China Space Station's "Mirror" Platform for Experiments Now Operational
A mirror platform designed for scientific experiments aboard China's space station has officially begun its operational phase. This platform will offer crucial assistance for conducting scientific research in the space environment, as announced by the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
TroibNews 
A mirror platform for scientific experiments at China's space station has officially entered its operational phase, providing vital support for experiments conducted on the space station, as reported by the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
This mirror platform is outfitted with 14 science experiment cabinets along with the necessary public support equipment for information management, power distribution, and fluid cooling systems both inside and outside the cabin.
It functions as a scientific experiment system on the ground, parallel to China's space station. The Shenzhou-19 crew is set to conduct a range of extensive scientific experiments that have already undergone matching and verification processes.
"Through the platform, we have conducted ground verification for the experiments that the Shenzhou-19 crew will perform, as well as for the experiment payloads, related software, and spare parts before the launch," stated Zhong Hongen, a researcher at CSU, in an interview with China Media Group.
The mirror platform serves three main functions as a crucial ground science experiment infrastructure for the national space laboratory.
Firstly, scientific payloads transported by the Shenzhou and Tianzhou spacecraft are required to undergo final confirmation testing prior to launch, where astronauts can also receive operational training for scientific experiments. Secondly, the platform allows verification of scientific experiment plans intended for execution on the space station in advance, facilitating troubleshooting and solution development for any issues that might arise during orbital operations. Lastly, it enables Earth-to-space comparison experiments, promoting comparative analysis between experiments executed at the space station and those conducted on the mirror platform.
"Earth-to-space comparison experiments involve conducting experiments in space while simultaneously on the ground. This allows for a comparison under similar conditions, differing only in microgravity, to observe how the two different gravity factors affect the experimental results," explained Zhong.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
This mirror platform is outfitted with 14 science experiment cabinets along with the necessary public support equipment for information management, power distribution, and fluid cooling systems both inside and outside the cabin.
It functions as a scientific experiment system on the ground, parallel to China's space station. The Shenzhou-19 crew is set to conduct a range of extensive scientific experiments that have already undergone matching and verification processes.
"Through the platform, we have conducted ground verification for the experiments that the Shenzhou-19 crew will perform, as well as for the experiment payloads, related software, and spare parts before the launch," stated Zhong Hongen, a researcher at CSU, in an interview with China Media Group.
The mirror platform serves three main functions as a crucial ground science experiment infrastructure for the national space laboratory.
Firstly, scientific payloads transported by the Shenzhou and Tianzhou spacecraft are required to undergo final confirmation testing prior to launch, where astronauts can also receive operational training for scientific experiments. Secondly, the platform allows verification of scientific experiment plans intended for execution on the space station in advance, facilitating troubleshooting and solution development for any issues that might arise during orbital operations. Lastly, it enables Earth-to-space comparison experiments, promoting comparative analysis between experiments executed at the space station and those conducted on the mirror platform.
"Earth-to-space comparison experiments involve conducting experiments in space while simultaneously on the ground. This allows for a comparison under similar conditions, differing only in microgravity, to observe how the two different gravity factors affect the experimental results," explained Zhong.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
