"Chang'e-1 needs to experience two lunar eclipses during its lifetime."

Zhang Xingyang propped his hands on the workbench, his eyes firmly fixed on the data that kept rolling on the screen.

"The effective shadow duration of each lunar eclipse is about three hours, during which time the satellites do not get light, and the temperature of the satellites decreases rapidly."

"It puts forward high requirements for the energy, temperature and working mode of Chang'e-1 satellite."

Zhong Zixin, who was on the side, kept flipping through the paper reports in his hands, telling them about their difficulties.

"I know you have a lot of difficulties, but I don't want to hear your grievances this time."

At this time, Zhang Xingyang had already finished reading the data about Chang'e-1 in the computer, turned his head to Zhong Zixin and said solemnly.

"I just want to know if you can complete the development of Chang'e-1 before August!"

In the past few years, the One Zero One Satellite Research Institute has expanded its personnel and various equipment several times.

However, due to the linear increase in the number of scientific research projects, both the speed and quality of research and development have declined to a certain extent.

Even the research and development progress of the lunar exploration satellite, which is a key project, has not been smooth.

Zhang Xingyang can actually understand their difficulties, and now many senior researchers are busy with another important task.

Development work on a large universal satellite platform.

Many other projects are understaffed.

However, the timetable for the lunar exploration program was set early.

If the development of satellites is delayed, many plans will have to be adjusted.

It can be said that it affects the whole body.

"Before August, it should be completed, and we will do our best to ensure the smooth completion of the lunar exploration program."

Zhong Zixin also knew where he was at a loss, and promised that they would definitely complete the development of the satellite according to the schedule.

"In fact, most of the research and development work of the satellite has been completed, and there are still deficiencies because of the lunar eclipse."

Combined with the data he just saw, Zhang Xingyang also knew where they were dragging their feet.

The key is temperature.

During a lunar eclipse, because the Moon enters the Earth's umbra in whole or in part, the light from the Sun will be blocked by the Earth.

Satellites that use solar energy as their primary energy source lose their own source of energy.

And because satellites do not carry energy storage systems in most cases, there will be a lot of problems.

This is why many deep space satellites in the world will use a combination of solar energy and nuclear battery energy systems.

Near the sun, solar panels are used to generate electricity to power most of the research equipment.

Far from the Sun, such as Jupiter, in deep space, isotope batteries are used to provide electricity.

Isotope batteries use the heat energy released during the decay process of radioisotopes and convert it into electrical energy through thermocouples.

Isotope batteries have the characteristics of small size, light weight, stable and reliable performance, long working life, and good environmental tolerance.

However, there are currently no isotope batteries that can be used in Japan.

"It will take about a year or two for the 100-milliwatt plutonium-238 isotope battery of the Institute of Isotopes of the Atomic Energy Institute to be developed."

Zhang Xingyang said after thinking about it.

"No matter how fast they are, Chang'e-1 will definitely not be used, and they can only think of another way."

"The best way is to find a way to insulate the core module of the satellite, so that it can quickly restore its power supply capacity after the lunar eclipse."

In space, hypothermia is a terrible thing.

This is true not only for people, but also for devices.

On Earth, it's not so obvious.

After all, excluding the laboratory environment, the lowest temperature on the earth is minus seventy or eighty degrees.

But the temperature in space, more than 100 degrees below zero, is considered a high temperature.

In space, because most of the heat is due to the way of heat radiation, not heat convection.

This makes hypothermia actually very slow.

But again, heating up is a difficult thing.

"Alas, if only the research and development at the Institute of Isotopes could be faster."

Zhong Zixin complained a little.

"They actually have more difficulties than you." Zhang Xingyang said after thinking about the problems faced by isotopes.

Isotopes are not very gentle things.

Even if they are dealing with a low abundance of plutonium-238, it is also extremely dangerous.

In the past few years, a satellite with an isotope battery in Maozi fell in the South Pacific Ocean due to a failed launch, which immediately caused a lot of panic.

forced them to spend a huge amount of money to find the wreckage of that satellite out of the vast ocean.

Therefore, the safety of isotope batteries is a key thing to consider.

"Insulation materials, we have made a lot of progress in the material development project we have co-organized with universities, you can go to them and ask."

Six or seven years ago, Zhang Xingyang began to spend a lot of money to cultivate university cooperation projects, and in the past two or three years, he has begun to produce a lot of output.

Especially in the field of materials, which is very important, a variety of traditional and new materials are constantly appearing in an almost blowout manner.

Among them, there are many materials that can be applied to the field of thermal insulation.

On July 22, the One Zero One Satellite Research Institute finally met the deadline of the timetable and completed the research and development of Chang'e-1.

Chang'e-1 is equipped with 28 scientific exploration instruments of nine types, with a total weight of 150 kilograms.

Including microwave detection system, γ-ray spectrometer, X-ray spectrometer, laser altimeter, solar energetic particle detector, solar wind ion detector, CCD stereo camera, interference imaging spectrometer and so on.

Because the mission of Chang'e-1 is mainly to draw part of the topographic map of the lunar surface in preparation for the subsequent landing of the Chang'e series on the lunar surface.

Therefore, the most important of these are microwave detection systems, CCD stereo cameras and various spectrometers.

The spectrometer is mainly used to analyze the various components of the lunar surface and provide evidence for subsequent site selection.

On July 25, Chang'e-1 completed the factory review of the whole star.

On August 12, the launch window for Chang'e-1 was set for September.

On August 23, Chang'e-1 entered the Xichang Satellite Launch Center for standby launch.

On September 6, the launch time was officially set at 15 September.

Today's Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in the new century, has also undergone a round of expansion, and can undertake more launch tasks.

Among them, the heavy rocket launch site specially set up for deep space exploration missions is particularly eye-catching.

Because the size of deep space rockets is larger than that of rockets in general low-earth orbit or even geostationary orbit.

Therefore, all the equipment of the new launch site will be one size larger.

"This is the rocket you modified for deep space exploration?"

Zhou Xuan asked after circling the chubby rocket.

Chang'e-1 did not use the Hongyan series of rockets that have been used in recent years, but used the Chang-3 series rockets.

The deep space version of Chang Sanyi can launch more than 3.1 tons of payload into the Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

"Yes, it is more troublesome for the Hongyan series to be transferred to the Xichang launch site now, and it is more convenient for us to use the Changsan series here."

Zhang Xingyang gently stroked the white aluminum alloy shell of the rocket and said.

In order to improve the production capacity and transportation capacity of Hongyan rockets, the factory that produces Hongyan rockets has been relocated to the coastal area in the past time in cooperation with the Wenchang launch site in Hainan.

This makes it easier to transport.

As a result, if Hongyan wants to be transported from the seaside to the Xichang launch site deep inland, it will be more troublesome.

So Zhang Xingyang and the others simply took out the Chang'e-3 series rockets to carry out the launch of Chang'e-1.

In fact, in the past few years, because the Chang-3 rocket has been carrying out commercial launch missions internationally.

So if you want to say that it is famous, in fact, Chang Sanyi's fame is even greater.

Even, with a name similar to the cheap flight of Spring Airlines, the Changsanyi rocket is cheap aerospace.

However, this does not mean that its technology is backward, in fact, because of the large number of launches, the technology can be updated in time.

Changsanyi now uses a lot of high-tech technology, including new electronic equipment, composite materials, control equipment, etc., which has been improving.

"This is our first deep space exploration mission, and we hope nothing happens." Zhou Xuan said with some concern.

According to the traditional concept, a good start is still a very important thing.

If the opening doesn't develop well this time, then it doesn't bode well.

"Worry about this, you might as well worry about your Mars rover research and development."

Zhang Xingyang is full of confidence, not only because he knows that there is actually no difficulty in this launch mission, but also because he has a clear grasp of all the situations of Chang'e-1.

Every link, not to mention personally checking, at least I know the seven, seven, eight, eight.

That's why he asked Zhou Xuan to pay more attention to the Mars exploration plan with the Gauls.

According to the plan, the Gauls were responsible for the research and development of the rover and lander, but Zhou Xuan, as the director of the Institute of Deep Space Exploration, also participated a lot in this.

The latest news, their Mars rover development is not going well.

This is also a very normal thing, in history they gathered the strength of many countries to reluctantly develop a Mars rover.

Now, they want to rely on their own strength to develop a Mars rover, which naturally has a lot of problems.

"There are many reasons why R&D is lagging behind." Zhou Xuan, as a person personally involved in it, obviously knew more.

"But in my opinion, there is another resistance in their country."

In Gaul, there have always been people who feel that they should not cooperate with the Dragon Kingdom, although they do not directly oppose it, but the lack of cooperation still exists.

This is also an important reason for the slow development of many devices.

Zhang Xingyang didn't say much, just smiled.

The Martian exploration plan is not in such a hurry, since the Gauls want to delay, then drag it.

We do our own thing first.

No, we can complete the development of the rover and lander ourselves.

On September 15th, it was a sunny day, and there was no cloud in the night sky, except for a bright moon.

"It's a nice day!"

Zhou Xuan looked at the sky at the launch site and said.

As an astronaut, especially in such a rocket launch process, it is a very happy thing to encounter a good weather.

"Rocket Fuel Filling Complete!"

In the radio on the side, the final work progress of the rocket was constantly broadcast.

Engineers, still nervously making final checks.

In particular, the electronic equipment that is more prone to problems has been cross-checked twice.

"The final inspection of the rocket is complete!"

"Please, everyone, evacuate as soon as possible!"

A loud male voice resounded in a loop on the launch tower.

The crowd either evacuated to a nearby shelter or returned to the launch command center.

In the command center, Zhang Xingyang sat in the corner of the side somewhat casually, playing with his mobile phone, watching the people in the command center work.

This launch mission, Zhang Xingyang is not so worried.

After all, most of the staff present did not experience launch work for the first time.

The number of launches every year is dozens of times, and all the work is very familiar.

Just when Zhang Xingyang was thinking about various future development plans, the launch time was getting closer and closer.

Ten minutes before the launch, Zhang Xingyang took a turn in the command center and looked at everyone's work.

After finding that there were no problems, he returned to his post.

Minutes are fleeting!

"Launch!"

Along with the transmission of electrical signals, the people at the launch site several kilometers away, the deep-space improved model rocket, which is thicker than ordinary rockets, spews flames tens of meters long like a fire dragon!

Propelled the rocket and flew into deep space.

In the 148th second of the rocket launch, the first and second stages of the rocket were successfully separated!

On the 243rd second of the rocket launch, the rocket fairing separated and successfully broke through the atmosphere!

In the 271st second of the rocket launch, the second and third stages of the rocket were successfully separated!

In the 609th second of the rocket launch, the three-stage rocket engine was shut down once, and the star-arrow combination entered a gliding state!

In the 1473rd second of the rocket launch, the star and arrow were successfully separated, and Chang'e-1 was put into orbit!

Just because a satellite is in orbit doesn't mean it's a success.

At this time, the satellite was actually still in the Earth's orbit.

It will take a few days to get into the Earth-Moon transfer orbit, and finally a few more days to get into the moon's orbit.

On 16 September, Chang'e-1 changed its orbit for the first time, and the satellite's perigee was raised from 200 km to 600 km.

On September 21, Chang'e-1 underwent four orbit changes, from orbiting the Earth to the Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

On September 26, Chang'e-1 officially entered lunar orbit.

The first deep space exploration belonging to the people of the Dragon Kingdom can finally be said to have achieved initial success.

After that, we will launch more lunar exploration satellites, and even lunar landers and lunar return capsules.

Eventually, we will go to the moon and plant the red flag in the crater.

On the surface of the moon, establish a permanent base for scientific research and investigation!!

(End of chapter)