On February 12, 2018 (December 27, 2017 in the lunar calendar), the third Beidou networking satellite was successfully launched today. Liang Keyan/Photo On February 12, 2018, our country took the approach of one arrow and two satellites and successfully launched the fifth and sixth Beidou-3 networking satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Since January 12, in just one month, the Long March 3B/Expedition-1 rocket has been launched twice with "one arrow and two satellites", successfully sending four Beidou satellites into space. This is also the seventh successful launch of the Long March series of rockets since 2018. The average frequency of one launch in less than a week is amazing. Recently, the Global Times reporter visited the command and control center of Xichang Satellite Launch Center, technical service station and other places, and witnessed how the front-line scientific and technological personnel and logistics support personnel opened the "high-density launch 2018". What is the command center of satellite launches often seen on TV when entering the hall of the command and control center of Xichang Satellite Launch Center? On the 9th, walking into the command and control center of Xichang Satellite Launch Center, on the outer wall of the command hall, "Serious, thoughtful and meticulous, safe and reliable, foolproof" Sixteen eye-catching bronzing characters were very eye-catching, so that visitors could feel the nervous working state of the engineers before entering the door. Hu Jie, a command and control center command display subsystem engineer, introduced that this hall is the data processing center and communication exchange center of the launch site system, and also the command and decision center of experts. The hall area is about the same as a cinema, and it is divided into three parts: the projection display area, the test work area and the VIP area, and the functional areas are divided at a glance. At the front is the most familiar projection display area, which is equivalent to the large screen of the "cinema". The difference is that it consists of two screens, namely the time bar screen at the top and the large screen at the bottom. Hu Jie introduced: "The main function of the time bar screen is to display the progress of the mission, the time and the key flight timing of the rocket, as well as the meteorological information of the launch site area. The large screen is used to display the rocket flight status, speed, altitude and other information, as well as the three-dimensional simulation scene, for the commander and field experts to provide on-site decision-making. "Fan Lingzhi/Photographer From the position, the four rows of seats facing the big screen should have been the audience area of the" theater ", but in fact, this is the experimental work area, where the commanders of each system direct their work. Hu Jie said:" The first and second rows are the work area where our staff are located and the professional command area of the five major systems. The third and fourth rows are the expert decision-making area. When there is an abnormality in the rocket that requires major decisions, decisions are made in these two rows. "The real audience area is in the back row, separated from the work area, which is the area for invited audience and leaders and experts who are not involved in the command task to observe. When the reporter came to the command hall, there were still nearly three days before the launch, but there were already staff busy working here. Engineer Wang Sheng introduced that they had completed the joint training, "Xichang has been connected with the measurement and control systems in other places, and the test is normal. We are only waiting for the final launch." The front line of the battle also includes the Sanjia series rocket launch team, a director of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Hu Wei is the No. 01 commander of the rocket launch mission. His job is to coordinate the correctness and feasibility of various systems during the launch process. He is called the COO (chief operating officer) of the rocket by his colleagues. Facing the need to stick to his post before the Spring Festival, he said, "Every launch is our daily work and our own job. Although it is ordinary, we need to use success again and again to support the construction of a space power. "Another position with" 01 "in the name is more familiar to the outside world. This is the commander of the Xichangfa station mission" 01 ", that is, the person who is often heard on live TV shouting the countdown" 10, 9, 8, 7... ignition ". The commander of the" 01 "of this launch is Yan Liqing said that this is the 100th launch mission he participated in. It seems that it is not difficult to count down the countdown, but the truth is not the case. In terms of rhythm control, the password of the" 01 "commander should be in perfect harmony with the timer." For example, if the word'ready 'for'two minutes to prepare' is called out, the time is exactly 0 seconds. For '10, 9, 8, 7 ', basically the seconds must be called out at the same time as the countdown sign changes. "Yan Liqing said that when the rocket is launched, the work of each stage must be subject to the" 01 "commander's password. If there is a problem in the previous period, the launch must be terminated or adjusted at any time to ensure that each test project covers a comprehensive coverage and the matching coordination between systems. Liang Keyan/Photographer" Gold Guarantor "Stick to the launch" I haven't seen it closely, I can only watch the rocket rise from the top of the mountain. " When asked by reporters if he had seen the launch at the scene, Yao Xiaobing, an oil storage depot officer who has worked at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center for 26 years, replied this way. Also engaged in aerospace, his work is obscure: guarding the oil receiving area, the oil production area, the oil storage area and the oil pipeline. For 26 years, he has climbed the mountain along the more than 2,000-meter oil pipeline every day to check, even if the oil sending and receiving is automated, he still insists on personal inspection, because he stubbornly believes that "the system will find it too late". Regarding the intensity of the Beidou-3 satellite's intensive launch, Yao Xiaobing told reporters that he can feel it from the oil production volume: "Now that the intensive launch is launched, the oil production volume has more than doubled compared with the original. No matter what the position is, I just want to do my job well and don't delay the task. "Yao Xiaobing's technical service station is located in the depths of Daliang Mountain, a place of special significance for Chinese astronauts. There is a" rooted tree "here, which was planted by the pioneers of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center when they first arrived in Daliang Mountain. It has been nearly 50 spring and autumn. When we arrived here, the sun was very good, and under the blue sky, the tree trunks that have not yet been jointed were even more solid. Not far from the" rooted tree "is a liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen production station. Li Lun, the head of the nitrogen and oxygen station of the technical service station, said that the production of liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen and the guarantee of liquid hydrogen as the fuel for the three-stage rocket are the main responsibilities of the nitrogen and oxygen station, which is a high-risk work." If liquid hydrogen leaks and reaches a certain concentration, even if a needle falls to the ground, the energy generated can cause an explosion. In addition to the explosion, frostbite caused by these extremely low-temperature liquid gases is also very dangerous. "The staff of the nitrogen and oxygen station did a small experiment to verify Li Lun's claim. He opened the valve of the liquid nitrogen storage steel tank, accompanied by a loud" hissing "sound, the liquid nitrogen quickly ejected and evaporated, forming a white mist near the nozzle. The staff broke off a branch with green leaves, put it at the nozzle for a few seconds, and then took it to the reporter. The reporter found that the green leaves had completely hardened and were broken off with a light break. When the staff closed the valve, the ground facing the nozzle and the jet pipe had already formed a thick layer of white frost." If the liquid nitrogen comes into contact with the skin for a long time, it will cause tissue necrosis. "Beidou satellites cannot do without these" gold medal guarantors ". Many of the staff who stick to these positions have brought their wives and children, settled their families in the unit, and have been engaged in seemingly boring, low-key and dangerous work for decades. Fan Lingzhi/Photographer" De-tasking "to deal with high-intensity missions According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Co., Ltd., this year our country's Long March series of carrier rockets are expected to perform 35 launch missions represented by Beidou satellite networking and Chang'e-4 lunar exploration, and the launch density will reach a record high. Cen Zheng, commander-in-chief of the Changsanjia series of rockets, said that according to the mission situation in 2018, many launch team members have nearly a year to be rooted in the launch site to carry out rocket launch missions. After a short break during the Spring Festival in 2018, the launch team had to go to the launch site again in early March to carry out the next mission. "It is our responsibility to ensure the high quality of the rocket, to ensure the success of the launch, and to take success as a belief is the most sincere pursuit of our team," said Cen Zheng. "Every success today is the support for better and faster development in the future." Judging from the launch plan for the whole year, the Changsanjia series of rockets will be launched once every 26 days on average. And the production site usually has 2-3 rockets working in parallel at the same time. "If we don't find a way from the production management, there will be no margin in the annual plan," Cen Zheng said. Therefore, the development team innovatively proposed a "de-tasking" management method. Previous rocket development and production usually revolved around a specific launch mission for production and final assembly. "'De-tasking' refers to the realization of the production, generalization, and mass production of individual rockets, systems, and entire arrows." Shen Zheng explained that "de-tasking" means that after the single-stage rocket and single-launch rocket complete the final assembly, they can flexibly adjust the launch mission they undertake. As long as the satellite and rocket interfaces remain consistent, the software can be adjusted for specific tasks to meet the needs of the launch mission. At present, this "productization" type of development process is being promoted and adjusted in the development line of the Long March series of rockets. In the future, the "assembly line" type of rocket production and assembly method is expected to become a reality.