Chapter 698 Preparing for the First Start!

Time passed day by day.

As the end of the year draws closer, both pilots and engineers are busy at their posts like a clockwork gear that has been wound up.

As for Lu Zhou, the closer the project is to the end, all the work has been arranged properly, and there are fewer things that require him, the project leader, to be busy.

The design of the space shuttle is in charge of Hou Guang who once participated in the 863 program. Xiaoai can perfectly use the five-axis linkage CNC machine tool to process the required parts, and flexibly use various networked engineering equipment such as logistics vehicles and robotic arms. Assembled, the entire Xiangrui space shuttle is moving from blueprint to reality at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As long as Lu Zhou can guarantee the stability of the capital chain, the completion of this aircraft is almost a certainty.

Of course, this is not a simple matter.

Although Xiao Ai, who has a full set of processing equipment, performed well in the industrial field, there are still many things that Lu Zhou cannot produce. For example, the flight control system was purchased from Hangke Group. Another example is the surface coating. Although it is designed by the Institute of Computational Materials, the production is outsourced to a professional chemical company.

A series of cutting-edge materials such as high-temperature surface insulation tiles, reinforced C-C composite materials on the leading edge of the wing, and even the special steel used in the main structure of the aircraft are not ordinary goods. While ensuring that the material is relatively light, a series of properties such as tensile strength, fracture toughness, corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance must be maintained at a fairly high level.

Corresponding to its excellent performance is its heinously complicated processing technology.

It is no exaggeration to say that its cost per square meter has even surpassed the housing prices in the center of Jinling City.

Because these things are not produced by Xingkong Technology itself, but from upstream suppliers in the industrial chain, a large part of the cost of the entire space shuttle is concentrated in these places, and the prices of various orders can easily range from tens of millions to hundreds of millions. The entire Xiangrui is almost piled up with RMB.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that aerospace is burning money.

However, compared to Americans, Lu Zhou is quite comfortable.

The Columbia space shuttle has cost the U.S. government hundreds of billions of dollars from its service to its retirement. The average cost per launch is as high as 500 million U.S. dollars, and there are always various problems.

On the other hand, Lu Zhou directly inherited the design of the 863 project and improved it, saving a lot of money that should have been invested in the research and development field. Because of the scanning gun, the Hall Thruster reverse engineered the technology without spending a penny.

Otherwise, even if he emptied his family, he might not be able to build one from the beginning to the end.

Standing in the workshop of the space shuttle assembly center, looking up at the huge space shuttle and the five thick electric engines behind it, Nie Yun couldn't help but let out a sigh of emotion.

"incredible."

Standing next to him, Lu Zhou smiled and asked, "What's unbelievable?"

Nie Yun: "It's unbelievable that you can really make this thing in two months."

Nie Han didn't speak, but the expression on his face was not much calmer than her brother's.

Compared with Nie Yun, who drives a fighter jet, she, who drives the Y-20 large transport plane, can get more excitement from this huge guy. If she was a little disappointed at the beginning, she is now looking forward to the day of boarding the plane for a test flight.

Reading the shock from the expressions on the faces of the brothers and sisters, Lu Zhou simply replied: "It's not just two months, the preparations for production started half a year ago, if it can be traced back to the energy supply parts on it, It started at the beginning of the year."

Nie Yunhan said: "I think this is scary enough..."

"Really?" After hearing this sentence, Lu Zhou hesitated a little, looked at the space shuttle, thought for a moment and said, "I think this is relatively simple compared to the Yang-Mills equation. a little."

Nie Yun: "..."

Nie Han: "..."

In a sense, he seems to be the only person on this earth who is qualified to make such a metaphor.

...

In fact, making such a metaphor is not for Lu Zhou to brag, but because he really thinks so in his heart.

After completing the Yang-Mills equation and establishing the unified theory of strong electricity, he quickly calculated the theoretical model of the acoustic fusion device. Needless to say, the Hall thruster was obtained through the scanning gun. The design and manufacture of the space shuttle were all done by professionals. Thinking about it carefully, he didn't put in a lot of effort.

On the other side, under the leadership of Chief Engineer Hou Guang, a group of technicians are conducting a comprehensive inspection of all parts on the completed space shuttle. In order to rule out accidents as much as possible, he divided the maintenance personnel into two groups, starting from two different positions at the nose and tail of the aircraft, and gave 120 points to any suspected problem. treat with caution.

"Is it checked?"

Technician: "Already checked!"

Hou Guang: "What about the interface between the ionization chamber and the working medium chamber? And the hydraulic pump of the thermal cycle device, have you checked these key equipment?"

The technician nodded affirmatively: "Everything has been checked! Everything is normal!"

Hou Guang: "Are you sure?"

Technician: "OK!"

Hou Guang nodded: "Then check again!"

"……Yes!"

Although repeated inspections are a very torturous thing, the technicians on site did not complain at all about Hou Guang's order.

The space shuttle is a huge and sophisticated piece of equipment. Only by ensuring that each of the more than 100,000 parts are working properly can astronauts be sent to outer space and brought back safely.

And any tiny omission, even if the screw is not tightened, may lead to extremely serious consequences.

Therefore, as a senior in Huaguo Aerospace Industry said, every successful launch is almost a failure, and every launch failure is a near success.

The maintenance work lasted for three full days.

Finally, the day before New Year's Day, Hou Guang, who finished all the inspection work, walked to Lu Zhou's side with the inspection report that had been sorted out.

Taking the report from his hand and glanced at it, Lu Zhou asked.

"Already prepared?"

"It's ready!" Looking at Lu Zhou, Hou Guang said excitedly, "Now we just need to find a way to transport it to the launch base more than ten kilometers away, and then do the last inspection, and then we can start to arrange the launch plan !"

It is not an easy task to transport this big guy more than ten kilometers away.

Especially when confidentiality has to be taken into account.

However, this is very difficult for others, but it is not a big deal for Lu Zhou.

"That's easy to say."

Lu Zhou smiled and dropped this sentence.

Immediately afterwards, he took out his mobile phone from his pocket, stepped aside, and dialed a familiar number.

"Captain Dai, I have to trouble you with something."