The "Great White Whale" Jimu-1 airship explores the uninhabited area of ​​northern Tibet for the first time

Author: Shi Xiangqi and Li Chuanfu

In the remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the third pole of the earth, there is a mysterious and vast land - the uninhabited area of ​​northern Tibet. Here, although few people have been to the area and the natural conditions are extreme, it contains rich scientific data and unknown natural mysteries. In the scientific and technological journey of exploring the uninhabited area of ​​northern Tibet, the "Jimu No. 1" I airship plays a vital role. This airship is known as the "white whale" in the field of science and technology for its unique appearance and powerful functions.

Recently, the "Jimu No. 1" Type I airship completed its 8th scientific observation in 22 days at Shuanghu Lake in Tibet, marking the first exploration of this mysterious land by my country's independently developed in-situ high-altitude scientific observation platform. These observations are part of the second Qinghai-Tibet scientific expedition "Protecting the Water Tower - 'One Plain, Two Lakes and Three Rivers' Major Landmark Scientific Expedition". During this scientific expedition, the "Jimu No. 1" Type I airship flew to an altitude of 6,300 meters above sea level, carrying a variety of scientific detection instruments and obtaining rich observation data.

The Jimu-1 Type I airship flies over the Shuanghu Lake in Tibet for scientific observation. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Fan

In terms of technical details, the design and application of the "Jimu No. 1" I airship demonstrates my country's technological progress in the field of high-altitude scientific observation. In order to adapt to flights in ultra-high altitude areas, the airship has been optimized in terms of plateau environment adaptation and precise environmental detection based on the "Jimu No. 1" I. These optimizations include the requirements for the low-temperature and high-temperature performance of the hull material, as well as strict testing and adjustments of the stability of the hull, control system, energy system and mooring system.

Under the harsh environmental conditions in the Everest region, researchers faced huge challenges. They developed a lightweight, low-density, high-strength, radiation-resistant composite fabric material independently developed by my country. This material can effectively protect the airship, block external rain, snow, wind and sand, and reduce internal gas leakage, greatly increasing the service life and reuse of the airship. In addition, the main cable of the airship was also developed in cooperation with other units. It can not only withstand the huge buoyancy of the airship, but also shoulder the functions of communication and power supply between the equipment on the airship and the ground.

The Jimu-1 Type I airship flies over the plateau lakes and snow-capped mountains and glaciers of Shuanghu in Tibet to conduct scientific observations. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Shiping

In the complex electromagnetic environment, low temperature, low pressure and high wind speed environment at an altitude of 9,000 meters, researchers specially designed and optimized the hull, control system, energy system and mooring system of the airship. They carried out sufficient environmental simulation experiments and state debugging, carried out special insulation and pressure design for the originally open equipment cabin, and carried out electromagnetic compatibility design based on the complex electromagnetic environment of the plateau. These measures ensured that the payload equipment obtained valuable and effective scientific research data in this scientific research experiment.

In addition, researchers have invented a "hard inflation port" with a unique structural design and buffer material, which effectively reduces the noise during the inflation process, increases the inflation speed, and greatly alleviates the vibration problem of the hull material near the inflation port. These technological innovations and breakthroughs not only solve the application problems of airships in extreme environments, but also provide important technical support for the development of my country's high-altitude scientific observation field.

In terms of application in multiple fields, the successful application of the "Jimu No. 1" I-type airship has not only made breakthroughs in scientific research, but also provided important technical support for the development of my country's high-altitude scientific observation. The application of these technologies will help promote scientific research and technological progress in related fields in my country, and make greater contributions to my country's scientific and technological development and environmental protection.