Chapter 926 Reverse Stuck Neck
In the office, after chatting with Wen Yuanhang for a while, Xu Chuan asked casually: "Speaking of which, Fuyao should be arriving on Mars soon, right?"
On the sofa, Wen Yuanhang smiled and nodded, saying: "Yes, judging from the latest images and data transmitted back, the distance between Fuyao and Mars is only about 600,000 kilometers."
"According to the planned progress, Fuyao will officially change its orbit and enter the HEO high orbit of Mars in two days. It is expected to adjust its orbit to a low orbit in four days and start the related detection equipment delivery work."
Although their aerospace technology has surpassed traditional chemical fuel launch vehicles by more than one level, Mars exploration is still a difficult task for today's human civilization.
The Fuyao space shuttle, which carried out its first unmanned fire detection mission, could not go directly to the moon like it landed on the moon.
The methods and processes they currently adopt are still based on traditional chemical fuel launch vehicles.
For example, after the Fuyao space shuttle arrives at Mars, it needs to first reduce its speed, adjust its attitude, and enter the Mars HEO orbit.
Here, another 12-hour orbit needs to be completed to perform orbit adjustment, equipment inspection, Mars data materials and other work. Only after ensuring that everything goes smoothly can we gradually move to the middle orbit, low orbit, and release orbit.
Although this cumbersome exploration process is somewhat backward compared to their current aerospace technology, after all, they no longer need such a cumbersome process for landing on the moon.
But for the new space shuttle, this is after all the first time it has carried out a distant interstellar voyage of tens of millions of kilometers to detect Mars.
Sometimes, relatively conservative methods are more appropriate.
Especially when facing a field like deep space exploration where there is little experience, conservative methods may not allow you to achieve better results.
But relatively speaking, it can protect your lower limit and avoid some unexpected risks.
This is necessary for high-cost and high-risk deep space exploration.
After listening to Wen Yuanhang's report, Xu Chuan nodded, thought for a while and then said: "Do you think we should announce the news that Fuyao is about to arrive at Mars in advance?"
Hearing this, Wen Yuanhang looked over with confusion on his face, not sure what this man wanted to do.
The Fuyao fire detection project itself needs to be made public. Is there any significance in announcing it in advance?
Xu Chuan smiled and explained: "Just add some oil to NASA to lower the temperature."
"What do you say?" After hearing this, Wen Yuanhang asked with interest.
Xu Chuan said with a smile: "Do NASA and the United States place their hopes on the lunar space elevator project to revive the glory of aerospace? But I guess they still have certain concerns about this project internally."
“The EU and other countries are probably still waiting and watching.”
"Announcement of the arrival of the Fuyao space shuttle to Mars in advance can reduce the popularity of the lunar space elevator."
"On the other hand"
Speaking of this, Xu Chuan paused, with a smile on his lips, and continued: "On the other hand, I am planning to ask the Sichuan-Hai Institute of Materials to stop selling high-quality carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon fiber, etc. Materials.”
Yes, he is ready to do bad things!
The top graphene/carbon nanomaterial/carbon fiber and other material preparation technologies in China and even the world come from the Chuanhai Materials Research Institute and were developed by him.
Of course, Chuanhai Materials Research Institute provides technology, and the OEM partner is CATL.
A few years ago, President Zeng Yuqun came to find him personally, and the two parties established an in-depth cooperative relationship.
According to last year's data, more than 85% of the world's high-quality graphene and carbon nanomaterials currently come from carbon material factories established by CATL.
For the technology and engineering of the lunar space elevator, the most basic and core thing is materials.
In other words, it is the cable material of the space elevator. At present, it is recognized around the world that the most suitable material for preparing space elevator cables is carbon nanotubes.
In other words, it is a composite material prepared with carbon nanotubes, graphene and other materials as the core.
For example, the technology "a long ribbon-shaped carbon nanotube composite material" presented by Sakura Kuni Dalin Group Co., Ltd. at a press conference.
Judging from the information disclosed at the press conference, the person in charge of Obayashi Group said that this long ribbon-shaped carbon nanotube can be rolled into a spool, similar to the structure of a football.
This structure could be launched into orbit by a spacecraft or shuttle, and when the spacecraft carrying the spool reaches a certain altitude, possibly low-Earth orbit, it will begin to unravel the spool and lower the ribbon back to Earth.
When the ribbon descends into the Earth's atmosphere, it will be captured, lowered and fixed to a mobile platform at sea, and then fixed into the cable of the space elevator.
To put it simply, it is actually throwing a ‘ball of yarn’ from high in the sky.
Among them, ribbons (carbon nanotube composite ribbons) can serve as tracks for railways to space.
Mechanical lifts (elevators) will be used to fix the orbit and climb into space.
I have to say that, in theory, this is indeed a feasible method.
As far as the concept of space elevator technology is concerned, aside from this ribbon (carbon nanotube composite ribbon), other parts of the space elevator can be constructed using known and mature technologies.
For example, including robotic lifts, anchor stations and power transmission systems, etc., these technologies are indeed quite mature in the 21st century.
But the core technology lies in the carbon nanotube composite tape, which is the cable of the space elevator.
Xu Chuan does not believe that the Yamagumi company in Sakura Country can now prepare cables sufficient to support the lifting and lowering of a space elevator, nor does he believe that the United States and NASA have this capability.
After all, the lunar space elevator project was his 'plan', and he also had high-quality graphene, carbon nanotubes and other carbon material production technologies in his hands.
He has calculated how much tensile resistance, strength and elastic modulus index are needed in lunar space elevator technology.
In this regard, Xu Chuan believes in his own abilities.
But none of this prevents him from getting his neck stuck in reverse.
In the past few decades, except for the past few years, it has always been Lao Mi and other Western countries that have had their necks tied to top technologies and materials.
Now it's their turn to do it.
High-quality and excellent composite materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon fibers are currently in short supply around the world, and the gap is huge.
If he asks the Sichuan-Hai Materials Research Institute and the OEM CATL to tighten this gap, whether it is the United States, the European Union, or other Western countries, it will be very uncomfortable.
Even many industrial productions based on these materials will come to a standstill.
For example, in the consumer electronics industry such as mid-to-high-end smartphones and tablet computers, graphene heat dissipation devices, as a highly customized product, have now become one of the most widely used components in these electronic devices.
There are also carbon composite materials, which are widely used in construction, automobile industry and other fields. In order to reduce weight, common high-end cars, civil aviation aircraft and other equipment also use a large amount of carbon composite materials.
In addition to being stuck in the neck and making Laomi uncomfortable, prohibiting the sale of high-quality graphene, carbon nanotubes and other materials to them will also make Laomi and NASA more convinced that the lunar space elevator is feasible.
Otherwise, how could it happen that China has stopped selling the key materials of the space elevator just after they announced the lunar ladder project?
After this combination of punches, the United States may be like a tortoise trying to eat a weight, and it will continue to work on the lunar space elevator project.
PS: There will be another chapter later, it’s the end of the month, please vote for me,
(End of chapter)