The thrust engine of the Shenzhou spacecraft started and began to propel the International Space Station upward.

The working fluid propels the engine and ejects an orange-blue high-temperature substance.

However, a thrust of hundreds of cattle can drive a space station-spacecraft combination weighing tens of tons.

At this time, the International Space Station has entered the stage of full construction.

However, there are still quite a few modules that have not yet been launched, and there are only 6 modules.

A total of 15 modules will be launched when fully completed, and the remaining nine modules are scheduled to be launched in two years.

Today's International Space Station, the size of a standard football field, has a mass of more than 100 tons.

Only about a quarter of the total body mass.

The Shenzhou-6 manned spacecraft has a mass of no more than 10 tons and is no more than the size of a small truck.

The difference between the two is dozens of times in size and quality.

However, it is such a tiny manned spacecraft that propels the International Space Station, which is many times larger than itself.

It seems to give people the weird feeling of a dwarf holding up Ultraman.

"It has the feel of a small horse-drawn cart."

Inside the space station, Weiss sighed.

As soon as he took off his out-of-cabin walking suit, he felt as if he had walked from the edge of hell.

If you are not careful, you may be taken by Satan.

"Anyway, our space station won't burn up in the atmosphere."

Weiss's teammate, Paul said with a shrug.

Before that, they had also tried a series of self-help measures.

But without exception, all failed.

They are ready to die in space.

Paul even left a heartfelt suicide note to his wife and daughter, who were still on earth.

In the suicide note, Paul also confessed the pocket money he had secretly saved.

Thinking of this, the money that I had originally saved to go out for drinks was gone.

Paul felt that his life on earth had become bleak.

Paul is not an astronaut with Eagle Sauce.

His main identity is actually a payload specialist.

So after he returned to Earth, in addition to another salary for a faculty position at Cornell University.

And there is no additional salary.

Now the small treasury is gone, and it seems that life is hopeless.

"At least you'll be able to go back and see your lovely daughter."

Weiss said after glancing at Paul.

During this period of work, Weiss also got to know Paul to a certain extent.

This guy is a daughter slave, and his free time every day is to look at pictures of his daughter.

Either that, or just talk about how cute his daughter really is.

This is really a bit incomprehensible for Weiss, who is nearly forty years old and still single.

"Alas, I don't know if my previous words will hurt my cute little sweetheart's heart."

Paul said a lot in his last words, and I wonder if his wife will tell her daughter after hearing this.

"Our communications will be restored in a few hours, so you don't have to worry too much."

Vess told the other calmly.

"When the time comes, you will be able to tell your sweetheart in person how much you love her!"

During the ascent of the ISS's orbit, the communications satellites attached to it need to transmit large amounts of data.

Therefore, voice communication is not realistic at this stage.

A large amount of data, without encryption and decryption, is directly transmitted to the ground control center of Beidu through satellites.

This also allowed Zhang Xingyang and them to learn a lot of first-hand data on the operation of the International Space Station.

This has certain reference value for the operation of the Tiangong space station in the future.

The stones of other mountains can be used to attack jade.

"At the current rate of ascent in orbit, the ISS will return to normal operating altitude in 11 hours."

Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief after the manned spacecraft entered the automatic work link.

Then he turned to Zhang Xingyang and said:

"We paid a lot of price to save them this time."

Zhang Xingyang took his gaze away from the big screen full of all kinds of data and landed on Qin Ming.

Qin Ming, as a big bull in the field of control systems, almost single-handedly operated the automatic docking this time.

"In addition to a manned spacecraft, because of their accidents, we also supported a lot of communication satellites and ground communication stations."

Qin Ming counted them one by one, the price they paid.

After Zhang Xingyang finished speaking, he spoke:

"The manpower and material resources consumed by this rescue mission will all be borne by the ISS project team."

"You don't have to worry about them going into debt, we have a way to get them to pay."

In fact, this rescue mission is for the Dragon Kingdom.

The biggest loss was still the manned spacecraft.

Everything else can only be counted as a few corners.

The cost of manned spacecraft is expensive, and the spacecraft itself alone is worth hundreds of millions.

In addition, the launch cost of launching another manned spacecraft is also nearly 100 million.

So at that time, at the communication meeting, Zhang Xingyang directly said this.

The other party must be reimbursed in full for all rescue costs.

In fact, manned spacecraft are insured.

It can be said that most of the domestic satellites and space stations operating in orbit are insured.

All of this is covered by the Aerospace Insurance Consortium.

The Aerospace Insurance Consortium is a professional aerospace insurance in China, and its establishment has a great relationship with the Rocket Research Institute.

Before this, almost all countries in China could only find foreign countries to take out space insurance.

As a result, after the accident of Chang Sanyi, a series of operations of foreign insurance funds.

Let everyone realize that we must establish our own professional aerospace insurance.

So in 97, the aerospace insurance complex was born.

Since then, almost all domestic satellites have purchased space insurance from here.

The manned spacecraft also bought a lot of insurance before taking off.

Including: spacecraft manufacturing stage insurance, transportation stage insurance, launch stage insurance, in-orbit operation insurance, etc.

It covers all stages of the spacecraft, from manufacturing to returning to Earth.

Today's manned spacecraft are in orbit.

The decline in service life should logically be insured.

However, the decline in the service life of the on-orbit operation this time is an unexpected situation.

Zhang Xingyang also cannot guarantee whether the aerospace insurance consortium will be able to compensate in the end.

However, the damage was caused by the International Space Station project, and it is not wrong to ask them for compensation.

Zhang Xingyang has already begun to plan how to get more compensation in the communication with them.

After all, so many of us have been busy for so long for their space station.

Anyway, I want 100 million yuan in compensation!

Not much.

The cost unit can be converted directly into US dollars.

"Don't worry, we won't lose."

Zhang Xingyang patted Qin Ming's shoulder and said.

This time the rescue mission went smoothly, in fact, Qin Ming made a lot of efforts.

It is with the high-precision tracking and docking system that it has made.

Only then can the manned spacecraft dock with the International Space Station at almost the same speed in the vast space space.

You know, before this, they were blind to the situation of the International Space Station.

In such a short period of time.

Docking the spaceship is comparable to jumping directly on the spot with both feet.

"There are still a lot of test items in Tiangong tomorrow, you can go back and rest first."

Zhang Xingyang pushed him in the direction of the door and said.

At this time, it was already early in the morning.

It won't be long before dawn.

"Forget it, I'll just squint for a while in the lounge next to me, if there's something calling me."

Qin Ming yawned as he walked out.

Before this, everyone had been working for more than ten hours, and suddenly they worked at a high intensity for nearly ten hours.

Even if it's iron, it's about to be overwhelmed.

Even Zhang Xingyang, who has always stayed up late, felt a little sleepy at this time.

However, looking up at the big screen that changes data from time to time, Zhang Xingyang opened his eyes widen again.

At least now is not the time to rest.

In any case, after the ISS is completely out of danger.

Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep even if I can't sleep.

On the other side of the ocean, it was in the afternoon.

Many people in Eagle Sauce already know about the problems on the space station.

At the moment, news is only circulating among a small group of high-level executives.

NASA Administrator Heywood didn't inform too many people.

"We have stabilized the situation on the ISS and expect to be back in normal working order in 12 hours."

Heywood deferentially reported to a tall man in front of him whose face was hidden in the shadows.

He took over the White House just last year.

"In this crisis, we are asking the Orientals to save our heroes."

"It's a shame for us."

The other party said slowly.

He also comes from an elite family, and the family has been in politics for generations.

For this kind of thing, he has a more far-reaching view.

If this matter is known by the media, it will definitely cause an uproar.

"Your Excellency, our spaceship didn't have time to go to the sky, only theirs happened to be in space at that time."

Although the other party did not punish Heywood, Heywood was still sweating profusely and hurriedly explained.

"It's just a coincidence, it's not that there's something wrong with our technology."

The other party finally came out of the shadows at this time, and said in a calm tone:

"You say, if the media knew about this reason, would they believe it?"

"Or do you think our voters will believe it?"

Neither of these questions was answered by Heywood.

Because no matter how you answer, you can't change a fact.

That's when their astronauts are in danger in space.

It wasn't NASA that saved them,

It's from another country across the ocean.

That alone is enough.

is enough for those media to make up countless news that shocked everyone's attention.

Heywood could even imagine what the Times would have said about themselves.

"The Most Incompetent Administrator in NASA History"

Heywood hadn't been in this position for a long time, and he didn't want to be saddled with such a black cauldron.

"Commander, the cause of the accident has nothing to do with us, not us."

Heywood's brain raced, thinking about who he could dump.

He felt that the wisdom of his life had been brought into play.

It didn't take long to find the object of the dump.

"Based on our current investigation, the reason why the ISS is in the state it is today is what it is today."

"It's entirely because the Maozi had an abnormal engine start problem when they were docking the spacecraft.

led to the later loss of control of the space station's attitude, as well as a series of subsequent problems. ”

After Heywood finished speaking, he looked up at the tall man in front of him with some trepidation.

In fact, the two are about the same height, but the man in the sun at this time looks much taller.

The other party fell into thought, as if he was wondering if this pot could be thrown on Maozi's head.

"Do you have evidence now?"

After a moment, the Commander looked up and said.

"Yes!"

"Our data center collected a lot of data after the space station got out of control."

Heywood said hurriedly.

As the majority of the funding and contribution of the International Space Station, Eagle Sauce occupies the initiative of the International Space Station.

Therefore, these important data are in the hands of NASA.

Of course, because of the space rescue.

Dragon Nation also has a lot of data about the International Space Station.

The Commander doesn't really care what the data is.

As long as you have it, you can have it.

It is impossible for ordinary people to see the specific situation from those data.

How to say it specifically, it is not up to the interpretation of experts.

Not to mention the fact that Mao Zi has a lot of responsibility for this matter.

Even if they don't have any responsibility at all, can't they make it up?

The Commander sat back at the back of his desk, "Since it's not our responsibility, let's let everyone know."

Maozi must pay the due price for this matter. ”

At this time, the hairy people who have been watching the play through remote video.

I don't know that they are about to eat melons on their heads.

In the middle of space, after hours of climbing.

The space station has also entered a relatively safe orbit.

It is an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 200 km and an apogee of 410 km.

At this time, even if the Shenzhou spacecraft is detached, the space station will already be able to rely on its own thrust.

Slowly move itself onto the original circular orbit.

However, in line with the idea of doing good deeds to the end and sending the Buddha to the west.

Zhang Xingyang decided to let the Shenzhou spacecraft send them all the way to the predetermined orbit.

In the end, the other party also had an extra seven or eight billion US dollars.

How can you not do a good job of service.

The ISS project team made money very quickly.

As soon as the space station was out of risk, it had already brought in close to $300 million.

That's actually a lot of money.

Money or not, for Zhang Xingyang, it doesn't matter a little.

But seeing Eagle Sauce deflated is a relatively happy thing.

The country has already begun to let this matter out of the wind.

Valid reason: Our Shenzhou spacecraft belongs to all the people, and we must give an explanation.

Private reason: How can it be enough to quietly slap Eagle Sauce's face? We have to let everyone know. Let everyone be refreshed.

Although soon, Eagle Sauce came out to refute the rumors and said: This accident has nothing to do with them.

It's all to blame for Maozi's ship's abnormal engine.

But anyone with a discerning eye can see it, and this reason is not very tenable.

(End of chapter)