"You're about to install a rotary engine, right?"

Geng Bo looked at Zhang Xingyang while eating fried rice and asked.

Now is the adjustment period for the construction of Xinggang.

The design team is making final design adjustments based on the data sent back by Xue Feng from space.

"After the rotation begins, the test for us has just begun."

Zhang Xingyang was eating porridge, and his other hand was still reading yesterday's work minutes with his mobile phone.

A drum space station simulates gravity by centrifugal force.

Initially, the simulated gravity will be smaller.

Because it is impossible to determine whether the current strength of the space station can withstand the pull caused by high-speed centrifugal force.

Only about one-third of the Earth's gravity can be simulated.

But it's also much better than a completely gravity-free environment.

"The 3D metal powder printer that was just sent yesterday will be useful?"

Geng Bo asked with some curiosity.

In fact, this 3D printer was temporarily added to the launch list.

It replaces many finished parts that were originally launched directly into the air.

"It should be useful, I've seen how they performed during the test run, and they were still able to produce parts that met the requirements in a vacuum microgravity environment."

Zhang Xingyang thought about the trial operation scene he saw at the Space Technology Research Institute before and said.

3D metal powder printers capable of printing parts that are complex enough.

Originally, these parts were likely to require more than a dozen machine tools and machining centers to be manufactured.

But now only such a 3D printer is needed to be able to manufacture.

Even if it is manufactured, its properties such as strength will be reduced.

But it is completely sufficient to solve the urgent need.

It uses laser ablation to mold metal powders.

It is one of the most advanced 3D printing equipment in China.

The cost of a single piece of equipment alone is as high as more than 30 million.

If the launch cost is included, the total cost of use is even more terrifying.

"But that's only going to solve some of the equipment problems we're having."

Geng Bo still said worriedly:

"We are still in the design phase for a large number of equipment to be used for subsequent expansions."

The construction of Xinggang is an extremely large plan.

It is expected to take 15 years to complete.

The final total mass is more than 100,000 tons.

And that's without counting the large number of ships it is equipped with.

"Let's take it one step at a time."

Zhang Xingyang was not too worried.

He is very confident in the current scientific and technological manufacturing strength in China.

Regardless of the influence of other aspects, China is fully capable of building a starport of its own with its own strength.

However, there are now quite a few more partners.

Zhang Xingyang was a little worried, these people might cause trouble for themselves.

After all, many of them have had bad deeds in this regard.

Fortunately, in China, on the issue of the construction of the star port.

It has the absolute right to speak.

As long as the other party dares to play tricks, they will be cleared out directly, and they will never be soft.

This is one of the reasons why the project team has been able to maintain high efficiency until now.

"Look at this."

After Geng Bo swiped his phone for a while, he saw an interesting message.

So he handed Zhang Xingyang his mobile phone.

It reads.

[Aerospace workers strike in Birmingham to protest the inaction during the construction of Starport.] 】

Pictured below are several photographs of workers on strike.

Birmingham is the centre of the space industry in Old John's and is home to a number of aerospace technology companies.

However, before that, Old John intended to work with Eagle Sauce to suppress the Starport construction plan.

It's a pity that it failed.

The construction plan of the star port is still proceeding at a high speed.

In this process, the aerospace industry of many countries has received a piece of the pie.

For example, Gaul, which has a good relationship with the domestic aerospace industry.

They got a lot of related orders.

The construction of the starport requires a large number of high-precision equipment.

It is basically difficult to meet the needs of domestic production capacity alone.

Therefore, there are quite a few separations.

Toulouse was stunned overnight by a large number of equipment orders.

Although before this, the cooperation between the two sides on the Mars exploration program was not very pleasant.

But in the face of interests, the Gallic roosters still let go of their reserves.

A package of aerospace cooperation plans was quickly signed to fully support the dragon country's starport construction plan.

Birmingham, as a veteran aerospace industry city, has seen its peers make a lot of money.

Naturally, the eyes are extremely red.

But just when they wanted to join the Starport construction plan.

It was blocked by an extremely powerful force.

So they were forced to give up.

The result was a decline in Birmingham's overall revenue.

Cities have even reached the brink of bankruptcy.

There is even a problem with the payment of wages in the public industry.

This detonated the mood of the workers and led to large-scale strikes and demonstrations.

is the scene that Zhang Xingyang saw.

"It's going to happen, but because we're ahead of schedule."

Zhang Xingyang said after taking a sip of porridge.

Birmingham even if not bankrupt today.

As far as I can remember, it will still be bankrupt in more than a decade due to financial problems.

It's just that now it's because the pillar industry is squeezed by the dragon country, and the tax revenue has shrunk and gone bankrupt.

And then it went bankrupt because of other problems.

"It's unbelievable that Birmingham, the second largest industrial city in Old John's city, has shrunk to such an extent?"

Geng Bo took back his phone and looked at the news report.

"Instead of worrying about Birmingham, let's think about whether Xue Feng can complete the installation of the rotary engine today."

Zhang Xingyang finished his breakfast and said before leaving.

The installation of the rotation engine is actually similar to the installation of the Hall thruster.

It's just that the self-rotating engine needs to be installed on the opening of the aluminum alloy sheet.

The second time I returned to Starport.

Xue Feng will still be shocked by the giant ship-like star port.

The oversized wheels, with a diameter of 900 meters, lie quietly in space.

The background is an endless sea of stars.

The light of the stars is blocked by the huge wheels.

And such a huge space giant will usher in further growth in their hands!

"The No. 1 rotary engine, installation work is about to begin."

After Xue Feng made a report, he was ready to start work.

The No. 1 and No. 2 rotary engines are to be mounted on the spindle.

It is used to maintain the stability of the spindle.

When the spinning engine on the cabin is activated, the spindle spindle spinning engine is activated.

Otherwise, the spindle will also start to rotate slowly under the force conduction.

The outer layer of the spindle has been covered with a layer of superfluid.

Xuefeng piloted the Tiangong Engineering spaceship and flew above the top spindle first.

Ready to start operating the robotic arm, remove the temporary propulsion system that was originally installed here, the Hall Thruster.

"Liu Sheng, prepare to turn off the power of the No. 1 Hall thruster."

Xue Feng said within the communication system.

Liu Sheng, who had already entered the interior of the Tiangong-1 unmanned spacecraft, turned off the power supply switch of the No. 1 Hall thruster on the control host.

"Power to Hall One has been turned off."

After confirming that the power to the Hall thruster is turned off.

Xue Feng carefully removed the power cord and air supply pipe from the double-ring Hall thruster.

The self-rotating balanced engine has much more thrust than the previous Hall thrusters.

The power of Hall's thrusters is too small.

It is difficult to maintain the balance of the central spindle while the giant wheel is spinning.

The rotary engine uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel, which pushes the spindle to maintain stability.

"The installation of the No. 1 rotary engine has been completed."

A bicycle-sized auto-rotating engine mounted on the spindle side.

Xue Feng hurriedly started the installation of the No. 2 automatic rotation engine.

It's still the same installation process.

However, with the first experience, the second installation took a little shorter.

The installation of the No. 2 rotary engine was completed in no time.

"Ready to start the spindle rotation test."

Xue Feng said after reporting to the ground command center.

As the hydrogen-oxygen engine started, bursts of azure flames erupted from the tail nozzle.

The spindle, which is encased in superfluid, begins to rotate at a low speed.

Then slowly picking up speed, the pale blue flames drew a bright blue ring in the darkness of space.

"This scene is so beautiful, like two blue stars very close to me."

Xue Feng wrote in his journal quite literally.

The construction of the starport also abides by many rules of ground construction.

One of the tasks that must be done every day is to keep a work diary.

"The deviation of the spindle is 2/10,000, which is still within the acceptable range."

After the rotation engine stops accelerating.

Because of the superfluid, the spindle does not stop rotating.

Instead, it still rotates at a constant speed.

It is even possible to maintain such a speed for a long time.

It's just that in the process of turning, you will slowly reduce your speed.

Since the spindle is encased in a large amount of superfluid, eccentricity can also occur.

It's just that according to the tests, the eccentricity is very small.

There is almost no impact on the spindle.

"Ready for the installation of the bulkhead rotation engine."

The installation of bulkhead rotation engines is more difficult than that of spindle rotation engines.

Because the bulkhead is an arc-shaped aluminum alloy plate, the Tiangong engineering spacecraft cannot be directly attached to it for installation.

When the spindle is installed, the spindle can be fixed with a robotic arm firmly grasping the spindle.

After a busy day, Xue Feng has not yet completed the installation of a bulkhead rotation engine.

It took a lot of time just to test the relative speed of the starport and the spacecraft.

"At the current pace, will we have enough supplies to complete all bulkhead rotation engine IDEA installations?"

When he was resting at dinner in the evening, Liu Sheng asked.

Their supplies are limited, and the time they can live in the starport is not too long.

If the ground does not launch living materials into geostationary orbit.

Then they must return to the Tiangong space station for supplies.

Xue Feng took a bite of the bun and took a sip of the brewed juice.

"If nothing happens, our current supplies are completely sufficient."

But in the universe, any unexpected coming is very abrupt.

It's also hard to predict.

(End of chapter)