"Half a year, this can't be! Time is too short! ”

Hearing Xu Chuan say that he would complete manned spaceflight and moon landing within half a year, Chang Huaxiang immediately frowned, and immediately persuaded.

"We don't have to rush to the moon in front of the United States, we just need to go at our own pace."

"Not to mention whether the design, manufacturing and assembly of the space shuttle can be completed in half a year, the aerospace safety test alone takes time to complete, and too much time is a big problem for the safety of space activities."

"It's better for us to go steadily step by step."

Xu Chuan shook his head slightly, got up and walked behind his desk, took out a data planning document that had been prepared long ago from the drawer, and a confidentiality agreement, and handed it to Academician Chang Huaxiang.

"Academician Chang, please sign here first, and then take a look at this document, which contains some confidential achievements of the Xinghai Research Institute."

"You take a look first."

Rushing to realize his own manned space flight and moon landing project before NASA returns to the moon is not only his opinion, but also the meaning of the above.

Although he had not explicitly called him above, through Wen Yuanhang's meaning, the high-level officials also tapped on the side to ask if they were sure to do this.

After all, if manned spaceflight and moon landing can be completed before NASA, it will be a huge blow to the influence of the space power on the West Coast in the aerospace field and even in the world.

If you have the opportunity, this is definitely not to be missed.

Of course, the above meaning is the same as that of this Chang academician.

Everything should be safe and stable, but it would be better if we could complete manned space flight and moon landing before NASA on the basis of safety and stability.

As for himself, he never thought of risking the safety of astronauts.

Although it is indeed very difficult and tight to complete the design, manufacturing, assembly, manned spaceflight, and lunar landing arrangements for the space shuttle in about half a year, it is not without hope.

Especially after the aerospace engine completed the supercomputing simulation test a few days ago, the relevant data gave Xu Chuan and the Aerospace Research Institute great confidence.

Compared with the extremely weak propulsion capacity of traditional Hall thrusters and thermoelectric propulsion systems, the aerospace engine with fusion reactor as the energy core has no weaker thrust than a turbojet engine.

Hearing this, Chang Huaxiang glanced at him in some surprise, and after browsing the confidential documents and seeing that there was no problem, he directly signed his name.

Then, he took the planning document and flipped through it.

Looking at the data and information on the planning documents, his pupils suddenly condensed, and his breathing became a little short.

"170MW of output power. Are you sure the decimal point is not marked with a wrong mark? ”

Looking at the data on the planning document, Chang Huaxiang couldn't help but take a deep breath, and then suppressed the shock in his heart and quickly looked at Xu Chuan, the expression on his face was full of disbelief.

Xu Chuan nodded with a smile and said: "Some time ago, there was a great breakthrough in the miniaturization of controllable nuclear fusion technology, and judging from the current experimental data, the Xinghai Research Institute has been able to miniaturize the fusion reactor to the size of a medium-sized SUV car. ”

After a pause, he continued: "The output power of 170MW is a relatively conservative estimate based on the current Huaxing fusion reactor. Personally, I expect it to be a little higher. ”

"Of course, the specific data will only be known after subsequent testing."

170MW, of course, is not the current Huaxing stellarite experimental reactor, but the calculation of the small reactors being produced and assembled according to the data of the Huaxing fusion device.

Don't look at Academician Chang Huaxiang who was surprised, but this output power is not high on a controllable nuclear fusion reactor, and it can even be said to be very low.

Compared with the ultra-large Daybreak fusion reactor that can function for the entire Sujiang Province, the power of Huaxing is not even a fraction of it, and even conventional thermal power stations, most medium-sized pure power plants can basically reach this number.

However, the tokamak device naturally outperforms the stellar mimic in terms of power generation and power, and the fusion temperature and size of the dawn fusion reactor, as well as the consumption of deuterium and tritium raw materials, also far exceed that of the Huaxing fusion device.

It's normal for the two to be so different.

However, the two are not counted in this way.

The miniaturized controllable nuclear fusion reactor is not fixed on the top surface to supply power to industrial, commercial, civil and other fields.

It was developed for the very purpose of installing it on aircraft carriers, space shuttles, etc.

For example, the Ford-class aircraft carrier in the United States uses two Betis Nuclear Power Laboratory A1B reactors with a total power of up to 320,000 horsepower, and is equipped with a 13,500V transmission and distribution system with a power supply capacity of 200,000 kilowatts.

200,000 kilowatts, which translates to 200 megawatts (MW).

Although 200MW sounds larger than 170MW, it is important to know that the size and importance of the two are not at the same level at all.

Although Xu Chuan does not know how much the weight of the A1B reactor + supporting steam generator + power transmission and distribution system of Betis Nuclear Power Laboratory is 2, it is estimated from the conventional power generation system that it is at least more than 3,000 tons.

And what about miniaturized controllable fusion reactors?

Extrapolating from the current data, even if the supporting ferrofluid generator set is added, its weight will not exceed 30 tons.

A hundredfold difference in weight, as well as the size of the volume.

There is no doubt that the advantages of miniaturized fusion reactors in terms of size, weight, energy density and other aspects have left more than one street of fission reactors used on the world's mainstream nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

"Incredible!"

Chang Huaxiang was stunned for a long time before he spit out four words from his mouth.

Surprise, shock, suspicion and other emotions were intertwined on his face, even if he had reached his prime, after more than 70 years of ups and downs, he was still shocked by this achievement.

Miniaturization of controlled fusion!

This technology, which he had never thought of before, has actually been completed?

But how is this possible?

You must know that the Daybreak Fusion Reactor has only been completed for a little over a year.

In a year's time, Xinghai Research Institute, no, it should be said that the person in front of him has completed a breakthrough in miniaturization, how did he do it?

He hadn't heard of that before he came.

Taking a few deep breaths of cold air, Chang Huaxiang suppressed the idea of asking how he did it and the shock in his heart, and said after thinking for a while.

"If there is a breakthrough in miniaturized and controllable nuclear fusion technology, maybe we can change our thinking and use electricity to propulse."

As he spoke, he was suddenly stunned for a moment, and after a while, he suddenly looked up at Xu Chuan and asked tentatively: "Regarding the structure of the space shuttle, have you completely abandoned the traditional fossil fuel system and replaced it with an electric propulsion system?" ”

Although he came at the invitation of the development of the space shuttle, Xu Chuan did not introduce the space route of the Xinghai Research Institute on the phone.

In the previous chat, Xu Chuan only discussed the feasibility of the space shuttle with him, and did not say anything about the breakthrough of miniaturized and controllable nuclear fusion technology and electric propulsion, and he naturally did not associate it with it.

After seeing the planning document, he suddenly reacted to whether the space shuttle route taken by the Xinghai Research Institute was different from the traditional hydrogen and oxygen fuel space shuttle in the United States.

Xu Chuan nodded and said with a smile: "I originally planned to talk to Academician Chang about this on the phone, but you always heard that I needed help in the development of the space shuttle, so you hurriedly agreed and hung up the phone, so I didn't have time to tell you the relevant news." ”

"The development of the Xinghai Research Institute on the space shuttle is indeed not ready to take the traditional fossil fuel route, and the breakthrough in the miniaturization technology of controlled nuclear fusion has made it possible to achieve electric propulsion."

"In fact, the Xinghai Aerospace Research Institute is already manufacturing related electric propulsion systems."

He simply chatted with some of the information that he didn't have time to say before, and he didn't hide some things about his technical achievements, including the theory and simulation data of the aerospace engine.

After all, this is the way to make better judgments.

On the other side of the sofa, Chang Huaxiang was stunned again, with a shocked expression on his face, and even a trace of numbness.

After half a ring, he raised his head, looked at Xu Chuan and said, "Thousand Bull level thrust?!" Have you reached this point with electric propulsion? ”

Xu Chuan said with a smile: "This is just the data of theory and supercomputing simulation, and whether it can actually meet this standard needs to be tested in the future." ”

Chang Huaxiang quickly asked, "What about your estimate?" How many kiloN of thrust can this aerospace engine achieve? ”

Xu Chuan thought for a while and said, "Theoretically, with the support of a small fusion reactor, the thrust of this new type of aerospace engine can reach about 300 to 400 KN. ”

"Three hundred, four hundred. KN”

Chang Huaxiang's mind was completely numb, he looked at Xu Chuan in a daze, and asked in a sluggish tone: "You have finished the small fusion reactor and the electric propulsion system, so what are you looking for me?" Specifically to show off these achievements? ”

Honestly, he doesn't know how to describe his mood and the thoughts in his head.

The thrust of the KN class, combined with a small controllable nuclear fusion reactor, is enough to send the space shuttle from the ground into space.

With these two technologies, he doesn't need his help, and he can make the space shuttle by finding a talent in the aerospace field.

It's just that what he can't figure out is, how the hell is this done?

Before today, the world's strongest and most thrusty electric propulsion system was the X3 thruster from NASA.

It adopts a three-channel design with a maximum power of 102kw and a maximum thrust of 5.4N.

5.4N, which is very strong compared to the traditional milliN electric propulsion system or Hall thruster.

But Qianniu, it can only be said that this is not an order of magnitude of power system at all.

Although by the standard of space engines, the thrust of 300KN is not very large, and even the aviation system has many turbojet engines that can do this.

For example, the Ruida 900 aero engine applied to the Airbus A380 passenger aircraft has a thrust of about 350KN.

The GE9X aero engine used in the Boeing 777X passenger aircraft has a thrust of more than 600KN.

But these are turbojets, turbojets!

Electric propulsion to the level of KN, he couldn't help but speculate that the young scholar in front of him was lying to him, but he couldn't think of any reason for him to do so.

Hearing Academician Chang Huaxiang's stunned words, Xu Chuan said with a smile: "Small fusion reactors and aerospace engines are just a part of the space shuttle, and the Xinghai Research Institute now lacks a suitable person to support this overall situation. ”

"We don't have enough experience and we don't have enough manpower to complete the design and manufacture of the space shuttle, the planning of manned spaceflight and the moon landing."

"I can lead people to solve technical problems, but the overall planning in the aerospace field is not something I can handle."

Chang Huaxiang recovered from the shock and numbness and muttered, "No wonder you said half a year before"

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Xu Chuan and said firmly: "If the small nuclear fusion reactor and the aerospace engine can meet the standard you planned, give me enough people, I am sure that I will lead people to complete the design of the space shuttle in half a year, no, three months!" ”

From the previous two years to the current three months, I have to say that the shortening of this time is unimaginable.

It's not impossible, though.

Because compared with the traditional space shuttle in the United States, the power system established by the miniaturized controllable nuclear fusion reactor + aerospace engine system has far less requirements for spacecraft.

The traditional space shuttle in the United States uses external solid thrusters and orbiters as the propulsion mode, and uses liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel as the energy source.

The advantage is that the heat generated by hydrogen-oxygen combustion is extremely high, and it can burst out with great thrust to send hundreds or even thousands of tons of spacecraft into space with extremely high acceleration.

But there are also pros and cons.

The extremely high acceleration not only requires the physical fitness of the astronauts, but also causes great damage to the wear and tear of the space shuttle itself, especially the external thermal insulation and other materials.

The direct cause of the crash of the space shuttle "Columbia" was caused by the heat insulation tile falling off the surface of the external fuel tank after the space shuttle was launched, hitting the left wing of the space shuttle and forming a hole.

In the acceleration area, the electric propulsion will be thrown around by the liquid hydrogen and oxygen propulsion, but with the fusion reactor as an energy supply, the super endurance of this new space shuttle is not comparable to the traditional Chinese space shuttle.

It can complete liftoff and high-altitude orbit merger at a relatively slow speed, which means that it does not require so much from the spacecraft or even the astronauts.

In particular, the thermal insulation materials and safety protection and other related components on the periphery of the spacecraft have been reduced by more than one or two orders of magnitude.

Even, after the technology matures, ordinary people who have not been trained can take this new space shuttle to space.

A word from the writer

(End of chapter)