In recent years, Zhang Beihai often went to the space station to conduct some project research, with the space elevator put into use, Zhang Beihai went to the space station more frequently, but with the development of time, there was a great disagreement on the power mode of the spacecraft on the blue star, which formed two factions, and the stubbornness of one of them made Zhang Beihai think that it was thankless, so Zhang Beihai could only take action.

……

In recent years, many nuclear test bases have been built on Blue Star, on the one hand, to verify Rediaz's plan, and on the other hand, to experiment with different forms of spacecraft engines.

On the way to the No. 3 nuclear fusion experiment base, Zhang Beihai's car kept driving in thick snow, but when approaching the base, the snow on the ground melted completely, the road became very muddy, and the originally cold air became warm and humid, with a spring atmosphere.

Zhang Beihai saw that on the hillside by the roadside, clumps of peach blossoms bloomed unseasonally in this harsh winter season. He drove towards the white building in the valley ahead, the main body of the base was underground, and the building was only the entrance.

At this moment, he noticed a person picking peach blossoms on the hillside of the road, and when he looked closely, he realized that this person was the person he was looking for, so he stopped the car.

"Dr. Ding!" He shouted to the man. When Ding Yi walked to the car with a large handful of peach blossoms, he smiled and asked, "Who is this flower for?" ”

"It's the heat of the fusion experiment, and it's for me, of course." Against the backdrop of bright flowers, Ding Yi looked full of spring breeze, obviously still immersed in the excitement brought by the technological breakthrough that had just been achieved.

"It's such a waste of heat just spreading like that." Zhang Beihai got out of the car, took off his sunglasses, and looked at this little spring, where there was no white vapor when he breathed, and the soles of his feet could even feel the warmth of the ground.

"There's no money and no time to build a power plant, but it's nothing, and from now on, energy is not something to save on the planet."

Zhang Beihai pointed to the bouquet in Ding Yi's hand and said, "Dr. Ding, I really hope that some things can distract you so that this breakthrough can be achieved later." ”

"Without me breaking through faster, there are thousands of researchers at the base, and I just pointed in the right direction. I have long felt that the tokamak way is a dead end, and if the direction is right, a breakthrough will definitely occur. As for me, I am engaged in theory, and I do not understand experiments and blindly command, which may have delayed the progress of research. ”

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(Note: The Tokamak is a ring-shaped device that creates an environment and ultra-high temperature for deuterium and tritium fusion by confinement electromagnetic wave drives, and realizes human control of fusion reactions.) ）

……

"Can you delay the release of the results? I mean this, and I unofficially conveyed the meaning of the Space Force Command. ”

"How is that possible? The news media have been tracking the progress of the three research projects. ”

Zhang Beihai nodded, sighed and said, "That's bad." ”

"I know a few reasons. But tell me why. ”

"Once controlled nuclear fusion technology is realized, spacecraft research will begin immediately. Doctor, you know, there are currently two major directions - working fluid propulsion spacecraft and industrial medium radiation-driven spacecraft, around these two research directions, there are two opposing factions: the space system advocates the study of working fluid propulsion spacecraft, and the space force pushes the radiation driven spacecraft.

This kind of research requires enormous resources, and it is not possible to make equal forces in two directions at the same time, but only in one direction. ”

"I and the people in the fusion system are in favor of radiation drive, and from my point of view, I feel that this is the only way to carry out an interstellar space voyage," Ding said.

Of course, we have to admit that the space system also makes sense, and the working fluid propulsion spacecraft is actually a variant of a chemical rocket, but it is just a nuclear fusion energy source, and it is more safe in terms of research prospects. ”

"But it is not safe in future interstellar wars!

As you said, the working fluid propulsion spacecraft is just a big rocket, which has to use more than two-thirds of the carrying capacity to carry the propulsion working fluid, and the working fluid is consumed very quickly, this kind of spacecraft can only rely on the planetary base to sail in the solar system, and in doing so, it is repeating the tragedy of the First Sino-Japanese War, and the solar system is Weihaiwei! ”

"The analogy is profound." Ding Yi raised the flower in his hand at Zhang Beihai.

"This is a fact, the forefront of the Navy should be the enemy's port, of course our human Space Force cannot do this, but the defense front should at least be pushed forward to the Oort Nebula, and to ensure that the fleet has enough detour capabilities in the vast space outside the solar system, which is the strategic basis of the Space Force."

Ding Yi said: "In fact, the space system is not monolithic, and it is those old astronauts who have come from the era of chemical rockets who advocate working fluid spacecraft, but the forces of other disciplines are also entering the aerospace community, such as our nuclear fusion system, most of them advocate radiation spacecraft."

These two forces are currently evenly matched, and it is the three or four people in key positions who break the balance, and their opinions determine the final planning plan, really, just three or four people, but unfortunately they are all old astronautics. ”

"This is the most critical step in the overall strategy, and if this step is wrong, the space fleet will have to be built on the wrong foundation, and it may waste a century or two, and then there will be no chance to turn around."

"You and I can't do anything about it."

After having lunch with Ding Yi, Zhang Beihai left the nuclear fusion base. Not long after the car drove out, the wet ground turned into snow, a white light flashed in the sun, the air temperature dropped sharply, and Zhang Beihai's heart quickly calmed down.

He absolutely needed a spaceship capable of interstellar voyages, and if the other path didn't work, the remaining one, no matter how treacherous, would have to be taken.

……

After thinking about it again, Zhang Beihai bought some metal meteorites that could be processed by a lathe from a meteorite collector, a total of three pieces cost him 180,000 yuan, and after Zhang Beihai got the meteorite, he used the lathe of the research unit under the Space Force to process the three meteorites into 36 small cylindrical meteorites.

The rest of the work was done in a hidden basement, and on the small table in front of him, there were thirty-six 7.62 mm caliber pistol bullets, and he used pliers to remove the bullets from these bullets in turn.

If it was a copper-shelled bullet in the past, this would have been very laborious, and sometimes it would have to be done with bolt loosening agent, but two years ago, the standard guns that were reequipped in the whole army used caseless bullets, and the bullet was directly glued to the propellant, and it was easy to take it off.

He then glued a meteorite to each propellant with a special adhesive, making thirty-six meteorite bullets. The adhesive used was originally used to repair the capsule skin, which was able to ensure that it would not fail in the intense alternating hot and cold environment of space.

Zhang Beihai pressed four meteorite bullets into the magazine, then pushed the magazine into a 2010 standard pistol, and fired at a cloth bag in the corner, in the small space of the basement, the gunfire was deafening like an explosion, and the smell of gunpowder was very strong.

Zhang Beihai carefully examined the five bullet holes on the cloth bag and saw that the bullet holes were very small, indicating that the meteorite was not broken during the launch. He opened the cloth bag and took out a large piece of raw beef wrapped inside, he carefully took out the meteorite that had been shot into the beef with his knife, and saw that the four meteorite cylinders had been shattered into a small pile of gravel in his palm, and there were basically no traces of processing, and he was very satisfied with the result.

In order to make the simulation closer to reality, the cloth was made into a layer, and insulating sponge and plastic pipes were placed in it.

Zhang Beihai carefully put away the remaining thirty-two meteorite bullets, walked out of the basement, and went to prepare for space.

……