HERD on CSS

¡¡¡¡The China's Space Station (CSS) main parts are the Core Module, the Experiment Module I and the Experiment Module II. The aim of the project is to build a reliable operating space station, thus providing long-term support for the onboard healthy living and efficient work for the astronauts. Together with other systems, it can guarantee the safety of astronauts during their visits to space, and also provide essential conditions including long lifetime, rich resources, manned operation and returnable transportation for carrying out multi-disciplinary space scientific experiments.

¡¡¡¡The Chinese Space Station is to be completed by the year of 2022 and has a lifetime of more than 10 years. The CSS will be flying at an altitude of about 400 km and inclination angle of 42 degree. The CSS is normally pointed to the earth under the control of Three-Axis Stabilized system. On the two ends of the Core Module, manned space ship and cargo ship are expected to be docked respectively. The 'Tianzhou' cargo ship is responsible for providing the space station with the cargo and payload transportation, replenishment of propellant, onboard storage, offloading of waste material, and controlled reentering into the designated areas after the mission.

        With the assistance of astronauts and robotic arm, HERD is transfered and mechanically installed on the outer surface of CSS and pointed always against the earth. With this configuration, it is capable to survey the sky following the movement of the CSS.