Chapter 242 Water Drop

If you want to go to Mars, you first need a spacecraft.

A spacecraft with human life support capabilities.

It must last at least half a year to more than a year.

It must also be safe and sturdy, so that even if it encounters a low-probability impact from space debris, it will remain unscathed and no gas will leak from holes in the hull, causing major emergencies.

In addition, there must be a navigation and communication system to know the location and direction at all times, so as not to get lost in the deep and vast space, and to find the way back.

And there must be one or two sets of extravehicular space suits that can move on the surface of Mars.

……Etc., etc.

There are many aspects to consider.

Of course, the most important thing is safety, safety, safety... This is related to Wei Ming's personal life. If he accidentally overturns, everything will be over.

Water drop crystal material.

Wei Ming first thought about what material was most suitable for the outer shell structure of the spacecraft.

Its melting point exceeds 38 million degrees. It can survive impacts at tens of thousands of kilometers per second without any damage. It is used as a grinding tool head on industrial machine tools. It will take tens of thousands of years to wear out after continuous work.

However, the density of water drop crystals is too high, and using too much will cause the spacecraft to be overweight. Therefore, some super titanium and super aluminum alloy materials must be used internally - the empty weight of the spacecraft should not exceed 300 tons.

The internal movable space must be 6 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high, and cannot be less than 37.5 cubic meters, which is equivalent to the internal space of a RV.

Various material reserves, such as compressed oxygen-enriched air, must not be less than ten tons; water must not be less than ten tons; food must not be less than three tons; fuel and working fluids must not be less than fifteen tons, plus air and water circulation systems , allowing one person to persist in space for one year is no problem.

Of course, it’s okay to breathe in the circulated air. But Wei Ming doesn't dare to drink recycled water. Although it has the same composition as uncirculated water, his mysophobia can't stand it.

The above indicators and requirements.

After Wei Ming told Geng Nenghui, the spacecraft designer of Black Hole Space Development Company, the other party immediately pointed out a fatal problem.

"Mr. Wei, your idea is very good, but... the design of the power system is not reasonable."

Geng Nenghui said euphemistically: "To send a 300-ton spacecraft into space, even if it uses an N5 all-nitrogen rocket, the rocket must weigh more than 2,000 tons. In addition, the propulsion system of the spacecraft itself is too simple and only has a small number of attitude control engines. , it carries only fifteen tons of fuel and working fluid. To be honest, with such a small amount of fuel, it can take a spin in the near-Earth space, but if it lands on Mars, there is no way to return. "

"To land on Mars and return smoothly, 80% of the weight of a three-hundred-ton spacecraft must be fuel; to land a three-hundred-ton manned vehicle on Mars and return successfully, unless it carries more than a thousand tons of Just let the fuel go.”

What he meant was that Wei Ming's spaceship design was simply a joke, completely ignoring the most important power system.

"You don't have to worry about motivation."

Wei Ming waved his hand and said, "Just tell me, can the spaceship I want be designed? Can it be manufactured according to my requirements to achieve the indicators and functions I mentioned?"

And it has to be completed in a shorter period of time.

Preferably within three months!

He can't wait for a slow year, two or three years.

"Well……"

Geng Nenghui thought for a moment and said, "No problem, Mr. Wei. As long as there are enough materials, this spacecraft can be built within three months."

"Then let's get started!"

Wei Ming said.

…

soon.

In just five days, Geng Nenghui and the others came up with the design plan.

Because of its rounded and smooth shape and drop-shaped structure, the spacecraft was named "Water Drop".

If you want to build it.

Approximately 45 tons of super titanium material is needed as the support frame and shell skin.

It requires 58 tons of super aluminum alloy material to serve as the inner wall of the wall and form the internal organs.

As well as 0.5 tons of superconducting materials and 1 ton of other new materials.

Of course, Wei Ming could get all the above materials in a few minutes, and at most he would spend half a day helping to process them.

But to cover the surface of the "Water Drop" spacecraft with a layer of 1 mm thick water drop crystal material would require at least 100,000 "Type 4 water drop crystals" weighing more than 100 tons.

Since the "Type 4 water droplet crystals" are larger and heavier, the amount of water droplet crystals used by the "Water Drop" spacecraft is obviously higher than that of the reaction chamber of a super solar fusion power station, and its value far exceeds 500 billion.

This can be said to be the most expensive and valuable manned spacecraft in human history.

…

Starting June 1st.

Qiandao Reservoir is a deceleration pool base that has been extended to 8 kilometers.

Wei Ming brought people here again.

This time, Wei Ming stayed here for a full month and completed the task of synthesizing more than 800,000 water drop crystals.

Among these 800,000 water drop crystals.

One hundred thousand were used in the manufacture of the "Water Drop".

One hundred thousand pieces are used in the production of Phoenix Machine Tool.

There are also 500,000 pieces used for the manufacture of five new "super solar" power stations of the Artificial Sun Institute. Due to a 30% increase in reaction chamber volume, the maximum power generation can reach 150,000 megawatts.

The last remaining 100,000 pieces will be placed there for the time being and allowed to be purchased by customers, which can meet customer needs for the next half year or so.

Entering July.

Seeing that the processing orders for various new materials have decreased, Wei Ming announced that the monthly material processing quota for customers will be reduced to 700,000 tons per month, and Wei Ming can complete it by working overtime for three consecutive days.

Wei Ming spent all the remaining three working days a week on the processing of water drop crystals.

The processing of water drop crystals is more troublesome than synthesizing them. It is necessary to apply strong pressure to "flatten" them, eliminate gaps to combine them into one, and ensure that the strength is consistent without weak areas, and keep focused to avoid crushing the materials.

Because of this, the number of water drop crystals that Wei Ming can process every day is about 12,000 at most.

Sometimes in order to speed up the progress, Wei Ming will take a batch of water drop crystals home and process them at home at night or on weekends.

So after another busy month.

The water drop crystal shell of the "Water Drop" spacecraft has been processed.

The five "Super Sun" controlled nuclear fusion reactors have been processed.

The drilling, sharpening and sharpening of 100,000 water drop crystals used for machine tool "knife heads" have all been completed.

Only 100,000 water drop crystals of the initial structure were stored in the warehouse for later processing.

…

On the other side.

Black Hole Universe Development Company, spacecraft assembly plant.

The company attaches great importance to the boss's request. Even if it will delay the progress of other projects, thousands of technical backbones were still mobilized. It took more than two months, and a large number of equipment were purchased from the Aerospace Group, and technical support was applied.

August 6.

The processed water drop crystal shell was covered on the surface of the spacecraft, and then the shell was integrated.

This ship has a maximum length of 15.8 meters, an average length and width of 5 meters, and an empty weight of 308 tons. It looks like a water drop-shaped miniature submarine, and also a bit like a round cocoon. It is the spacecraft "Water Drop".

It has been built and assembled and has reached a usable state.