Super technology leader

"Actually, this is a Mars mission conducted jointly with the European Space Agency, a 'Mars Sample Return' program, which is divided into three phases, spanning ten years!"

This is a great and complex Mars mission, and considering the professions and expertise of everyone here, Jim tried to explain it as simply as possible.

"The 'Perseverance' rover, which landed on Mars in February, is just the first step. While conducting its reconnaissance mission, it will carry out Mars sample collection according to the 'site caching' strategy."

"It will carry 43 small, flashlight-sized sample tubes, which will be loaded with carefully selected Martian rock and gravel samples, sealed to ensure they are not contaminated in any way."

"The entire collection mission will last several years. Some sample tubes will be stored in 'Perseverance' all the time, while others will be placed along its route, with batches stored at intervals to spread the risk."

"Three Mars transfer windows, or six and a half years later, we will launch a probe that can take off from the surface of Mars and enter orbit. It will land near the 'Perseverance' landing site and release a mini transfer vehicle about the size of a coffee table, weighing about 130kg."

"The transfer vehicle does not carry scientific instruments. Its job is to collect the sample tubes that 'Perseverance' has stored along the way, and then load them into the probe's mini-rocket. The collection process is expected to take nearly 6 months."

"If 'Perseverance' is still working properly at that time, it can also transport the remaining sample tubes to the mini-rocket, thus spreading the risk. If one vehicle breaks down, there is another vehicle working."

"After another Mars window, or two years and two months later, we will launch a device that can return from Mars to Mars orbit. The mini-rocket will launch, dock with the return device, and send the sample tubes into the returner's protective shield. The final sample weight will be between 600 and 800 grams."

"This protective shield is like a Russian nesting doll, with four layers of protection to ensure that the Martian samples do not leak and contaminate the Earth, and that they are not contaminated by the Earth. After the handover is complete, the mini-rocket separates from the return device, and the returner flies to Earth."

"After entering Earth's orbit, there are actually two options. One is to land directly in the western desert and then send it to a ground laboratory for research. The other is to be captured by the International Space Station, using the space station as a 'firewall' to conduct research directly in the space station."

"It's just that we don't know what the state of the International Space Station will be in ten years, so the final step has not been decided yet."

Jim briefly outlined the mission process. As soon as he paused, Kuna spoke, "Director Jim, I don't want to interrupt you, and it's not that I don't understand."

"I just want to remind you that we don't have much time. The President will wake up soon. Don't talk about things ten years from now. We can't wait ten years. Can you just tell us your plan?"

"..."

Jim was stunned when he heard this, and then looked at the others, who all had blank expressions.

«Sh*t, you bunch of laymen, you just don't understand it.»

"Okay, I'll make it simple."

He waved his hand helplessly.

In fact, he was the Director of NASA parachuted in by the Understanding King. He wasn't originally from the aerospace system. He started out flying fighter jets on aircraft carriers, then entered politics as a congressman, and was finally nominated by the Understanding King as the Director of NASA.

But in order to control NASA, in order to connect with those technical experts and get support, he learned a lot, so now in this conference room, among a bunch of politicians, soldiers, agents, and clerks, he has become the expert.

"Simply put, we can shorten the ten years to three and a half years. Perseverance will not conduct long-distance cruises, but only sample at close range."

"In the next Mars window, launch two rockets at once, launching the mini-rocket and the return device together. The spacecraft will fly for seven months, the small rocket will land and transport the samples to orbit, and then dock and return."

"In this way, we can obtain Martian samples in three and a half years, exclusively worldwide!"

"I can guarantee that the Heavenly Summer side has no Mars plans in the short term. According to their steady and solid character, they will stay on the moon for a long time. We can definitely become the first country in the world to obtain Martian samples."

After hearing this plan, Kuna was overjoyed, "Oh, this is good, Jim, this is what we want."

"Okay," Jim nodded, then turned his head and said: "Because the time has been shortened, there are some key technologies that need to be resolved urgently, including non-traditional Earth-Mars Hohmann transfer flight, extraterrestrial planetary sample collection and preservation, sterilization and planetary protection, first Mars launch into orbit, sample Mars orbital transfer..."

He said halfway, and found that everyone was looking at him eagerly, making him unable to continue, so he summed it up.

"We need more money!"

"That's easy to say," Kuna said, taking everything on himself, "As long as we can get this first place, the President will definitely be able to convince Congress."

"Also, the return to the moon plan cannot be stopped, and even accelerated. We must send the first woman to the moon, which is also very important. As for the funding issue, I think the President can convince those female congressmen and women across the country."

"Okay, as long as the money is in place, and the President and Congress support it, then the plan is no problem."

Jim was calm on the surface, but overjoyed in his heart, because this was a good opportunity to increase power and make money.

After the Understanding King woke up, Kuna told him about this, and he was not blamed, but praised.

In the Understanding King's view, he cared about the moon before only to get some credit from it, so that he could have a few more titles when writing history in the future, preferably calling himself the "best president".

Now that there is a better plan, and it is absolutely unique in the world, he certainly wants to support it.

With this new Mars plan, the return to the moon plan is of course ranked a little later in his mind. He doesn't care about the first woman to land on the moon, because a certain woman competed with him for the presidency, so he is quite indifferent to women.

However, he is willing to do it if it can get him more money from Congress and more women's support.

He actually wants to amend the constitution and remove the rule that the president can only serve two terms, and then serve two or three more terms, preferably becoming the first president in American history to serve five consecutive terms.

If necessary, he can immediately put a new label on himself.

With a new goal, he went to Congress to ask for money, and this request lasted for two days.

No way, the process here is complicated.

Not only is it complicated, but there are also bad people causing trouble!

Those who stop him are bad people!

Two days later, his seventh meeting began, and the eyes of the world once again focused on the Binhai Aerospace Launch Center in Heavenly Summer.

And through the big screen of the launch center, focused on the moon.

To be precise, it is focused on the Moon Palace II lunar surface laboratory.

In the live broadcast, the camera on Moon Palace II can already see the moon clearly, and it is in the final lunar orbit phase.

Moreover, because Moon Palace II is super huge, the power of the added antenna is also large, which has qualitatively improved the live broadcast picture.

The lunar back signal of this live broadcast is still supported by the Magpie Bridge satellite.

Interestingly, a foreign lunar probe satellite accidentally photographed Moon Palace II, and they are also going viral on the Internet, further increasing the visibility of this mission.