It could become the largest ground-based space station in the world.
China has marked an impressive milestone in space research with the inauguration of the world’s largest ground-based space station. This colossus of science, comparable in size to 50 soccer fields, is located in Harbin and is the result of a collaboration between the Harbin Institute of Technology and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
SESRI: China’s ground-based space station
This ambitious project, called the Space Environment Simulator for Integrated Research (SESRI), is an unparalleled platform for the simulation and study of space conditions. The complex houses four buildings dedicated to the comprehensive simulation of the space environment, space plasma science, the study of the space magnetic environment and animal experimentation.
Li Liyi, director of the Harbin Institute of Technology’s Space Environment and Materials Science Research Institute, noted that this breakthrough makes it possible to conduct experiments on Earth that previously required outer space, optimizing costs by avoiding sending equipment into space.
SESRI is distinguished by its ability to simulate up to nine space environmental factors, including vacuum, temperature extremes, electromagnetic radiation and microgravity, among others.
About its construction
The construction of this impressive station was possible thanks to the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team composed of scientists, engineers and technicians, who contributed their vast experience to materialize this research center. In addition, there is the possibility that it could become the only facility of its kind in the world, especially if the scheduled closure of the International Space Station takes place. scheduled closure of the International Space Station this year, a U.S.-led This year, a U.S.-led project to which the Asian country is not allowed access.
SESRI has already started its test operations, ending successfully in February 2024. The results indicate that the system components perform optimally, opening the door to experiments in science, engineering, agriculture and the development of electronic technology for space.
In addition, China continues to advance its space program with Tiangong, a space station that will remain in orbit for 15 years, allowing astronauts to conduct scientific research in microgravity conditions.
The inauguration of the new station not only underscores the Asian giant’s leadership in terrestrial space research, but also promises to revolutionize the way space is studied, providing an invaluable resource for global science and opening new frontiers in off-Earth exploration.
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Source: larepublica.pe