What are Some of the Effects of Microgravity?

Microgravity, also known as zero gravity, is not caused by the gravity of the earth, but is caused by factors such as the residual atmosphere of space. Strictly speaking, it should be "zero weight" rather than zero gravity.

Microgravity is caused by gravity or other external forces

due to

Means for obtaining microgravity (mg) on the ground are falling towers or falling wells (mg time of (1 ~ 10) s, mg level of (10e-4 ~ 10e-6) g), planes with parabolic flight (about 20s mg time, mg level around 10e-2) and various space vehicles (mg time from days to years, mg level from 10e-4g).

For example, NASA GRC's 2.2s falling tower and 5.18s falling well, Germany's ZARM 4.74s falling tower, Japan's JAMIC 10s falling well and MGLAB's 4.5s falling tower, 2S falling tower of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences 3.60s falling tower of the National Microgravity Laboratory ^[1]

The measurement of acceleration values at the microgravity (10e-4) level is very important for many scientific experiments and aeronautical research, and it is also an important evaluation factor for the national science and technology level. At present, the world's top microgravity acceleration measurement technology is mainly controlled and implemented by the United States, Europe and Russia and other technological powers. China's microgravity measurement technology has also developed in the past 10 years. KA2000, KA3000 and other microgravity products have reached the world's leading level of science and technology and have been successfully applied to many military and scientific fields in China. The stable and more accurate measurement technology still needs more scientific workers to explore and study.

Microgravity positioning

The National Microgravity Laboratory will continue to target major national needs, and actively promote microgravity science and applied research, and promote the development of China's space science. It will further strengthen the construction of scientific research, teams and infrastructure, and improve the overall scientific research Level and operation management level, making it an international first-class microgravity research center open to domestic and foreign countries, and contributing to the national manned aerospace engineering and space scientific research.

Microgravity Overview

In the early 1990s, in order to meet the needs of China s space science development and develop China s manned aerospace engineering and related scientific research undertakings, the first aerospace expert committee of the National 863 Program decided to establish a national microgravity laboratory and a national computing fluid. Mechanics laboratory. In 1994, the former National Defense Science and Technology Commission (now the General Equipment Department) approved in principle the establishment of the "National Microgravity Laboratory" at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Formally approved in 1995, the "National Microgravity Laboratory" was established in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1998, the experimental building of the National Microgravity Laboratory was completed, and equipment purchased abroad and domestically developed equipment passed the acceptance one after another. In April 2003, the General Equipment Department carried out a comprehensive acceptance of the National Microgravity Laboratory, and the laboratory work entered normal operation.

Falling Tower of National Microgravity Laboratory, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The National Microgravity Laboratory has now become the core laboratory of China's microgravity scientific research, which has made significant contributions to the national manned spaceflight project, and has won two national and special awards for scientific and technological progress. Discipline development demonstration; responsible for organizing and completing the microgravity scientific experiment of the No. 8 satellite reserving orbital cabin system, and obtaining a number of important academic results; currently in charge of practicing the No. 10 scientific experiment satellite load overall and scientific research overall, national manned space engineering The work of the fluid physics subsystem of the application system. In view of its outstanding work performance, the National Microgravity Laboratory won the Advanced Collective Award jointly issued by the Ministry of Personnel and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005, and has made an irreplaceable contribution to the development of microgravity science in China. While carrying out innovative research academically, the National Microgravity Laboratory actively participates in international microgravity science activities and conducts fruitful international cooperation and exchanges. It is an internationally important microgravity scientific research center and user support center.

As the research center of microgravity science, the current research field of the National Microgravity Laboratory involves the main directions of microgravity science, including microgravity fluid physics (simple fluid motion, multiphase flow and complex fluid), microgravity combustion science (combustion mechanism And space station fire protection), space material science (solidification processes, crystal growth and modeling studies), space biotechnology and life sciences (biomechanics, cell-molecular biology and nanobiotechnology), in fluid physics, combustion, biomechanics and It has carried out distinctive and innovative research work in advanced diagnostic technology, as well as the intersection and integration with materials science and life science. From 2000 to 2007, it has published 374 papers and 12 monographs (chapters) in important academic journals. At the same time, the National Microgravity Laboratory also cooperates with counterparts in the domestic basic physics community to strive to promote the development of basic space physics in China. The National Microgravity Laboratory has undertaken a number of major national projects in recent years. It has completed 11 space experiments such as national manned aerospace engineering and scientific experimental satellites, and has undertaken more than 20 projects such as knowledge innovation projects and large-scale equipment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. There are more than 20 key natural science foundation projects and 5 other research projects, with a total project funding of about 140 million yuan. At the level of major national needs, during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, the National Microgravity Laboratory had 5 space experiments included in the National Manned Space Project (Phase 2), 7 space experiments included in the practice No. 10 satellite plan, 2 One space experiment was included in the manned operation experiment plan of the Russian capsule of the International Space Station for Sino-Russian cooperation, and three space experiments were included in the microgravity rocket program.

The National Microgravity Laboratory currently has 75.85 million yuan in fixed assets. It has introduced and independently developed more than a hundred instruments (sets). It has a relatively complete experimental system for conducting microgravity scientific ground research, including fluids for microgravity fluid physics research. Experimental systems such as dynamics, dispersion systems, optical diagnostics and testing, three-dimensional microscopic particle image velocimetry; two-phase flow, microgravity combustion, and other experimental systems for microgravity thermal scientific research; semiconductor crystals and gas phase epitaxy for space material science , Metal alloy nucleation undercooling, non-transparent medium, transparent crystal growth and other experimental systems; protein crystal growth, space cell growth and tissue culture for biomechanics and space biotechnology research, continuous flow electrophoresis, microtubule suction, laser microscopy Experimental systems such as optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy; and optical ellipsometric imaging systems for nanobiotechnology research, together form the research platform of the National Microgravity Laboratory. As a microgravity science user support center, the National Microgravity Laboratory has built a 100-meter drop tower facility that can perform short-term microgravity ground experiments. The microgravity time of the drop capsule system is 3.5 s and the microgravity level can reach 10-5. On the order of × g, the microgravity time of the drop tube system is 3.26 s, and the microgravity level is better than 10-6 × g, which can provide users with various technical support and services.