Great Country Academician

In the satellite monitoring center, looking at the silver-black space shuttle on the screen, Director Bill Nelson adjusted the console, and the screen switched to NASA's R\u0026D center.

In the spacious and tall factory, a huge launch vehicle that is not inferior to SpaceX's heavy Falcon rocket is being assembled and built.

Looking at the newly developed launch vehicle in front of him, Bill Nelson said with confidence:

"The development of the 'pulse plasma rocket' technology is going smoothly. We have successfully developed a pulse plasma engine, and the test results are better than the theory!"

"I think it won't be long before we can regain our glory in the aerospace field."

'Pulse plasma rocket' is a technology of the 'NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts' program.

And this program is a project to fund space research and explore new concepts.

It was formally proposed by NASA in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, the program officially passed the review of the US Congress and entered the stage of formal development and financial support.

Although there were no rivals in the aerospace field at that time, and the plan was very expensive, it was shelved by the United States. Only a relatively small amount of funds was invested for NASA to conduct research, and no other actions were taken.

But in this plan, there are many technologies and ideas that seem quite "sci-fi" today.

For example, building a large radio telescope in a lunar crater on the back of the moon;

For example, "star navigation", an autonomous spacecraft navigation system based on the relativistic perturbation of starlight;

Or the pulse plasma rocket technology that NASA is now fully developing, etc.

These technologies have not been invested much in the past ten years, and are basically distributed to various aerospace companies in the United States. Various aerospace technology companies conduct research, and then NASA conducts bidding.

After all, the United States was not in a hurry at that time.

But with the development and rise of China in the aerospace field, especially when the Xinghai space shuttle officially landed on the moon, the United States urgently needs to restore the confidence of the people in the aerospace field and have enough strength to compete in the aerospace field.

Both NASA and the congressional masters have no choice but to officially launch some feasible technologies in the "NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts" program to solve the urgent problem.

The "pulse plasma rocket" technology is one of the reserve technologies in this program.

On the one hand, compared with other technologies, this technology is more complete.

Its theory was completed in the last century. Both the Red Soviet Union and the United States have made similar thrusters.

Simply put, the most traditional pulse plasma rocket is actually throwing micro-nuclear bombs behind the spacecraft. When they leave, they will explode, and the force generated by these explosions will push the spacecraft forward.

It sounds crazy, but it does work.

For example, in 1958, the Orion program of the United States was born at General Atomics in San Diego.

The company was founded by Frederick De Hoffman to develop commercial nuclear reactors and is now a subsidiary of the defense giant General Dynamics.

At that time, the Orion program was a spacecraft research program aimed at directly driving (nuclear pulse propulsion) with a series of atomic bomb explosions behind the probe.

Professor Freeman Dyson, who proposed the famous "Dyson Sphere" concept, is one of the main developers of the Orion Project.

Compared with traditional chemical launch rockets, nuclear pulse propulsion spacecraft has higher thrust and specific impulse.

Unfortunately, it was limited by people's inherent impression of "nuclear bombs" as weapons at the time, coupled with the nuclear test ban treaty signed in 1963, and NASA's space competition "non-nuclear" plan and other reasons.

Nuclear pulse propulsion spacecraft eventually ended in the Cold War and space race at the time.

Now, more than half a century has passed.

With the development of science and technology, the development of nuclear pulse propulsion technology is better than in the middle of the last century, and there is no need to detonate nuclear bombs anymore. They can use fission and fusion technology to achieve pulse propulsion more safely and stably.

Compared with the Tenacity space shuttle developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation, this is NASA's new killer.

Help them regain the first place in aerospace from their opponents!

Hearing this good news, the CIA deputy director standing beside him, who had been frowning, finally smiled.

He nodded and said, "As soon as possible, there is a lot of pressure outside, not only China, but also many allies have changed their minds."

"We need to prove our strength in the field of aerospace."

As time goes by, the influence of controlled nuclear fusion technology is also fermenting.

At the same time, the momentum of the country across the Pacific Ocean is also advancing by leaps and bounds.

Today's China's influence in the world is probably no weaker than that of the Red Soviet Union at its peak in the last century.

It may even be stronger.

After all, although the Red Soviet Union was powerful in the last century, the United States and Western countries such as Europe could still suppress it.

And now, the country on the other side, even if they unite all Western countries such as the European Union, Australia, and North America, is just evenly matched.

It can even be said to be weaker to some extent.

After all, the influence of controlled nuclear fusion technology is too great.

It was barely okay when it first appeared, and China also needed to take care of the development of the country.

But as time went on, when they freed up their hands and began to be able to "support" other countries, the influence of controlled nuclear fusion technology exploded.

Energy, materials, and information are the three pillars of modern society.

But if you want to go deeper, energy is the only core.

Because energy shortage is a problem that every country has.

Just like oil, don't you see how many conflicts have occurred around it? The unrest in the Middle East is almost all caused by oil.

If the energy problem can be solved, it doesn't matter if the materials and information are a little worse.

Especially controlled nuclear fusion, which is cheaper than oil, even the United States and Europe can't refuse it.

Because if you refuse, you will fall behind.

Although countries in Europe, Australia, America and other regions still choose to stand with them, with the rise of the other side, this alliance that was originally closely united by controlled nuclear fusion has a tendency to break.

Especially after the changes in the aerospace field, some countries have begun to lean towards China.

Today, they urgently need some new breakthroughs to save the situation for themselves.

Especially in the aerospace field.

After all, this is the key track for future development.

If the resources of the earth are limited for human beings, then the resources of the universe are unlimited for human beings.

Just a solar system, or even the nearest moon, contains various resources that are enough to be inexhaustible for the current countries.

Whoever has the ability to step out of the earth first and exploit the resources of other planets in the solar system will be able to take the lead in the new era.

Yes, it is the new era.

When the controlled nuclear fusion technology is completed, the information age has quietly entered the fusion age.

And the next direction is undoubtedly the space above.

At the same time, on the other side.

When NASA was preparing to regain the glory of the aerospace field from China, Xinghai Research Institute, Xiashu Aerospace Base.

"Academician Xu, the latest intelligence news is that NASA has made a major breakthrough in the 'pulse plasma rocket' technology being developed."

In the office, Wen Yuanhang, who rushed in from outside, brought a brand new piece of news and intelligence to Xu Chuan who was busy.

"Pulse plasma rocket?"

Xu Chuan raised his head with interest, looked at Wen Yuanhang who rushed over, and took the intelligence information from him.

Wen Yuanhang nodded, and continued with some concern: "Well, from the intelligence collected so far, this new 'pulse plasma rocket' technology developed by NASA has a specific impulse of up to 5000s and can provide 100,000 Newtons of thrust."

"There is accurate information. Compared with SpaceX's heavy Falcon and other launch vehicles, this new rocket can allow spacecraft to travel to Mars faster, shortening the travel time from 8 months to only 2 months."

Two months, from Earth to Mars.

To be honest, this speed is not much slower than their space shuttle.

If this technology is really completed, the United States may be able to quickly catch up with them in the field of aerospace.

Xu Chuan didn't care too much. He flipped through the information in his hand.

He knew about pulse propulsion technology, but he didn't know much about this new type of pulse plasma rocket.

According to the information, NASA's newly developed pulse propulsion technology uses an electromagnetic launcher to launch a "radioactive bullet" from the barrel of the rocket as a propulsion.

Simply put, the carrier rocket or spacecraft itself is a gun, and when the "radioactive bullet" passes through the "barrel", a series of pulsed lasers deployed on the barrel wall will actively excite, and then inject millions of neutrons into the radioactive bullet.

And in the promotion of neutrons, the bullet will gradually overheat to an incredibly high temperature, triggering a nuclear fission reaction in uranium, thereby splitting atoms and starting fission.

Subsequently, the energy generated by fission will trigger a nuclear fusion reaction in dysprosium and tritium, just like a cascade release of energy, immediately producing a large-scale expansion of super-charged particles, also known as plasma.

Finally, the magnetic nozzle at the end of the rocket will repel all charged particles from behind and push the spacecraft forward.

Each time the bullet is fired, it will bring a huge thrust to the spacecraft.

This is the so-called pulsed plasma propulsion.

It is somewhat similar to the "inertial confinement" route in controlled nuclear fusion technology.

From the information and data collected from the materials, it must be said that the United States has a very deep foundation in the field of aerospace.

It is really good to be able to catch up quickly after the failure in the field of aerospace.

However, in Xu Chuan's view, the so-called pulsed plasma propulsion technology is just like this.

If small-scale controlled nuclear fusion technology and aerospace engines have not been realized, perhaps the level of advancement of this technology is enough for the whole world to look up to.

But now, facing the combination of aerospace engines + controlled nuclear fusion technology, pulsed plasma propulsion technology is really not enough.

After reading the intelligence information in his hand, Xu Chuan smiled and said: "It takes two months to travel from the earth to Mars. It is a very good technology."

"If it were a few years ago, it would have been top-notch."

"but."

After a slight pause, he continued: "Compared with the aerospace engine, there is still a big gap."

This is indeed not a boast of his own, but a fact.

A space shuttle based on aerospace engine + controllable nuclear fusion technology, whether it is a first-generation or second-generation aircraft, can go to Mars based on the landing window period. In theory, one month is enough.

Smiling, Xu Chuan put the information in his hand on the table. Xu Chuan didn't pay much attention to NASA's new technology. He looked at Wen Yuanhang and asked:

"How are the preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival moon landing going?"

Wen Yuanhang quickly replied: "The first-generation Xinghai and Fuyao have made comprehensive preparations, and the second-generation Hanhai is undergoing final inspections."

"Relevant materials have been transported to the Xiashu Space Base and are being installed. The moon landing can be started on time in three days."

Xu Chuan nodded and said: "Keep an eye on aerospace technology, science and industry and other companies that cooperate with this operation, and don't fall behind."

"Um."

Wen Yuanhang nodded, with a gentle smile on his face, and said: "Academician Xu, don't worry, I have always been paying attention to these matters, and the cooperation there is going very smoothly."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan also showed a relaxed smile on his face, and said: "That's okay. After this moon landing project, if everything goes well, we can contact representatives from other countries to start the lunar biosphere project."

It was his temporary decision to send the second-generation Hanhai to the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival to pick up the lunar landers launched in previous years.

However, this time the Xinghai and Fuyao were missions that had been planned for a long time.

Not only the two first-generation aircraft, but also the cooperation between Aerospace Science and Technology, Aerospace Science and Industry and some private aerospace enterprises have been coordinated long ago.

In the past nearly a year, Xinghai and Fuyao have carried out more than double-digit lunar landing missions.

In addition to transporting a large number of supplies, equipment and engineers, several residential cabins, life support units and scientific research platforms were also built on the lunar and Antarctic surfaces.

This time, the three space shuttles will simultaneously launch the manned lunar landing project, not only transporting astronauts, scientific researchers and engineers to the moon, but also a large amount of equipment and supplies.

After completing this mission, they will officially carry out various scientific research work on the lunar Antarctic.

Such as conducting batch concrete production experiments on the moon, refining titanium, iron and other metals in the Antarctic Aitken Basin on the moon, growing crops without soil on the moon, experimental verification of lunar resource utilization, etc.

These experiments will provide the most basic data for China's subsequent development of the moon, and are one of the things Xu Chuan is most looking forward to.

If the United States is still trying to develop spacecraft of various properties to regain their glory in the aerospace field.

So for China, their eyes are no longer on a certain aerospace field.

The construction of the lunar scientific research outpost is not only scientific research, but also means that they will soon have the qualifications and strength to colonize extraterrestrial planets on a large scale.

The two are no longer at the same starting point and on the same platform!

PS: It will be later, but it will be after 12 o'clock, so everyone should watch it in the morning.