Galaxy Technology Empire

December 15th.

The Western world is still in a mess, while the Eastern Tang Dynasty and the entire East Asia region are just like the masses.

As for the planetary defense plan, it is still in the confidentiality stage and preparations are underway.

On the other hand, Dongdao Space Administration is also preparing related work for the space mining test work of WX asteroid.

However, Dongtang was also very interested in space mining, so he sent a group of expedition teams to follow Dongdao Space Bureau to discuss how to explore this WX asteroid.

Since the name of the WX asteroid was named by NASA, the Space Development Committee used it directly only in emergencies. Now of course it has to be changed to its own name.

Soon the Space Development Committee officially named the WX asteroid "Iron-Nickel Mineral Asteroid, No. 2019.12.3, 001", referred to as Iron Star 1.

Kaohsiung Space City Ground Control Center, Dongdao Space Administration has re-adjusted the ground control center into: the first control room (Blue Star Satellite), the second control room (new Kaohsiung Space Station), the third control room (mass projector), the fourth control room (spacecraft), and the newly established fifth control room (space mining).

Inside the fifth control room at this time.

Zeng Baojiang, Li Minghao, the person in charge of the control room, Huang Guohao, the person in charge of the space mining project, and Zhang Wei, the leader of the Dongtang expedition team, were discussing the development plan of Iron Star 1.

"The current orbit of Iron Star 1 is about 51,280 to 51,300 kilometers from the ground of Blue Star, and the time it takes to circle Blue Star is 33 hours." Li Minghao said, pointing to the holographic star map.

Huang Guohao clicked on the holographic simulation model of Tiexing 1: "When we rerouted Tiexing 1 before, it lost about 8 to 9 million tons of mass. Its current mass is about 483.47 million tons."

"I think this asteroid is not entirely an iron-nickel asteroid." Zhang Wei touched his chin to express his opinion.

Huang Guohao nodded: "We see the same thing. After all, based on the density of the iron-nickel asteroid, the volume of this asteroid is at most about 420 to 440 million tons."

"You think there are heavy elements on this asteroid." Zeng Baojiang had obviously already speculated on this issue.

After all, in the same volume, heavy elements must have greater mass than iron-nickel minerals.

"As the base director said, we can initially determine that Iron Star 1 contains heavy elements." Huang Guohao said.

A staff member of the remote control department of the fifth control room ran over to Li Minghao and whispered: "Report that the Xuanwu-class spacecraft 008 has arrived at Iron Star 1."

"Replace numbers 002 and 004." Li Minghao ordered.

"OK."

In the lonely and distant outer space, 51,295 kilometers away from Blue Star, the Iron Star 1 asteroid is flying slowly in orbit.

Of the three Xuanwu-class ships that had been flying with the Iron Star 1 asteroid before, only the 002 and 004 spacecraft were left. The 006 spacecraft had returned to Blue Star on December 14.

As for the Xuanwu-class 008 that flew over this time, it was a spacecraft that had just come off the production line.

Spacecraft 008 slowly docked next to the Iron Star 1 asteroid, and then slowly landed on the surface of the Iron Star 1 asteroid.

Click! Spacecraft No. 008 opened the side hatch, and five space operation robots crawled out, then selected five locations and began drilling and sampling.

Half an hour later, five space operation machines collected 15 samples from the Iron Star 1 asteroid.

The Xuanwu-class spacecraft 002 and 004 were already on their way back to Blue Star. At this time, next to the Iron Star 1 asteroid, the only spaceship left was the Xuanwu-class spacecraft 008.

The 15 samples collected by the space operation robot were sent into the Xuanwu-class spacecraft 008, which carried a set of rapid element detection equipment.

The rapid element detection equipment inside the spacecraft is testing the composition of these samples, while the space operation robots continue to carry out their scheduled tasks, installing an engine on the Iron Star 1 asteroid.

The reason for installing the engine is mainly to prevent the Iron Star 1 asteroid from suddenly changing orbit during mining operations.

However, this time the spacecraft only carried one engine. The Xuanwu-class spacecraft 006 will bring two more engines on December 18. Generally, three engines can maintain the orbit of Iron Star 1 without serious changes.

Inside the fifth control room of the ground control center.

The test results of Xuanwu-class 008 were finally sent back to Blue Star.

After Li Minghao compiled the test report, he immediately sent it to Zeng Baojiang, Huang Guohao and Zhang Wei. They browsed it carefully for a while.

"As expected, in addition to iron and nickel, the content of gold, platinum and lead is also very high." Huang Guohao said excitedly.

"It is estimated that this asteroid is a piece of planetary debris." Zhang Wei knows the situation of this kind of asteroid very well.

"Judging from the test results of 15 samples, the lead reserves are around 35 to 38 million tons, while the gold reserves are between 8 and 9 million tons, and platinum are between 6 and 7 million tons." Huang Guohao didn't know, and he was frightened by the calculation. Jump.

"If such terrifying gold and platinum reserves were put into the Blue Star market, I'm afraid the world's gold and platinum markets would collapse immediately." Zeng Baojiang smiled bitterly.

Huang Guohao also smiled bitterly: "Gold and platinum can only be used as industrial raw materials, but the tungsten and manganese content in them is also good. The tungsten reserves are about 1.6 to 1.8 million tons, and the manganese reserves are about 2 million tons."

"How to operate mining now?" Zhang Wei asked.

"We plan to roughly refine it on site and then transport it back to the Blue Star ground for further processing." Huang Guohao explained.

"Space smelting? This needs to be redesigned. After all, space smelting is different from ground smelting." Zhang Wei reminded.

In space smelting, vacuum smelting and cold smelting are generally used, zero gravity is used to perfect the shape, and perfect metal products are 3D printed. There is no need for welding in key places. The interfaces are directly cut flat and pressed together to fuse (can be used for high-precision metals). Products or jewelry inlays, etc., can also be used for industrial production of integrated metal shells).

In addition, solar power stations can be used to provide energy for electric smelting furnaces.

However, the reason why smelting in space is different from smelting on the ground is mainly due to gravity issues and heat dissipation issues. Perhaps most people understand the gravity issue.

But the heat dissipation problem in space smelting is definitely another huge problem, because it is very difficult to dissipate heat in a vacuum. In a vacuum environment without a medium, heat dissipation is very difficult, and we can only rely on radiation to dissipate heat.

For example, the thermos flask we usually use takes advantage of the principle that vacuum does not conduct heat, and achieves the effect of heat insulation by creating a layer of vacuum in the body of the thermos flask.

There are three ways of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction and convection must have a medium, while radiation transfers heat through the form of electromagnetic waves (light). Therefore, in a vacuum environment, heat can only be transferred by radiation.

This is also the main way for stars to transfer energy to the outside, and plasma such as stellar solar wind can fall into the category of thermal convection.

In other words, smelting in outer space will naturally face the problem of vacuum insulation. If this problem is not solved, the smelting furnace may cause problems due to excessive heat accumulation.

Some other issues also have to be considered.

"We have also conducted relevant research on these issues. Now that the technology is relatively mature, we can improve the problematic areas while testing on Iron Star 1." Huang Guohao said.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning. Anyway, this is experimental in nature. You can improve while experimenting." Zeng Baojiang also nodded and said.

The four people discussed and improved the effects of space mining and space smelting all morning.

I overslept, I’m so sorry (ω｀)