Great Country Academician

Moon surface, Antarctica.

In the Aitken Basin, the life support unit was finally switched on.

Even though they knew what this opponent wanted to do, NASA still had no means to stop it.

Unless they choose to completely break their skin and abandon the humanitarian principles they have always maintained.

But this would be a greater loss for them. After all, the United States has been a country of immigrants since its founding, relying on excellent systems to absorb scientific and technological talents from all over the world.

If this principle is broken, far more than a life support unit will be lost.

After replenishing oxygen and supplies, and 'visiting' NASA's life support unit, Zhai Zhigang and Chen Dong took the two rescued astronauts towards their own 'Lanyue 2' lunar module .

They did not stay too much on the moon, nor did they leave time for Smedley Moore and McAdam Julia to miss the crashed lunar module and the accident site.

On the one hand, there is a docking time limit for returning to lunar orbit. If they miss the first round of docking, they will need to stay in lunar orbit for at least dozens of minutes to wait for the second wave of docking.

On the other hand, there may be a shallow titanium-rich metal deposit in the Aikent Basin.

A shallow, easy to mine, and rich titanium metal mine is of great importance to today's lunar surface development.

The longer they stay at the crash site, the more likely they are to reveal the information in advance.

So to be on the safe side, after visiting the life support unit in the United States, they left neatly.

"Call Xinghai. This is the Lanyue-2 rescue team. Our team will officially ignite and return to lunar orbit in five minutes."

On the ground, Zhai Zhigang pressed the contact signal on his helmet, arranged all the preparations, and then contacted the Xinghai, which was running in lunar orbit.

"Xinghai will arrive above the lunar South Pole in seventeen minutes, please be ready for docking."

"receive."

Zhai Zhigang responded and twisted his body in the lunar module with difficulty.

The lunar module, which was originally designed to carry only two or three people, squeezed four people into it, and its space was naturally much narrower.

Five minutes was not long. After all the preparations were done, and with the engine start button pressed, the Lan Yue 2 lunar module sailed towards the silent starry sky.

In the distance, a silver-white space shuttle was slowly approaching them.

"The docking is successful, the hatch is open!"

With a pleasant sound, Lanyue 2 returned to the embrace of Xinghai.

At this moment, the Xiashu Space Base, which is 380,000 kilometers away, also held a press conference to announce the successful completion of the 'lunar surface rescue operation' and the news that both astronauts survived and are returning to Earth. go out.

When the eight characters "The rescue operation was successfully completed" were loudly delivered to the press conference and the live broadcast room, in an instant, a wave of applause filled the scene.

In the CTV live broadcast room where the Xinghai manned moon landing was broadcast live, there were countless thumbs up.

Of course, it’s not just Chinese netizens and viewers who are discussing and praising it.

On the Internet, many American netizens who followed this action also couldn't help but praise this beautiful rescue operation.

No matter what the real situation is, no matter what the exchange of interests behind the lunar rescue is. At least at this moment, the brilliance of the spirit and humanity of not giving up anyone deserves praise from everyone in this rescue.

It’s not just China’s rescue operations that have won praise from everyone.

Even NASA and White House, because they did not give up the lives of the two astronauts and asked competitors to carry out rescue operations, were praised by many people as a manifestation of the American spirit, and even attracted a lot of attention from the authorities. People's hearts.

Of course, the actual situation of NASA and the authorities is probably invisible to ordinary people.

When the Xinghai space shuttle returned to Earth carrying two astronauts from his own family and NASA, on the other side, at the Xiashu Space Base, Xu Chuan, who had been watching the rescue operation, also breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the astronauts have not yet returned to Earth, it can be said that it is a complete success when things have reached this point.

As for the navigation and landing between the earth and the moon, this is not a difficult task for the Xinghai, which has gone through many tests.

In the main control room, Wu Yuankang from the space agency also breathed a sigh of relief. After taking a look at the Xinghai that was returning on the screen, he turned to Xu Chuan with a smile and said, "I really want to trouble you this time."

There are some differences between Xinghai Research Institute and traditional aerospace groups, such as Aerospace Science and Technology and Aerospace Science and Industry.

The latter is a subsidiary company of the space agency, but the former is currently considered a cooperative relationship. The space agency cannot directly issue instructions to Xinghai Research Institute.

For example, this lunar rescue operation was a request from the space agency.

If the Xinghai Research Institute is not willing to rescue him, there is honestly nothing the space agency can do.

After looking at him, Xu Chuan smiled and replied, "It's nothing. The best thing is that the rescue is successful."

After a pause, he asked curiously: "By the way, how much did you charge for this rescue?"

Although this lunar rescue operation is nominally a humanitarian rescue operation, they are not an international humanitarian rescue organization.

Moreover, White House and NASA took the initiative to mention this rescue to them, so they will naturally charge some rescue fees.

Wu Yuankang said with a smile: "Actually, it's not much. This rescue operation is of a humanitarian nature, and the higher authorities focus more on the international situation and international image."

"As for the rescue cost, it is actually only a symbolic 200 million meters in gold, which is considered as compensation for their rescue operation interrupting our own scientific research work on the moon landing."

After a slight pause, he continued: "In addition, the space agency will pay all the rescue costs of 200 million meters to the Xinghai Research Institute, as a subsidy for the forced suspension of your scientific research activities this time."

A lunar rescue operation would naturally cost less than 200 million meters of gold.

Taking into account personnel, fuel, working fluids, the second set of lunar landing equipment, etc., for Xinghai Research Institute, the total cost is only about 10 million, or RMB.

Two hundred million meters of gold is enough for them to conduct more than double-digit manned moon landings.

As for the suspension of scientific research activities on the moon this time, that is just a reason.

After all, manned moon landings and related scientific research activities are all open tenders and have fees.

For example, sending two astronauts to the moon, excavating 20 kilograms of lunar soil, mining 10 kilograms of lunar rocks and bringing them back. For every scientific research work, Xinghai Research Institute received funding from the space agency.

However, high-tech enterprises are the foundation and future of a country. It is not a big deal to subsidize them with some money or something.

In particular, the Xinghai Research Institute led by this person is a scientific research institution that the higher-ups attach great importance to.

Of course, for the country, this lunar rescue is not without gains.

On the contrary, compared with the rescue fee of 200 million meters, this lunar rescue operation has played an important role in changing their international image and national prestige, and even the future world aerospace pattern.

The senior management values ​​these things more than the rescue fee.

After all, such an opportunity is rare and does not come around all the time.

If we really have such an opportunity, let alone ask NASA for a rescue fee of 200 million meters, they are willing to subsidize the rescue fee of 200 million meters themselves.

Listening to Wu Yuankang's words, Xu Chuan nodded with satisfaction: "Twenty million meters of gold is not bad. It should be almost enough to build the next generation of Xinghai."

He originally expected to get tens of millions or hundreds of millions, which would be enough. After all, it was a humanitarian rescue operation. It was already worthwhile to go and see the other party's lunar module and life support unit. He didn't expect that the space agency would want to Two hundred million has doubled or tripled.

Tsk tsk, two to three hundred million is not much. Sure enough, in front of the country, money is really not money.

"The next generation?"

Standing aside, Wu Yuankang keenly noticed Xu Chuan's words and asked curiously.

Xu Chuan nodded and said: "Well, this time's manned moon landing and lunar surface rescue operation made me see some of the shortcomings of the Xinghai. I will hold a meeting here to study it and prepare to improve it."

Practice brings true knowledge. Before manned landings on the moon and into space, and before this lunar rescue operation, he was still very satisfied with the design of Xinghai.

However, as soon as the rescue operation started, he saw the shortcomings of the space shuttle.

It just so happens that while the second space shuttle is being prepared for manufacturing, it can be re-optimized and designed.

"Oh, that's it. Then I won't disturb you." Wu Yuankang responded and took the initiative to leave.

He knows a little bit about aerospace, but he is completely confused about scientific research. It can't be said that even if he sits in the position of director of the space agency, he still understands the general things.

It's just that in front of this person, he is just a primary school student, maybe even worse than a primary school student.

In the Xia Shu Space Base, while the Xinghai was returning and most of the scientific and technological backbones of the aerospace research institute were present, Xu Chuan sent a message to the group and held a small scientific research discussion meeting. .

After everyone arrived, he stood up and said: "First of all, thank you for your hard work and dedication during this period. Our Xinghai is returning and the manned moon landing is about to come to an end. I see everyone's contribution and will wait. After the Xinghai returns successfully, I will hold a celebration banquet for everyone."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was warm applause in the conference room.

For everyone here, sending astronauts to the moon and realizing China's manned moon landing is everyone's dream, and it is even a career that some people have worked hard for their entire lives.

But dreams are still dreams, and reality still has to be lived.

The success of this manned moon landing will undoubtedly add a lot to everyone's resume.

For everyone, this is undoubtedly a matter worthy of celebration and joy.

After waiting for the applause to pass, Xu Chuan cleared his throat and continued: "This time the manned moon landing has come to an end. Facts have proved that our Xinghai design is quite successful. It is not only capable of sending our astronauts to other The planet even has the ability to rescue astronauts from other countries."

"However, judging from this manned lunar landing operation and lunar surface rescue operation, I think Xinghai still has some flaws and problems, as well as some areas that need improvement and optimization."

"This meeting is being held in a hurry. The specific situation is in the report in front of you. Please take ten minutes to browse it roughly and then we will discuss it."

Hearing this, the sound of people flipping through documents and reports suddenly rang out in the conference room.

Ten minutes is not a long time, but it is enough for everyone present to browse through the temporarily printed report in front of them.

After waiting for everyone to read the report, Xu Chuan spoke again: "As for this meeting, there are two themes. One is the improvement of the Xinghai, and the other is the construction of the lunar base."

"Judging from NASA's lunar surface rescue operation, there is undoubtedly a risk in launching a lunar module to land on the moon."

"Whether it is the launch of the lunar module or the return and docking with the space shuttle, these are joint points with unstable working conditions and are more prone to accidents."

"In order to solve this problem, I thought about it. I think we can directly land our Xinghai on the moon as a whole by omitting the landing of the lunar module."

Hearing this, the conference room immediately cast a look of surprise and astonishment, and a low-pitched discussion rang out.

Soon, a technician raised his hand and asked: "But there is almost no atmosphere on the moon. Even if we can build a runway on the moon, the takeoff and landing of Xinghai need to rely on the wings to provide a certain amount of air." Lift can do it.”

Xu Chuan nodded and said in agreement: "Indeed, the lack of atmosphere on the moon is a problem. However, our focus cannot be limited to the take-off and landing of the Xinghai."

"You can turn to page seven of the report."

After a slight pause, he continued: "Regarding the design of the space shuttle, we need to consider not only the transfer on the ground, but also the working environment in outer space and alien planets."

"For example, the low gravity environment of the moon and Mars. In this case, we can also change the design idea and adopt a take-off and landing method similar to that of the Harrier fighter jet and F35 fighter jet."

"These two types of vector thrust jet engines have two important features. The first is the vector that can change the direction of the jet and generate thrust. The second is that it can generate lift through the downward jet, thereby achieving vertical takeoff and landing."

"If it is used on our next-generation space shuttle, it can theoretically achieve vertical take-off and landing in a lower gravity environment."