lunar resources, energy and special environment, and serve the sustainable development of human society.

Europe's "Wisdom" Project 1, China's "Changmo" Project 1 and Indian lunar exploration plan all take lunar exploration resources as their main objectives. The first 20 years of this century will set off a new climax of human exploration of Mars. It is a key step for human beings to carry out deep space exploration. Humans are expected to get samples of Mars returning to Earth in 20 1 1 year, and finally realize manned landing on Mars.