Companies play a key role in space station mission

At 10:44am on June 5, the Shenzhou-14 crewed spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, sending three astronauts into space.

The first – and most important – manned mission in the construction phase of China's space station was a complete success, and it was done with help from scientific research institutions and enterprises in Jiading.

Scientists with the Jiading-based Shanghai Institute of Ceramics Chinese Academy of Sciences developed thermal protection for the Shenzhou-14.

The institute developed more than 10 kinds of coatings and components, such as the heat resistant antenna window of the return capsule, the thermal protection material for the altitude control engine, high-temperature insulation materials and components and porthole glass and optical coating.

And the Shanghai Aerospace Electronics Co Ltd supplied the frequency synthesizer for subsystems including measurement and control, the return module initiating explosive device, return module adapter for the overall circuit subsystem and escape controller for emergency rescue.

The company provided eight types of hatch pressure point switches for the structure and mechanism subsystems to jointly safeguard the space journey of three astronauts.