Military Technology

Hearing Wu Hao's question, Zhang Jun couldn't help but nodded and looked at Yu Chengwu and Zhou Xiangming.

Indeed, Wu Hao's question was very targeted, and he also wanted to know what to do in this situation.

The Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft can carry up to sixteen people, which also means that it requires two manned spacecraft like Walker to transport the crew. If it is a traditional spacecraft, it may also need more times.

After these two spacecrafts transport the crew to the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft, it does not mean that their missions have become technical. On the contrary, this is the beginning of the mission. They need to be docked to the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft to ensure the entire mission.

Even after the crew has landed on the moon, their mission has not ended. Instead, they continue to dock on the Moon Express cis-lunar transfer spacecraft until the crew members withdraw from the moon and return to Earth orbit aboard the Moon Express cis-lunar transfer spacecraft. , at that time, these spacecrafts carried the crew back to Earth, and their mission was completed only after they landed safely.

Therefore, during this follow-up guarantee process, the manned spacecraft needs to dock with the Moon Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft so that the crew can evacuate to the manned spacecraft for refuge or emergency departure at any time.

But the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft has only three docking ports on the left, right and front. The top is the exit hatch, and the bottom is a panoramic glass observation window.

The front position is reserved for the landing and return capsule, so there are only two docking ports on the right and left. But in that case, how can the docking needs of two manned spacecraft and one cargo spacecraft be met.

Regarding that question, Fei Liangxia smiled and shook her head and said: "Actually, those eight docking ports are completely sufficient. Because your descending lander will only reach the moon when it is transferring personnel and materials. Underneath the Lunar Locomotive Earth-Moon Transfer Spacecraft, the entire transfer process, including the process of orbiting the Earth, will carry the landing descender, because that will increase the mass of the entire Lunar Locomotive Earth-Moon Transport Spacecraft assembly. The increase is Necessary fuel consumption, thereby increasing costs.

Therefore, when the Lunar Locomotive Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft reaches the lunar orbit, the cargo spacecraft will temporarily detach and make way for the docking position to allow the landing descender to retreat and dock. When the entire docking is completed and the personnel transfer is completed, the landing descender will detach and then land under the moon, or fly around the moon. The empty docking port will be docked with the cargo spacecraft that will be separated after docking, forming the original combined structure. "

After hearing Fei Liangxia's introduction, Zhang Jun and Fei Liang also nodded slightly. Indeed, it is indeed not common to transport eighteen people at one time, so that kind of structural design can fully meet the needs of use.

I see. Hearing Zhou Xiangming's introduction, Zhang Jun and Fei Liang both nodded reluctantly. That would indeed not solve the problem.

Besides, transfer missions that can carry eighteen people at a time are not common in Earth-to-Moon transfer missions at present and for a long period of time in the future, and the number of times they are occupied is not very small. Therefore, such an eight-pair interface design is completely practical. . "

Of course, that has nothing to do with whether the air circulation is smooth. The current Lunar Slow Earth-moon transfer spacecraft is still in the development process, and the air circulation system has not yet been turned on. It only maintains the air circulation outside through internal ventilation ducts. The effect is poor, so staying outside is not suitable for some people. That was also an abnormal reaction. "

"There must be a strong demand for transshipment tasks in the future, and there will be less personnel exchanges. How to solve this problem, add new node cabins?" Fei Liang then asked.

But in that case, there would be no glass hanging window for panoramic observation. Wu Hao showed a look of pity.

Zhou Xiangming nodded and replied: "That's the more important thing among the seven. Is there any way to solve it? Launch a node module to dock with the docking port above. In this way, seven new ones cannot be added at once. Even if the top docking port is equipped with a panoramic observation glass hanging window, there are still seven docking ports available at the rear, front, right and left. Add the right, left and rear docking ports below, and there cannot be no docking port available at all. to meet the current expansion needs.

"That one is also very complicated. The panoramic observation glass hanging window located above the node cabin is actually not an independent mechanism in itself. It is docked under the docking port above. There will definitely be strong demand for transportation capacity in the future, so the panoramic observation glass hanging window cannot be abandoned by then. , you can’t even transport it directly to the moon and reuse the waste for the subsequent expansion project of the lunar scientific research station.

It is possible to say that just to retain the panoramic observation glass hanging window, a new node module or a new docking dock must be launched. That is obviously too realistic.

As a result, you will not have seven docking ports, and you will not be able to take a step back to meet the strong transportation demand. "

Immediately, everyone walked out and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although there are ventilation ducts placed outside, it still doesn't feel closed, which is a bit unaccustomed.

Of course, it is possible to launch commercial space tourism in the future. Commercial tourism to the moon has been very popular in the past. If tourists are not willing to launch a new module, it is completely impossible to launch a new module. After all, the wool comes out from under the sheep, so why bother?

Indeed, from the perspective of saving money, it is obviously more practical to abandon the panoramic observation glass hanging window and increase the interface.

Yes, it would require an additional increase in construction costs. "

In addition, the interior space of the Walker manned spacecraft is very considerable. Even when it is fully loaded with four people, there is still not enough space to transport materials, so it is completely unable to meet the transportation process of those materials.

Speaking of that, Zhou Xiangming said with a smile: "Actually, there is no other way. This does not mean that the cargo spacecraft cannot continue its mission before completing the cargo transportation. The entire transfer process requires the participation of the cargo spacecraft.

Seeing the reactions of Zhang Jun and Wu Hao, Fei Liangxia said with a smile: "Have you adapted? It's still hard to get used to being outside a relatively closed space for a long time. Even your Lunar Slow Train The difference between the internal space of the Earth-to-Moon Transfer Spacecraft and the overall space of the space station is small, but it still gives people a relatively large impression.

Seeing Zhang Jun's targeted question, Zhou Xiangming did not hesitate, but answered very calmly with a smile.

Let's go, get out. Zhang Jun circled the inner space of the Lunar Slow Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft and waved to everyone.

So the cargo spaceship was also used to increase its quality, so it was still used.

Because the journey from the earth to the moon only takes about seven days, and the return trip may be even shorter. The supplies needed by those eighteen people could not be loaded on the Lunar Slow Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft.