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Directly modifying and designing satellites in space is a technology even more advanced than launching rockets, but when technology reaches a certain level, it becomes truly cheap.

Moreover, launching one less rocket also means producing less space debris.

Even reusable rockets are the same; they still create space debris, only differing in the amount compared to single-use rockets.

Don't even mention rockets producing debris; satellites themselves can become debris. After all, humans have been launching satellites for decades, and there are still quite a few decommissioned satellites remaining in space orbits.

Actually, those decommissioned satellites aren't entirely useless. Some are simply out of fuel, and then they slowly lower their orbit, waiting for the day they completely enter the atmosphere and burn up.

Many such satellites, if retrieved and repaired, and then refueled, can be used again.

One more repaired satellite means one less... no, a whole bunch of space debris.

And frankly, satellites are really expensive. Building one less can save a lot of money.

Generally, communication satellites are the most expensive because they require larger platforms. Coincidentally, as humans enter the information age, their demand is high, so they become "expensive on top of expensive equals very expensive."

Hey, don't rush to complain about the cost of communication satellites; there are even more ruthless ones.

The most expensive type of satellite is the optical strategic reconnaissance satellite.

The cheapest of these costs $5 billion each!

The most expensive exceeds $10 billion each!

The well-known Hubble Telescope is actually an optical reconnaissance satellite, but it's quite special. Simply put, it's an Earth observation reconnaissance satellite with its observation angle directed towards space. To say more, it would take days to explain.

You just need to know that it's very expensive.

In the days when the American space shuttle was still operational, they spared no expense to repair Hubble again and again because even consuming the resources for the space shuttle to fly four or five times specifically to repair Hubble was cheaper than letting Hubble be scrapped and launching a new one.

And the value of the most modern giant optical reconnaissance satellite is comparable to the construction cost of a nuclear-powered electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier!

Why are large-capacity communication satellites and strategic optical reconnaissance satellites so expensive?

That's because communication satellites are expensive due to the large-capacity traveling wave tubes, with each using 50. Keep in mind that an "active phased array radar system" on a warship of several thousand tons only installs about 8 similar traveling wave tubes.

Optical reconnaissance satellites are expensive because of the ultra-large-diameter lenses. After all, polishing each lens with a diameter of several meters takes as long as one or two years, and the nanometer-level or sub-nanometer-level mirror accuracy almost represents the extreme level of human precision machining.

Think about how much money is involved here.

Currently, there are no fewer than 4,000 medium and large satellites still flying in the sky, but only about 1,000 are actually effective. There are even more small satellites, and those things fall even faster.

Among the nearly 3,000 decommissioned big guys, no fewer than half can still be used after repairs, and the most valuable are repairing large-diameter reconnaissance satellites and large-capacity communication satellites.

If the orbit of large-capacity communication satellites is too high to reach in a short time, then the repair value of decommissioned reconnaissance satellites with an orbital altitude of only 900 kilometers or less is extremely high.

Even if only the lenses can be disassembled and reused, each one is worth tens of billions of dollars.

So don't think that the Pathfinder isn't making money just because it didn't launch commercial modules but industrial modules. In fact, if it operates well, it can make much more money than commercial modules.

Most importantly, the smaller commercial modules have been contracted out, and the manufacturing contracts are in the hands of other smaller private aerospace companies.

They have obtained some technologies from Pathfinder and Tianxia Aerospace, and they can already handle such orders.

The original plan to use the Tianting Space Station program to nurture people, technology, and companies was about this.

Pathfinder doesn't get involved in those small modules; the large modules in the industrial area are its main focus. After all, others can't do it even if they want to.

The repair module is parked "next to" the Tiangong Space Station. Although it's not close, it can be seen by the astronauts and space tourists inside.

Even using some photographic equipment and telescopes, it can be seen more clearly.

The current live broadcast footage comes from a set of optical telescopes and cameras that come with the space station.

In the footage, it indeed did not dock with the upgraded version of the Tiangong Space Station, but opened the door of the repair module in its own position.

The silver-white repair module door began to open. Its opening speed was not fast, but because the door was very large, each opening angle was very obvious.

After the door opened to a certain angle, netizens were a little shocked because the inside of the repair module was not as empty as people imagined, but there was a spacecraft.

It looked a bit like the Benyue spacecraft, but from the proportions, it was a bit smaller and more complex in shape.

Its exterior had several robotic arms and mechanical frames, which looked like space engineering equipment rather than a simple spacecraft.

"Is this the planned engineering spacecraft? I didn't expect it to be launched directly in the repair module. Awesome!"

"I thought it would be empty inside, but Pathfinder really continues to surprise me."

"This kind of nesting launch has very high requirements for the stability of the rocket, and this is also the first flight of the rocket. I have to say, Pathfinder's courage is really extraordinary."

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"I don't know if this spacecraft is manned or unmanned. When will it start its mission? I want to see it."

"It should be unmanned. Unmanned technology is also very mature now. If a manned module is added, the design and manufacture of the spacecraft will be several times more complicated, so I feel that it would be better to design it as unmanned or remote-controlled."

"Indeed, this is not a battlefield, so there is no need to pay too much attention to flexibility. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether there are people or not. Even unmanned can maximize its performance."

"Regardless of whether it is manned or unmanned, I just want to see it grab satellites now. Are those robotic arms above used to grab satellites? Hurry up and get started!"

After this space boat slowly flew out, Pathfinder Aerospace gave its specific data.

The length of the boat was indeed not as large as the Benyue. It was only 9 meters long and only 5 meters in diameter, but the weight was not small, reaching an astonishing 100 tons.

That is to say, a 9-meter-long, 5-meter-diameter "little thing" was 20 tons heavier than the 25-meter-long, 7-meter-diameter Starry Sky Inn.

The reason why it was so heavy was because it was "solid". It had no manned pressurized compartment.

It could fly unmanned or be remotely controlled, and then rush into the space debris belt to "salvage" those decommissioned satellites mixed in the space debris.

Yes, precisely because it was going to rush into the space debris belt, it carried sturdy external armor.

Its structure and outer shell were not the structure of ordinary space equipment. It was built according to the protection performance of an armored vehicle.

Even the three main thrusters behind it were bulletproof and would not be damaged by space debris collisions.

It was also because the three main thrusters behind it were too conspicuous, so before Pathfinder announced its name, netizens gave it a nickname, called "Space Tricycle."

Three wheels are used for walking, and three thrusters are also used for "walking". Similar, almost the same.

Ah, I had something to do yesterday, so I didn't update. Here are some beautiful pictures of Chang'e 5 for everyone (^_)☆