The Science Fiction World of Xueba

一 The next morning, Pang Xuelin was awakened from hunger. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Watney chewing an energy bar.

"This is what I found in the car. It is estimated that it was left by Martha when they were out of the mission. A total of four can be used as our food today."

Xi Pang Xuelin took the energy bar, peeled the package, stuffed it in his mouth, and chewed.

With some food in his belly, Pang Xuelin gasped and said, "Wotney, what do you think of?"

Watney shook his head and said, "The only way I can think of is to open the airlock chamber and let the air inside overflow, but in this way, the plant seeds in the habitat and the bacteria produced by our fertile fertilizer must be We died because of cold and lack of oxygen. By then, we would not have enough food and we would not be able to endure it for a year. Alas, it would be nice if there were air separation equipment ... "

Suddenly Pang Xuelin's heart asked, "What did you just say? Air separation equipment?"

Watney: "Yes, air separation equipment, but we don't have this thing."

Pang Xuelin said: "But we have atmospheric regulators!"

Watney said for a moment, saying: "The atmospheric regulator can only adjust the oxygen content. It can lower the temperature to 90k at least, so that the oxygen liquefies, and the freezing point of 77k of nitrogen can maintain the gaseous state. But the freezing point of hydrogen is only 21K , We have no way to separate hydrogen. "

Pang Xuelin laughed: "We don't need to separate the hydrogen, we just need to separate the oxygen, as long as the oxygen concentration in the habitat is reduced to a certain level, no matter whether we ignite or what we do, the hydrogen will not explode. At that time, we can use an oxygen tank to inject oxygen into the air, and then use batteries and electrical wires to make electric sparks, so that the hydrogen in the habitat can be controlled to burn, and this hydrogen can be removed slowly. "

Watney said: "But if the oxygen content is too low, bacteria and plant seeds will still die!"

Xi Pang Xuelin could not help frowning. If this is still not possible, he really has no good way.

等等 "Wait! I have a way to keep plant seeds and bacteria alive!"

Watney said.

"any solution?"

"We can reduce the oxygen concentration to a certain level, about one percent, and then lower the temperature in the habitat to freezing point. At that time, whether it is plant seeds or bacteria, it will enter a hibernation-like state, and 100% One-half of the oxygen concentration, there is no way to let the hydrogen explode, so that we don't have to worry about being unable to grow in the future! "

Pang Xuelin's eyes lit up and he said, "Okay, let's do that!"

This method is simple to say, but it is very troublesome to do.

The two ventured back to the habitat, first adjusted the temperature in the habitat to freezing point, then activated the atmospheric regulator to separate oxygen, and waited until the oxygen content in the habitat decreased to 1% before they stopped the atmospheric regulator. jobs.

Next, Pang Xuelin and Watney found a tank of spray-type pure oxygen and made a small electric spark generator. It took them a day to clear the hydrogen in the habitat.

In the following month, Pang Xuelin and Watney controlled the daily water production to less than 40 liters. The remaining time was to clean up the hydrogen accumulated in the habitat due to the water production.

After 32 Martian days, the two used 500 liters of hydrazine to make a whole ton of distilled water.

The remaining one hundred liters of hydrazine is used as an emergency reserve.

In this ton of water, they added 200 liters of water to the water circulation system, and the remaining 800 liters of water, all mixed them with 20 cubic meters of Martian soil.

Uh ...

35 35th Mars Day.

今天 Today is a big day for Pang Xuelin and Martin Watney.

They will go down in history for the first time in history that humans have carried out agricultural activities on Mars.

成果 The fruits of today's planting will also become the foundation for their future survival on Mars.

But before planting, they have to check the condition of the equipment inside the entire habitat.

There are three air locks in the perch, which are located in the living, planting and energy cabins.

The planting cabin and the energy cabin are connected by a gate and a living cabin respectively, and the three cabins are arranged in a zigzag structure.

In order to prevent accidents, Pang Xuelin and Martin Watney checked the heating system, main battery pack, nitrogen and oxygen storage tanks, lighting system, computer system, water circulation system, air conditioning system, etc.

Subsequently, the two persons completely closed the electronic control system of the airlock door on the side of the planting cabin, adjusted it to a mechanical control state, and then sealed it.

内 For a long time in the future, they will no longer come in and out of the airlock door on the side of the planting cabin.

As for the gate between the living and planting cabins, they also closed the electronic control system and chose robotic control.

The two agreed that the hatch should be closed manually at any time when entering or leaving the planting cabin.

After all the preparations were completed, the two started the formal planting work.

Wotney has cut up potatoes and dug holes in the soil of the planting cabin.

Pang Xuelin learned from Watney, buried half a potato in the pit, poured a spoonful of fertile fertilizer, added a spoonful of clear water, and covered the Martian soil.

It took two hours for the planting area in the early 100s to get through.

"Pang, we must be able to live on Mars!"

Pang Xuelin and Watney looked at each other and smiled.

Uh ...

I came out of the planting cabin, closed the hatch, and they heated up two bags of fried rice in the microwave to treat themselves.

Pang Xuelin said: "Wotney, next, we have to think about how to restore communication with the earth."

Watney took a sip of the peptide protein powder frowning and frowned, "Pang, I'm afraid the only way now is to go to Schiaparelli and use the lander that was there in advance to prepare for Ares IV. MAV (Mars Ascension Vehicle), restored contact with Earth. "

Xi Pang Xuelin shook his head and said, "The long journey of 3200 kilometers, it is too dangerous to rely on a roamer alone. I don't recommend it."

Watney shrugged, "Can we have a better way?"

Xi Pang Xuelin smiled, and slowly put a spoonful of rice into his mouth, saying, "there may not be no way."

Watney froze slightly and said, "What is it?"

Pang Xuelin got up and picked up a topographic map hanging on the wall. He marked it with an "X" and said, "Our current position is in the Asidaria Plain, with latitude and longitude 31.2 degrees north latitude and 28.5 degrees west longitude. Do you remember the training we participated in before the Ares program? Before we officially landed on Mars, we conducted a large-scale unmanned exploration on Mars with a Mars rover. "

Watney looked at the × on the map, his eyes were getting brighter and brighter: "Mars Pathfinder, I see, Mars Pathfinder!"

The Mars Pathfinder is an unmanned exploration spacecraft launched by NASA in December 1996. It landed on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997. In addition to the landing capsule, there was a 10.6 kg Mars rover Sojourner. The Mars Pathfinder was originally planned to work one week a week, but in fact worked for three months and gained a lot of unprecedented Mars intelligence.

Pang Xuelin said: "The location of Mars Pathfinder is 28.9 degrees north latitude, 29.6 degrees west longitude, and 800 kilometers southwest of us. At first, it stopped working because it was out of power. As long as we pull it back, we can Use it to restore communication with the Earth. And it's been so long now, and I think the Ares Command should find that we are still alive! "

Watney nodded: "You are right, but the distance of 800 kilometers, 1,600 kilometers round-trip, our roamer can run for up to three to four hours when fully charged, if calculated at 30 kilometers per hour, once Charging can run for 100 kilometers. The problem is that the rover's power still needs to maintain the temperature inside the car, so it can only travel up to 50 kilometers on a single charge. And after this distance, we have to spend three or four hours. To be fully charged. A maximum of one hundred kilometers a day, which means that our rover will take at least sixteen days to bring back Mars Pathfinder. In addition, we have to carry enough liquid oxygen, carbon dioxide filters, etc. Equipment, and adequate food guarantee ... "

Pang Xuelin laughed: "I have a way to halve the resources consumed on the road."

Watney wondered, "What is it?"

Pang Xuelin said: "Do you remember the radioisotope thermal battery in MAV? (RTG)"

Watney froze slightly and said, "Isn't that stuff buried by Commander Lewis?"

Radon radioisotope thermal battery (RTG) is a device in MAV.

As a Mars lift-off vehicle, MAV is the only equipment for astronauts to return to the voyage ~ www.NovelMTL.com ~ It will land softly at a predetermined location a few years before the astronauts land on Mars, and then wait for the astronauts to wait for them When you need to return, take MAV to leave Mars and dock with the Hermes spacecraft.

In order to ensure that the MAV is reliable in an unmanned state and can perform system self-tests in a timely manner, scientists have installed radioisotope thermal batteries on the basis of solar cells.

This radioisotope thermal battery (RTG) contains 2.6 kg of plutonium 238, which is very unstable. It can decay to release radiation and energy from time to time. It can generate about 1500 watts of heat and 100 watts of electricity. .

Pang Xuelin said: "We can dig it out and put it in the rover, and use it to heat the air in the rover. In this way, the rover does not need to consume extra electricity to keep it warm."

"This method is good!" Watney clapped. "In this case, we can take Mars Pathfinder back in just eight days! And going to the Schiaparelli Crater in the future can also help us save plenty of time."

Pang Xuelin said: "It is true, but you do n’t have to go this time. I ’ll just drive over. On the one hand, the planting cabin needs you to stare. This is the fundamental reason for our survival on Mars. On the other hand, only If I am alone, the consumption of carbon dioxide absorbers and liquid oxygen can be halved, and we must save resources now. "

Wotney hesitated for less than a second before accepting Pang Xuelin's statement.

行 "Okay, then we will dig out the RTG tomorrow, test the rover again, and then set off."

"it is good!"

Pang Xuelin nodded.