The BFR rocket of the Americans was launched!

Lu Zhou, who was eating, opened his mouth, silently put the chopsticks on the lunch box, and changed his right hand to hold the phone.

"Hair ...... ? When? ”

"Just last night! NASA made an announcement, and we confirmed it through satellite radar, that the BFR rocket is leaving the boundary of low Earth orbit, and it was broadcast on the news...... How long has it been since you've been online? ”

"It was just yesterday...... I was preparing for the meeting almost all night, but I didn't pay attention to the news," Lu Zhou, who reached out and pinched his eyebrows, leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment, then asked, "Is it a manned spacecraft?" Or is it just a cargo ship. ”

"It's just a cargo spacecraft, carrying a life support unit completed by Space-x, Blue Origin and many other aerospace companies!" Speaking of this, Director Li said with a bit of a headache, "How's the Tinder Project going?" Is it a bit of an eyebrow now? ”

Lu Zhou: "It's still in its infancy...... What's wrong? ”

At present, the Tinder Project is mainly in charge of several scientific research institutions such as Huaguo Agricultural University and the Institute of Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and there are not many projects on the Star Technology side.

Some time ago, Lu Zhou contacted Professor Hu Yang, the project leader, and said that the construction of the entire Biosphere A has just been completed, and no personnel and equipment have been moved in, and it will have to wait until the end of the month at the earliest to get on the right track, and there is still a waiting period before the relevant technology is mature.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

After about ten seconds, Director Li lowered his voice and spoke.

"I said if, if we approve another two billion dollars for you, do you think we have the conditions to build a similar artificial biosphere and throw it on Mars?"

Although it was a solicitation tone, there was obviously a hint of seriousness in the tone, and it was obvious that this was not only Director Li's own proposal, but also somewhat of the meaning of the central high-level.

After hearing Director Li's words, Lu Zhou almost choked on his saliva.

Two billion dollars?

He wanted it, but was it a problem that could be solved with money?

And get one to Mars, you and I are Tinker Bell......

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhou immediately said.

"Don't think about it, our technology hasn't developed to that point. The Americans have been able to get to this point, but also by relying on the accumulation of more than half a century, we can now send people to the moon is good, step by step to walk the road under our feet is more important than anything else. ”

Although he said that he had nothing to do with him, after hearing the news, Lu Zhou still had a sense of urgency in his heart.

It seems that the successful manned landing of Xiangrui on the moon has indeed given the Americans a lot of stimulation.

Otherwise, let alone launching the life support unit so soon, I'm afraid that it will take a year and a half to fight with Congress alone.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment, and finally a sigh came.

"Well, I know it's not realistic...... How long is it before our lunar orbital space station project starts. ”

Lu Zhou thought for a while and said, "At the end of this month at the earliest, we can send the core module of the 'Moon Palace' first." If the core module is operating stably, the launch of the node module and the working module will also be put on the agenda as soon as possible...... The specific launch plan depends on how far the space group is prepared. ”

The core module of the "Moon Palace" is the core of the entire lunar orbit space station, which can provide a variety of functions such as power supply, propulsion, navigation, communication, attitude control, temperature control, and pressure microclimate environment.

In addition to the above basic functions, the exterior of this core module is equipped with four spacecraft docking vehicles, which can dock with other work, experiment, and node modules.

The core module is mainly powered by solar energy, and the excess energy is stored by large lithium-sulfur batteries.

Although some people have proposed to use a small controllable fusion device as the core functional unit, considering many factors such as heat dissipation, cost, maintenance difficulty and technical secrecy, this plan is finally abandoned, and the traditional and cheap solar energy is still used to power the entire space station.

Director Li was slightly surprised: "Is it okay at the end of the month?" ”

Lu Zhou said in a certain tone: "At the end of the month, you can." ”

Although the new Earth-Moon transfer orbit transportation system is still being upgraded, this does not prevent Star Technology from using the original spacecraft first.

Director Li: "Okay, I will ask the Hangke Group to complete the final test as soon as possible and send the core module to the Jinling Launch Center...... By the way, there's one more thing I need to ask for your opinion. ”

Lu Zhou: "What's the matter?" ”

Director Li on the other end of the phone cleared his throat and said in a solemn tone.

“…… In order to facilitate the construction of the lunar orbit space station and the follow-up development of lunar resources, the central high-level leaders decided to set up a lunar orbit construction committee after discussion to coordinate and manage various funds for lunar resource development projects, and to make decisions on the construction of public works and the formulation of supporting policies. The organization is directly under the central administration, and the chairmanship is assigned by the House of Elders, and the rank is the main department. ”

Lu Zhou: "Hmm...... And then what? ”

"In addition to the chairmanship, the Lunar Orbit Construction Committee also has the post of chief designer......"

Speaking of this, Director Li paused for a moment and continued: "After discussion at the meeting, the Central Committee has decided that you will be the chief designer!" ”

Lu Zhou: "......?" ”

Although he had no reason to object to such an arrangement......

But is this also called asking for advice?

……

The next launch of the Xiangrui was scheduled for the end of the month, and in order to show China's determination to win the space race, the central government attached great importance to the launch plan, and the policy was almost all the way to the green light.

At the same time, with the establishment of the Lunar Orbit Construction Committee, nominally the entire lunar orbit space station plan is no longer oriented to units such as the Space Administration or the Bureau of Science and Industry, but directly to the House of Elders.

This scene is just like the original project of the Controlled Fusion Experimental Reactor.

All kinds of signs show that Huaguo intends to move seriously this time.

However, what is more interesting is that although the news of the establishment of the Lunar Orbit Construction Committee caused a shock in the domestic aerospace industry, it did not attract the attention of foreign media, and even after the relevant news was announced, it did not even make a splash.

After all, the news of China's intention to build a space station in lunar orbit spread long ago, and the international community generally held a negative view of it, believing that it was an unlikely project.

Even with the most advanced electric propulsion technology, from a cost point of view, it is impossible to put more than 500 tons of material into lunar orbit, given China's limited Earth-Moon transfer orbit carrying capacity.

Not to mention, Huaguo has no experience in building a large-scale orbital space station at all.

Even with the demon of Professor Lu, it is too difficult to do it!

Not only the international community thinks so, but also the domestic aerospace industry.

Pushing for a manned lunar landing was a great thing, but then starting to prepare for the construction of a space station in lunar orbit was a bit ambitious.

There are even more radical views who believe that the bright future of China's aerospace industry is being carried into the ditch by the inflated Professor Lu.

Originally, the news of the establishment of the Lunar Orbit Construction Committee made many astronauts excited, but after seeing the candidates for the post of chief designer in the committee list, at least more than one-third of them wilted like frosted eggplants.

That's it......

Completely hopeless.

。 m.