On the other side, Jinling.

To the east of Qixia District, in the Xiashu area between Jiangzhen and Rongju, in a newly built space base, a huge space shuttle is lying quietly in the giant assembly center plant.

After the initial manned space program was launched, the Xinghai Research Institute took a piece of land in the remote suburbs of Jinling to build a space center.

In addition to the launch center and the general control center and other necessary buildings for space projects, this space center also has a huge assembly center.

This huge space shuttle was assembled in this assembly center.

In fact, it would have saved more money if the assembly and launch of the space shuttle had been put on other space bases, but Xu Chuan's acquisition of land and the construction of his own space center near Jinling was not only for the development of the aerospace field.

Although the assembly and construction of the space shuttle and the completion of space missions are indeed the core tasks of this space center, in addition, the manufacturing and development of intelligent industry, as well as the construction of a set of standards belonging to the Xinghai Research Institute, are also the tasks of this space center.

Just like the design, construction and assembly of the space shuttle this time, it is a good example.

Under the leadership of Weng Yunzong and Academician Chang Huaxiang, led by the Xinghai Research Institute/Aerospace Research Institute, the construction of the space center was completed, and the intelligent production of the equipment center was partially completed.

For example, an unmanned production and assembly workshop will be built to complete the assembly or processing of some parts through hardware and software such as intelligent/modular transportation equipment and transportation pipelines, robotic arms, and intelligent control centers.

In addition, last year, Xu Chuan thought of a plan that conformed to the standards of the research institute and used big data and intelligent systems to control the research process and material product suppliers, and also conducted a preliminary experiment on the assembly of the space shuttle.

Although there were a lot of problems encountered in the process, at least it was completely completed, which provided a lot of experience and foundation for the overall development of the Xinghai Research Institute in the future.

Standing in the factory, Yang Han, the chief head of the Air Force Equipment Department, and Academician Tian Xinyuan, the chief designer, looked up at the behemoth parked in front of them, and their eyes were full of excitement, excitement, and shock.

The first space shuttle equipped with an electric propulsion system - an aerospace engine and a miniaturized controllable nuclear fusion system is completed!

It can be said that this is a miracle in the history of aerospace, and it will also usher in a new reform in the history of aerospace!

"It's incredible, I didn't expect you to actually do it."

Standing in the crowd, a researcher with black-rimmed glasses from the Air Force Equipment Department pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and sighed with a shocked look in his eyes.

Although he already knew about the completion of the space shuttle before he came, when he saw this behemoth with his own eyes, he, I am afraid that not only him, but also the experts and professors of the entire Air Force Equipment Department were shocked.

It is a super aircraft with a staggering length of 68.6 meters and a wingspan of 41.4 meters.

Although it is still some distance from the largest aircraft in history, the An-225, it is close to the An-124, its sibling, the An-225, except that the wings are shorter overall.

If it is put into a civil airliner, its size is comparable to the Queen of the Air Boeing 747, but the wings are shorter.

Standing beside Xu Chuan, Academician Tian Xinyuan, the chief designer of the Air Force Equipment Department, looked at the space shuttle in front of him, and said thoughtfully: "Compared with the space shuttles of Mi Guo and Hongsu, the wings of your space shuttle seem to be much longer?" ”

Although the space shuttle does not belong to the category of fighter jets, he has been focusing on the aerospace field for many years, and he still keenly noticed the difference between the space shuttle in front of him and the space shuttle developed by the United States and Hongsu.

Xu Chuan nodded with a smile and said, "That's right, compared to the space shuttle over there, the wingspan of this space shuttle is about half the length." ”

"Because of the difference in the way of flying?" Tian Xinyuan thought for a while and added.

Nodding, Xu Chuan said: "Well, the take-off and orbit entry of the space shuttle over there in the United States rely on external boosters as a whole, and its wings are designed most of the time only to provide a certain amount of thrust in the atmosphere when landing to save fuel." ”

"On our side, it flies more like a traditional civil airliner or fighter jet, with the help of a narrow take-off runway. Only when the critical point is reached, the power take-off mode will be switched, and the flight angle will be changed to enter the orbit. ”

"So the lift provided by the wing is still quite important for it, and setting the wing wider and longer can provide more lift in the atmosphere."

On the side, Tian Xinyuan looked at the space shuttle not far away, thought for a while, and said, "What about the load?" How big can it load? ”

Xu Chuan thought for a moment and replied: "This score is different in the use environment. ”

"Below the critical point of the atmosphere, it can carry about 120 tons, slightly less than the Boeing 747. If you want to carry supplies into low Earth orbit and climb gravity wells, the load is slightly lower than previously designed, up to 61.45 tons. ”

"As for getting out of gravity and entering outer space, the load doesn't mean much to it, but the cargo capacity of this space shuttle is about 330m or so to carry supplies."

"Hiss~!"

Hearing Xu Chuan's introduction, the experts and professors who came to visit the Air Force Equipment Department all gasped.

Three hundred and thirty cubic meters of space, which is almost the size of an International Space Station.

The assembly of the International Space Station took several years to gradually launch the core module, experimental module and other components to assemble.

And if this space shuttle can successfully enter orbit and enter outer space once it takes off, it is equivalent to directly launching a complete set of space stations into the sky at one time.

In fact, the 330 cubic meters of space Xu Chuan mentioned is the cargo capacity of the space shuttle.

This does not include other areas of use, such as cockpits, power cabins, astronauts' living quarters, etc.

You must know that its size is only smaller than the wingspan of the Boeing 747, and its fuselage itself is not much smaller.

The cargo compartment capacity of the Boeing 747 passenger aircraft is as high as 670 cubic meters, that is, in comparison, only half of the space of the space shuttle can be used to carry materials, and the rest is occupied by various instruments and equipment.

But despite this, the amount of material it can carry, especially in outer space, is still amazing.

A single supplement could even build a start-up activity base or a small space station on the moon.

Compared with traditional launch vehicles and manned spaceflight, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a new revolution in the field of astronautics.

In the crowd, Yang Hanqian, the head of the Air Force Equipment Department, was even more shocked and excited, and when listening to Xu Chuan's introduction, the whole person was constantly taking deep breaths to control his emotions.

Nothing else, the shuttle's infinite range, whether in the atmosphere or above low Earth orbit, is no turbojet that can match.

And the large and spacious space allows the space shuttle to cruise in low-earth orbit forever in a form similar to that of a space station.

But there is no doubt that its maneuverability and agility are also unmatched by the space station.

The space station is fixed in orbit and cannot be detached, but this space shuttle is completely different, it can come down from low-Earth orbit at any time, enter the atmosphere and remain active.

This alone is enough to form an unimaginable strategic deterrent to the outside world.

"By the way, speaking of which, do you have a name for this space shuttle? What is it called? ”

In the factory, Yang Han suddenly came back to his senses, looked at the behemoth in front of him and asked curiously.

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Of course there is." ”

"Its name is 'Star Ocean.'"

After a pause, he looked up at the huge space shuttle in front of him, and continued: "Although it has the same name as the research institute, Xinghai represents the dream of the research institute and my dream. ”

PS: The second watch is delivered, and I ask for the guaranteed monthly pass in the hands of the bigwigs.

(End of chapter)