Engineers of Samara University Are Developing Scientific Equipment for Russian-Chinese Research

Within the framework of cooperation with Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering Samara University is developing scientific equipment for working in a near-Earth orbit. The basis for this was the experience gained by the University in creating and testing scientific instruments in open space on its own operating group of small spacecrafts  of "AIST" series, as well as on Foton and Bion research satellites.

The universities have combined their competences in order to equip the spacecrafts with modern scientific equipment for the space mission planned for 2021.

In  Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering,  80% of spacecrafts and all manned spacecrafts of China are assembled and tested. Samara University is one of the main research and educational centres of the Russian cosmonautics.

"In accordance with the contract with Beijing Institute, we develop and manufacture scientific equipment models for monitoring the parameters of high-speed dust particles – micrometeoroids and particles of "space debris" in near-Earth space. It is planned that after tests and relevant modifications the final versions of scientific instruments will be created for conducting joint scientific research on the Chinese Space Station in 2021 within the Russian-Chinese project". – said Konstantin Voronov, Head of Space Instruments Engineering Institute of  Samara University.

For several years Samara University, the only one in Russia with a valid grouping of small spacecrafts of  "AIST" series, has been conducting a program of scientific experiments on the basis of the equipment installed onboard a small spacecraft. And a significant part of it is occupied by the study of particles of "space debris" and particles of natural origin.

"Such studies are a trend. Quite a large number of speeches, publications, and proposals devoted to conducting experiments in this direction have recently appeared. At the same time, the interest in the results of measuring the parameters of particles of both natural and artificial origin is constant, – said Konstantin Voronov. – The reasons for such interest are tasks of applied nature, among which is the assessment of the influence of space factors on the elements of a spacecraft. So the tasks of a purely scientific plan are to study meteoritic matter. These studies help to understand the behaviour of this substance outside the Earth, the origin of life in the Universe. There are a lot of theoretical studies and hypotheses on this topic, but there are not enough practical results from experiments conducted in space". 

Among the scientific equipment of Samara University, installed on small spacecrafts  of  "AIST" series  there is  complex "Meteor-M". It is designed to study the flow of micrometeoroids and particles of "space debris". Moreover, the complex not only records the fact of collision with a micrometeoroid (0.5 to 100 microns in size), but also determines the energy and velocity of the particle. Using the data of the orbital motion of a small spacecraft, it becomes possible to "map" the micrometeoroidal streams to determine undesirable orbits, where there is a lot of technogenic "space debris". A completely redesigned new generation device  –  "Meteor-M1" –  is supposed to be used in joint research with Beijing Institute.

Another scientific instrument created specifically for the Russian-Chinese project is the particle sensor "DCh-Optics". It investigates the influence of various space factors on materials, optical elements and microcircuits. During the experiments on its predecessor  –   "DCh-01 ″ on the small spacecraft of "AIST " series  –  the scientists recorded the deposition of the gas component  in the form of a thin film on the surface of the optical elements. In this regard, the characteristics of the studied optical elements changed in terms of radiation transmission, but the elements themselves did not collapse. The results were taken into account by the engineers of the University when creating the next-generation instrument "DCh-Optics" – for joint research with Chinese partners.

"We have significantly increased the sensitivity, resolution and measurement capabilities of both "DCh-Optics"  and  "Meteor-M1" complex. The more experience we have following the results of experiments in space, the more competitive a world-class product we can create, receive data which are of interest to the global scientific community. It is extremely important that this scientific direction is supported by the leadership of Samara University and JSC "SRC Progress", – added the Head of the Space Instruments Engineering Institute of  Samara University.

The third instrument for studying the factors of outer space, which Samara engineers are developing together with their Chinese colleagues,  is  "Spectrum" mass spectrometer. This is a new device, so far tested only in the laboratory  – on the stand of modeling the factors of Samara University space environment. "Spectrum" is designed to study the chemical elemental composition of dust particles, whether they are particles of "space debris" – aluminum, particles of fuel, destroyed spacecrafts, paint, or micrometeoroids  – particles of natural origin.

As a research method, scientists use shock mass spectrometry  –  in the process of hitting a particle on a target, the ionization of a substance occurs and the device decomposes the ions into spectra and evaluates its elemental composition. 

"Spectrum"  –  the most interesting of the presented devices. The composition of cosmic microparticles, the range of their parameters is huge. And we expect that our mass spectrometer will allow us to determine what they consist of. Now we are testing two samples created by us on an electrodynamic accelerator, where we bombard them with high-speed microparticles", – the scientist explained.

According to Konstantin Voronov, such joint researches are of interest to both Russia and China: "We are learning, improving our capabilities in creating scientific equipment, creating new generation devices for new small spacecrafts  of  "AIST" series, "Foton" and "Bion", and in the future we expect to conduct long-term studies aboard the ISS and the Chinese Space Station. And our foreign colleagues study with us, get the opportunity to conduct joint experiments. In the aggregate, our partnership allows us to obtain new knowledge, to advance world science forward", – concluded the scientist.

For reference

Samara University together with the strategic partner JSC "SRC Progress" created a group of small spacecrafts for research and educational purposes of  "AIST" series, successfully operating in orbit.

This grouping is a part of a distributed research and educational laboratory with ground and space segments. In addition to small spacecrafts for Earth Remote Sensing of  "AIST-2D" series, it also includes two first generation small spacecrafts  of  "AIST" series. The instrumentation complexes of Space Instruments Engineering Institute of  Samara University are installed on them as the target equipment.