Air conditioning system on Chinese space station

The Tiangong space station, 400 km above Earth, always has spring-like temperatures, providing an optimal environment for astronauts to live and work.

The Shenzhou 17 crew works in the Tiangong station. Photo: CMS — The Shenzhou 17 crew works in the Tiangong station. Photo: *CMS*

To protect astronauts from the extreme temperatures inside the space station, which can reach 150 degrees Celsius in direct sunlight and drop to -100 degrees Celsius in the dark, China's Tiangong space station uses an advanced temperature control system, CGTN reported on March 22.

The system uses a closed fluid circuit in every corner of the cabin. Through the continuous circulation of a special fluid inside the pipe, the system collects the heat generated by the equipment and astronauts, then transports the heat through the circuit to the appropriate equipment and structures, cooling the overheated areas and warming the overcooled areas.

Thus, the system not only provides comfortable conditions for astronauts, but also ensures the normal operation of equipment and experimental instruments that require temperature control. This environment also allows vegetables to be grown on the space station.

Astronauts growing vegetables on the station can not only study the effects of special space environments such as microgravity on plant growth and physiology, but also reduce their own pressure and regulate their psychological and physiological emotions in a positive direction. More importantly, they can collect food, oxygen and drinking water.

The life-sustaining function of plants plays an important role in establishing a self-sufficient extraterrestrial life support system, sufficient to reduce the cost of supplying necessities for long-term manned missions. Research on extraterrestrial life support systems is a focus of space agencies.

An Khang (According to CGTN)

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