The rise of nanometers

July 3rd.

Huang Xiuyuan came to the Eagle Space Base through the stand-in robot and silently stared at the launch site in the distance.

A special Chang-11 launch vehicle has been loaded on the back of the Golden Wing Dapeng, which carries the final version of Toad Palace-1.

The final version of Toad Palace 1 weighs 77 tons and includes the Toad Palace 1 space station and three satellites.

As time passed by, it finally came to the moment when the launch was approaching.

In the past few months, the pilot crew has conducted eight more actual tests, and has a clear understanding of the performance and characteristics of the Golden Wing Dapeng.

At this time, the weather in the eastern part of Mobei was clear, and the cloudless sky was like a blue gem.

"The countdown begins!"

"10...5...0, engine ignition!"

Four high-thrust oblique detonation rocket engines ignited instantly, light red flames sprayed from the engine nozzles to the back, and the flight-assisted turbofan engine began to push the aircraft body off the ground.

In less than thirty seconds, the Golden-winged Dapeng left the runway and moved forward at full speed in mid-air.

From the radar signal of the command center, it can be seen that the Golden Winged Dapeng is accelerating upward obliquely, and the inclination with the ground is also increasing little by little.

It wasn't until the inclination of the two reached an angle of 60 degrees that the Golden Winged Dapeng stopped adjusting its flight posture, maintained this direction and angle, and flew toward outer space.

The Golden Winged Dapeng exploded at full speed, reaching a speed of 780 kilometers per hour, and quickly approached the top of the stratosphere at an altitude of 50 kilometers.

The tilted flight was supported by the rotation angular speed of the Blue Star. When it was close to 48 kilometers, the captain calmly ordered:

"The separation begins."

"receive."

The Golden Wing Dapeng separated from the Chang 11 carrier rocket on its back. In an instant, the Golden Winged Dapeng's flight angle quickly adjusted and decelerated downward.

With the support of dynamic inertia and rotation angular velocity, the launch vehicle still rushes upward at high speed, and its own rocket engine also ignites at the same time.

The weight was instantly reduced, the power suddenly exploded, and the launch vehicle rushed diagonally towards the Kármán line. 54 seconds later, the launch vehicle speed reached 7.6 kilometers per second, plus the Blue Star's rotation angular speed of 0.4 kilometers per second, successfully breaking through the first cosmic speed.

This big guy weighing several hundred tons has already crossed the Kármán line and entered the low-Earth orbit area.

The main engine of the launch vehicle then slowly shut down, the auxiliary engine started, and it began to adjust its flight attitude and fly towards the Tiangong Space Station in a 450-kilometer orbit.

At this time, there is still more than 75% of the fuel left on the orbiting spacecraft. In fact, there is room for this fuel. If it is fully pushed forward and coupled with Blue Star's gravity slingshot, it will be more than enough to go to Mars.

It's just that there is no need for China to land on Mars first because the samples of "Yinghuo Fungi" are on our side. Noah will go to Mars because of the "Yinghuo Fungi".

According to estimates, it is difficult for their Mars spacecraft to succeed in one go. They can obtain fluorescent fungi from the surface of Mars and successfully return to Blue Star synchronous orbit before 2018. This is assuming that everything goes well.

However, space missions are often accompanied by many accidents. In addition, NASA was given a death order by Noah, so the Mars spacecraft was launched in a hurry. The spacecraft is prone to problems in a hurry.

The current domestic strategy is to occupy a favorable position on the moon first. It is best to establish a lunar factory to extract some useful spacecraft supplies.

However, the current space mineral refining technology still has many limitations. The technology inside Blue Star is obviously not suitable for outer space and the moon.

His eyes returned to the orbiting spacecraft.

The ground command center uses electromagnetic wave communication and laser communication to form a dual communication system to ensure the smooth control of the spacecraft.

Not just dual communications systems, each system has three sets of identical backup equipment, a common practice for human spacecraft, known as a triple redundant system.

Even with excellent technology, Aerospace Science and Technology and Eagle Aerospace have not given up the design concept of triple redundancy. Especially for this important manned lunar landing mission, saving money depends on the task and situation.

When the orbiting spacecraft circles around the 350-kilometer orbit.

In the Tiangong Space Station, the five astronauts who arrived here last month and the four original astronauts stationed there also began to get busy.

They use lidar and infrared radar, plus the Beidou satellite system in orbit, to monitor the specific position of the orbiting spacecraft and cooperate with the ground control spacecraft.

Time passed in a blink of an eye, and more than ten hours passed.

After the final orbit correction, the spacecraft successfully entered a 453-kilometer low-Earth orbit and was in the same orbit as the Tiangong Space Station.

As the two get closer and closer, the Tiangong Space Station becomes the main controller of the spacecraft.

The three astronauts responsible for the main control tasks stared at each data attentively.

"Automatic correction system activated."

"Prepare for manual intervention."

"Docking begins."

After the speed of the spacecraft is synchronized with the space station, the docking modules of both sides slowly approach each other. If the first docking cannot be successful, the spacecraft must separate from the space station in time and make a second docking adjustment.

However, under the lidar ranging of both parties and the close-range control, there was no communication delay on the ground. The docking went very smoothly, and the docking cabins of both parties fit together steadily.

Inside the Tiangong Space Station.

Stationmaster Li Gaoxuan's slightly excited voice rang in everyone's ears:

"The docking was successful and the first phase of the mission was successfully completed."

The ground command center also received the news of successful docking a few seconds later. Huang Xiuyuan smiled and clapped:

"Congratulations on this hard-earned success."

Academician Wang smiled and replied: "Same joy."

Everyone at the scene was excited.

Various domestic radar stations and space bases that cooperated have also received news of successful docking. Everyone is happy and proud of this news.

After the excitement, everyone returned to normal work and made final preparations for the next trip to the moon.

At this time, inside the Tiangong Space Station.

Stationmaster Li Gaoxuan saluted the three astronauts responsible for driving the lunar spacecraft, and then said with sincere blessings:

"Li Ming, Zhang Feng, Yadong, I wish you a smooth arrival on the moon and a safe return."

Team leader Yang Liming nodded, saluted and replied: "Promise to complete the mission and set off."

After closing the helmets of their spacesuits, the three of them floated towards the docking module.

Station commander Li Gaoxuan directed others to open the air-tight door of the docking module and allowed the three astronauts to enter the lunar spacecraft.

After Yang Liming took Zhang Feng and Ye Yadong into the lunar spacecraft, they went directly to the cockpit.

They have been on the ground for more than half a year in a one-to-one simulator and are very familiar with these operating systems.

"Start the simulation trial operation system."

"OK."

By simulating the trial operation system, it can be judged whether the equipment inside the spacecraft can operate normally.

Ye Yadong tested for more than 20 minutes and found that all the data were within the normal range, so he reported: "Report, everything is normal on the spacecraft."

"Second inspection."

"receive."

This seemingly complicated and unnecessary work is precisely an essential inspection of the spacecraft.

In the aerospace field, in order to ensure safety, you cannot be too rest assured without repeated inspections three or four times. Many accidents are often caused by negligence.

After the third inspection was completed, Yang Liming gave the order:

"Prepare to separate from Tiangong Space Station."

"Tiangong Space Station, this is the Queqiao lunar spacecraft. We will complete separation from the space station in 5 minutes."

"Received, permission to leave the port."

"..."

Five minutes later, the Queqiao spacecraft and the Tiangong Space Station released the docking module together, and then the Queqiao spacecraft started its auxiliary engine and pushed back gently.

After a slight pushback, the Queqiao spacecraft and the Tiangong Space Station successfully completed their separation.

Ye Yadonghui, who is responsible for controlling the auxiliary engine, reported: "Report, the Queqiao has completed separation."

Calm Yang Liming ordered: "Continue to stay away from the thrust, and conduct a maneuverable orbit change after 10 kilometers."

"receive."

When the Queqiao spacecraft flew 10 kilometers away from the Tiangong Space Station, Yang Liming made a decisive decision: "Start the main engine and target the direction of the Earth-moon plane, at an orbit of 51,000 kilometers."

"Roger." Zhang Feng pressed the main engine start button, and instantly the main engine spit out light red flames. The surging power caused the Queqiao spacecraft to start flying towards the high orbit area.

The Queqiao spacecraft will first enter an elliptical "super blue star synchronous orbit". The closest distance to the ground is about 200 kilometers and the longest distance is about 51,000 kilometers.

After the spacecraft will circle the orbit in 16 hours, it will accelerate and then enter a larger elliptical orbit. The closest distance to the ground is about 500 kilometers and the farthest distance is about 128,000 kilometers. It will take 48 hours to complete one orbit.

The Queqiao spacecraft will pass through a large elliptical orbit and reach the ultra-high orbit area near 128,000 kilometers after 64 hours. Then, with the help of Blue Star's gravitational slingshot, it will be ejected to the lunar orbit at 356,000 kilometers.

According to the data analyzed by the computer and the original plan set on the ground, the Queqiao spacecraft will orbit Blue Star for about 2.4 times before reaching the predetermined ejection position.

After completing the first maneuvering orbit change, Zhang Feng quickly shut down the main engine, while Ye Yadong still concentrated on operating the auxiliary engine and fine-tuning the flight trajectory to ensure that everything was within control.

After entering the first circle of constant speed orbit, the spacecraft does not need to worry too much, just start the autopilot.

Yang Liming breathed a sigh of relief and began to report the specific situation to the ground command center.

At the same time, Ye Yadong and Zhang Feng also started to prepare for meals, taking out three bags of fast food and three bags of nutrient solution from the refrigerated storage box.

Tear off the aluminum film outer packaging of the fast food, clamp the bag on the shelf, then stuff it into the microwave and start heating the fast food package.

The living compartment and cockpit of the spacecraft are not together, mainly to prevent daily necessities from accidentally leaking into the cockpit.

According to flight regulations, only one person is allowed in the cockpit, so the job of preparing fast food packages was left to Ye Yadong.

This special regulation is mainly affected by civil aviation aircraft. There are many uncontrollable factors when a person is alone in the cockpit. Unless there are less than three pilots, two people must be left in the cockpit.

[Next chapter: Anti-theft, return to normal after half an hour]

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