At the beginning of March, the heavy rain poured down in the ancient city of Jinling.

A thunderclap opened the call for the growth of all things.

Xiashu, in the aerospace base of the Xinghai Research Institute, covers a huge area, and the gate of the park has already been opened.

From the sky, there are many ant-like trucks and trucks driving along the wide roads of the park.

A truckload of raw materials and basic materials, like nutrients needed by the human body, were quickly and orderly injected into this emerging base, which can be called the 'aerospace heart' of China, and then transformed into muscles and backbones to support the high-speed running of the aerospace industry.

On one side of the space base, a huge integrated factory building with an area of 150,000 square meters is located here.

This is the heart of China's aerospace field, and it is also known as the 'holy land' of the global aerospace industry.

It's not just because it's a place where the world's most advanced space shuttles can be designed, produced, manufactured and assembled.

It is also because the combination of small controllable nuclear fusion reactor + aerospace engine carries the direction of human aerospace development in the future.

For these two days, NASA even broke the Wolf clause and sent its own engineers here to see.

Not to mention Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, UTC United Technologies and other large enterprises in the aerospace field, after last year's lunar rescue operation, these companies have submitted letters of intent to the Xinghai Research Institute, hoping to purchase or cooperate with them.

As for the purpose, it is naturally the same as NASA.

Even if you can't board the space shuttle, you can at least see how it was produced and assembled.

In particular, the electric propulsion space engine used above can be said to fascinate all aerospace fields.

Although the Xinghai Research Institute has not officially disclosed what the working fluid used in the aerospace engine is, after such a long time, foreign aerospace companies and related scientific research institutions are not vegetarians.

As for the clues such as the difference in the color of the tail flame when the aerospace engine is propelled in the atmosphere and outer space, as well as the switching of flight attitude at the critical point, many scholars have also found the most likely way after careful inference and experiments.

That is, the formula used in the atmosphere is obtained from the thick atmosphere.

The reddish-purple tail flame, which is in line with this flame color reaction, happens to be the two most nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere.

And after entering outer space, or reaching the critical point, the blue-white tail flame that switches is naturally the traditional xenon with higher propulsion efficiency.

However, what puzzles most researchers is how the Xinghai Research Institute uses nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere.

Not to mention the fact that these gases are extremely difficult to ionize and difficult to use as electric propulsion working fluids, the abundance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and many other highly corrosive gases in the atmosphere alone is enough to cause serious corrosiveness to electric propulsion engines or space shuttles.

Carbon dioxide, in particular, can separate elemental carbon at high temperatures, which can seriously clog the nozzles of electric propulsion engines.

Engineers in the aerospace field are piled up with all sorts of difficult questions, and they are simply puzzled.

In order to obtain the secrets and technologies in it, the top aerospace groups are trying to try to connect with the Xinghai Research Institute, and even do not hesitate to open billions or even billions of orders and cooperation.

At this moment, NASA, as the first to reach cooperation with the Xinghai Research Institute, sent its own engineers over as quickly as possible in the name of transporting materials for the repair of Webb telescope equipment and materials.

At nightfall, the first NASA specialists had already arrived in Jinling.

In the hotel room, a middle-aged and elderly NASA expert with a towering nose stood by the window, looking out at the lights in the distance.

"It's a pretty bustling city, and the bustle at night is even brighter than New York."

Standing by the window, the NASA expert from the Dryden Flight Research Center looked at the bright and bustling city outside and couldn't help but sigh a little.

New York is known as the city that never sleeps, but in his memory, the bustle of the night, or the degree of brightness, seems to be much darker than the city under his feet.

Overlooking from the dozens of high-rise buildings, you can see that the lights are bright day and night, and the lights on almost every road are as bright as day.

Colorful neon lights flicker in the night, like stars descending from the world, making the whole city more prosperous and lively.

Beside him, another engineer from the Washington headquarters shrugged his shoulders and said, "If the price of electricity in New York can be reduced to the same level as here, I believe that New York will only become more prosperous." ”

"Is the price of electricity low here?"

"I heard that it seems to be only two cents and a thousand watt hours, which is less than 0.04 meters of gold when converted."

“0.04？ Are you sure you didn't say a single zero more? ”

Hearing this exaggerated speed, Bulvo Elton had a rather surprised look on his face.

This figure is too exaggerated, he has a house in New York, and if he remembers correctly, the price of electricity seems to be 10 meters, which is 0.1 meters yuan per kilowatt hour.

You must know that the price of electricity in the United States is actually not high, and it is even outside the fifteenth place in the world's electricity bill list.

But the price of 0.04 meters of gold kilowatt hour is unbelievably low.

This figure is one-quarter, or even one-fifth, of the current electricity price in the United States.

With such low electricity prices, he honestly can't imagine how rapid the country's development will be.

After all, the bulk of electricity consumption is not ordinary residents, but various types of industrial equipment and enterprises.

The low price of electricity will definitely promote the development of industry by leaps and bounds.

"Maybe that's the beauty of controlled nuclear fusion?"

The friend next to him looked at the light outside the window and did not answer the question head-on, but shifted the topic to another aspect.

After a pause, Bulvo Elton spoke: "I heard that they miniaturized the fusion reactor and moved it to the space shuttle Xinghai, do you think this is true?" ”

In the second half of last year, the manned moon landing competition, and all kinds of information about the magnificent Xinghai were naturally being collected by various countries.

At present, aside from all kinds of information in the dark, the general information of the space shuttle Xinghai is basically public.

For example, the captain, wingspan, propulsion device, life support equipment, and circulatory system are either disclosed by the Xinghai Research Institute itself, or they are disclosed by default by the manufacturer that provides the equipment.

There is only one item, so far, Huaguo, or Xinghai Research Institute has not disclosed any information to the outside world.

That's what exactly its energy supply system is.

All countries are collecting information and information on this, but this itself is a key object of secrecy, and no information has been disclosed to the outside world.

Therefore, even after more than half a year, it is still uncertain whether the energy supply system on the Xinghai is a miniaturized controllable nuclear fusion reactor, a miniaturized fission reactor, or other energy supply methods.

However, according to the speculation of experts and scholars in related fields, the possibility of small fusion reactors is extremely high, far exceeding other energy supply methods.

"Who knows?"

The companion next to him was silent for a moment, and then said: "Whether it is a fusion reactor or a fission reactor, it can be loaded on the space shuttle, which is terrible news for us." ”

"Whether it's the former or the latter, it's just a difference in the degree of horror."

"Compared to this, I am more curious about the aerospace engine they developed. Electric propulsion can also provide hundreds of KN of huge thrust, is this technology really developed in this era?"

On the other side, in the office, Wen Yuanhang, who rushed over from outside, asked with a smile.

"Academician Xu, those experts from NASA have arrived,"

Behind the desk, Xu Chuan glanced up at him in some surprise and asked curiously, "So fast?" I remember a few days after the cooperation contract was signed, right? ”

Wen Yuanhang replied: "In the name of transporting and repairing Webb telescope equipment and materials and 'safety inspection', they asked to personally escort the materials into the Xiashu Space Base. ”

Putting down the pen in his hand, Xu Chuan smiled and said, "This is to come early to inquire about technical and intelligence news." ”

Wen Yuanhang smiled and said, "Probably, do you want to refuse their request?" ”

Xu Chuan thought for a while and said, "That's not necessary, anyway, there's nothing to see over there at the Xiashu Space Base." The core technology is all on the side of the research institute, and there is an assembly engineering launch base or something, they can go to see it if they want to. ”

"For the sake of sending money, for the sake of cooperation, it will be good to arrange two people to follow at that time."

Hearing Xu Chuan say this, Wen Yuanhang pursed his lips and smiled: "Okay, then I'll arrange this, but those experts, do you want to meet and talk?" ”

Xu Chuan waved his hand and said, "I have some other things to do here to go to the Demon Capital, so I don't have time for the time being." ”

"Okay."

Wen Yuanhang nodded in response and didn't ask any more.

After completing the admission procedures, signing the relevant agreements, and limiting the relevant feasible range, NASA engineers couldn't wait to enter the Xiashu space base.

However, even after entering this holy place in the aerospace field, the doubts in their hearts have not been answered, but have become more and more.

Just at this moment, in the face of the intelligent robotic arm in the factory that is working hard to 'move bricks' for the construction of the lunar base and part of the building of the lunar outpost hovering in mid-air, several NASA engineers who 'visited' were curious.

"May I ask, what is this?"

Walking in the factory, Jerome Gilbert, the team leader who was 'nominally' transporting materials for the repair of the Webb telescope equipment, stared at the equipment in front of him in surprise.

"Experimental Module."

Standing beside him, the engineer in charge of accompanying the whole process at the Aerospace Research Institute replied concisely and simply for the sake of his 'international friends'.

However, the eyes of the component of the outpost base in front of him were full of pride.

The outpost base in front of the moon is already under construction, the second-generation space shuttle has also completed the research and development design, and the construction of the lunar base has been raised to the agenda.

Although the production of the second-generation space shuttle was slightly delayed, it didn't matter, as long as a scientific outpost on the moon was set up before NASA, it would be enough!

If 2023 is the year for them to catch up with the United States in the aerospace field, then 2024 will be a new year to surpass the United States!

"Experimental cabin? Space experiment capsule? Or what experimental cabin? If it's an experimental cabin, why is it rectangular? If this shape of the experimental module is not folded, how can you send it into space? ”

Jerome Gilbert asked, surprised.

Standing beside him, the accompanying engineer glanced at him and said lightly: "Don't worry about this, we have our own way." ”

Choked up, Jerome Gilbert frowned, and continued a little unwillingly: "But the area of a circle is larger than that of a rectangle, and your design like this will be a great waste of space." ”

"And this design is more susceptible to effects such as space particle radiation, atomic oxygen corrosion, and debris impact, and Webb's mirror surface is damaged in this way, do you want to repeat the mistakes of the past?"

The engineers of the Space Research Institute smiled, not caring in the slightest about the other party's opinion.

Who told you this is a space experiment module? This is a more advanced lunar experiment module!

"Damn! I'm kind enough to tell you about the flaws in your test module, aren't you going to say something? ”

After a long time of probing without any useful information, Jerome Gilbert said with some resentment on his face full of disappointment and chagrin.

Hearing this, the engineer of the Aerospace Research Institute thought for a moment and said, "Thank you very much for your suggestion, I will record it and report it." ”

The corners of Jerome Gilbert's mouth twitched

Shet, who the hell wants your thanks!

Seeing the aggrieved expression on Jerome Gilbert's face, the engineers at the Space Research Institute almost didn't laugh out loud.

If it was two years ago, if an expert from the NASA space agency came to China to talk about cooperation, he would not say that he would not believe it completely, but at least he would have carefully recorded it and then reported it for discussion.

After all, two years ago, they did lag behind NASA a lot in the field of space.

But now?

He didn't even want to argue about anything.

Able to miniaturize controlled nuclear fusion technology to spacecraft and use electric propulsion aerospace engines instead of traditional fossil fuel engines, they have fully overtaken in corners, at least in the fields of aerospace energy supply and propulsion.

NASA is very awesome, but can it be better than Academician Xu?

Are you kidding?

Although the lunar surface experiment module was not designed by Academician Xu himself, it was all reviewed by his old man.

He didn't say anything, you outsiders who don't even know the real purpose of the experimental cabin, what are you doing here?