At 2 AM, 24th, Oct, 2014, China has successfully launched the test return
orbiter for the 3rd phase of Lunar Exploration Program at the Xichang Satellite
Launch Center. It’s a very important validation flight trial to our Lunar
Exploration Program, its mission is to obtain experimental data and validate
re-entry technologies and trajectory design for a future touch-down on the moon
by Chang'e-5, which is expected to be sent to the moon, collect samples and
return to Earth in 2017. The success of this launch mission marks China’s big
step to aerospace technology.
Xichang Satellite Launch Center, built in 1970, is affiliated with the
General Reserve Department of PLA. The Launch Center owns the system of trial
launch, command and control, monitor and measure, communication, meteorological
and etc. It has successfully launched Chinese First Telecommunications Broadcast
Satellite, Dongfanghong II, it ends the time that China rent foreign satellite
for TV watch; The successfully-launched 11th Beidou navigation satellite is our
first launched Beidou navigation system networking satellite; Xichang Satellite
Launch Center has successfully involved 34 times of domestic and international
satellites launch since it’s established.
Now, the launch center is capable to use the Long March 3A, Long March 3B
and other 5 models of rockets, launch all kinds of orbits with high, medium, low
route and multi-directional requirement, achieve the remotely trial launch and
commend control.
First Ultra HD LED display in Control Center
Control Center is the ‘Nerve Center’ of the Launch Center. In order to
respond to President Xi Jinping’s demands on the localization of military
equipment, lots of transformation has been done to the Control Center at the
early time before the satellite launch, eliminating the traditional color
television screens and projection screens (already used 10 years), first time
using a national brand small-pitch ultra HD LED display developed by Shanghai
Sansi as a small pitch command display and video signal monitoring screen.
The display is with a 1.6mm pitch, consisting of over 400 cabinets, display
area over 75 square meters, and has the below outstanding features:
1、Ultra High Resolution
The resolution of this display is up to 26,000,000 pixels, it’s one of the
highest resolution indoor LED display so far. Meantime, the contrast of this
small pitch display is up to 3000:1, the overall uniformity of brightness and
chrominance s over 98%, it has greatly improved the color richness and the
visual comfort.
2、Seamless switch
According to the base customized requirement on the particular screen, fast
switch, simplist operation and etc during the launch mission, the display is
designed with the distributed image processing system, which supports the
synchronous management of up to 128 channels of all kinds of 1080P full HD
signal input, it enables the real seamless switch within all signals while with
the overall monitoring function.
3、Safe, stable and reliable
The entire LED control system and display system are both applied with dual
backup design, all the signal transmission line, signal process device and
driver management are using 1 plus 1 backup, which fully ensure the reliability
of entire system, zero failure during the launch, completely meet the
requirement of high sensitivity, fast response and strong reliability during the
launch.
High localization
The entire system, from control PC to switch, operating system to operating
software are all localized, maximized meet the high demand of on-site real time
display and trial control, it is also the first time that China apply the LED
display in the field of aerospace science and research on emission measurement
and control tasks, it represents the top LED display technology level of current
China or even the world. Specially that all the software and hardware involved
to the entire play, monitor, display system of the LED display are researched
and developed independently by Sansi.
High efficiency and fast response
All the ideas or suggestions brought by the base side during the
commissioning and installation of the Ultra HD LED display are efficiently
solved by Shanghai Sansi technicians at the very short time. It’s all because
that Sansi owns a multi-disciplinary overlapping comprehensive R&D team
which covers computer, automatic control, electronic engineering, systems
integration and etc, they have a very solid R&D ability, rich practical
experience and fast response system.
Highly responsible, deep participate
This launch is the first launch after the Control Center’s
transformation.Since this is the first launch after the renovation of the
control center, in order to ensure the launch goes smoothly, the base side has
arranged multiple times of simulation tests and joint exercises. Shanghai Sansi
Technicians participate with highly work responsibility and national pride,
working closely with the base stuff. Sansi technician has considered all kinds
of possible problems may happen during the launch and their corresponding
solutions, they have also prepared the fully plan for the thunderstorms weather
that the launch may encounter to ensure the successful completion of
launch.
The current world's only ultra-high-definition small-pitched LED display
from Shanghai Sansi, has great helped the on-site commanders to keep abreast of
all aspects of the launch and the entire process, and make the correct judge and
give the commends, making a remarkable achievement for the lunar exploration
phase III.