Chapter 728 Space Planting Unit Deployment

Going to the moon is just the first step.

For the researchers who put astronauts on the moon, what really matters is what happens after the moon.

After loading part of the materials in the lunar module on the lunar rover, Nie Han, who was sitting in the driver's seat, started the engine skillfully, and carried Liu Zhengwen, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, towards the crater closest to the landing point. Drive over.

Looking at the stacked craters in the distance, and then looking back at the blue planet, Liu Zhengwen couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"This moon is really desolate."

"yes."

There was no further exchange between the two along the way.

Until the lunar rover stopped next to a crater, Liu Zhengwen got off the car, looked around, and found a pole made of unknown material, standing abruptly on the open space near the crater.

"There is……"

"Probably the flagpoles of the Americans. It is said that they used nylon flags in the early days, and most of these flags were damaged by cosmic rays. It is estimated that there is only one pole left... Turn on the action recorder."

Liu Zhengwen had a clear expression on his face.

He is of course aware of the damage effect of cosmic rays on nylon materials that have not undergone special treatment. After all, his education is probably the highest among the three astronauts. I'm afraid that it's not just the nylon material that's been eroded, it's probably even the pole that's been brittle under the radiation of the solar wind right now.

"It's already opened. When I leave the landing module, I will open it."

Pulled out a flag from the lunar rover, Nie Han nodded with his back to him.

"Really? That's good."

Looking at Nie Han who was slowly walking towards the center of the crater with the flagpole on his shoulders, Liu Zhengwen said.

"What about ours?"

"Of course we have learned their lessons. As long as we don't get hit by meteorites, even if this red flag stands here for a hundred years, it will be fine."

Waved the bright red flag, and then forcefully inserted it on the barren lunar soil, and unfolded the fixed tripod.

Looking at the flag flowing like blood, Nie Han smiled slightly, raised his arm and wiped off the moon dust on the mask, "This is the first step... sooner or later, we will put It's stuck all over the moon."

Although it was just a very ordinary sentence, for some reason, at the moment of hearing it, Liu Zhengwen, who was standing not far away, felt the blood in his heart tumbling and his heart surging.

Recalling my longing for the future when I chose such a major...

Recalling the oath I made when I signed up for the astronaut selection...

"The moon is too small."

Looking back at Liu Zhengwen who spoke suddenly, Nie Han raised his eyebrows.

"Oh?"

Looking fascinatedly at the blue planet in the sky, Liu Zhengwen smiled and continued talking.

"Just the moon is so boring. Sooner or later, we will plant this flag in the world outside the Kuiper belt."

Hearing this sentence, Nie Han smiled, turned around and walked towards the lunar rover.

"Okay, let's stop chatting here and start working."

They are not here to travel.

Planting the national flag on this land is only the first step.

In addition, there are many things waiting for them to do.

...

Time on the moon is precious.

The food, fresh water and oxygen reserves in the lunar module are only enough to maintain two astronauts staying on the surface of the moon for 48 hours, and the time for each extravehicular activity is only 4-6 hours. Excluding the time spent returning to the lunar module to resupply, eat, drink, and scatter to meet physiological needs, the time left for them to perform tasks is not very plentiful.

After completing the flag planting, the two continued to board the car, and after driving for a certain distance along the edge of the crater, they stopped at a relatively flat area near the ridge.

According to computer analysis, the probability of this area being visited by meteorites is relatively small.

Although it is a probability in the statistical sense, it still has certain reference value.

After stopping the rover, Liu Zhengwen took out the infrared beacon from the rover as he had done countless times during training, placed it on a flat ground, and then returned to the rover to evacuate the area.

Soon, on the 127-minute orbit, a pitch-black square object separated from Xiangrui, dragged a weak reverse jet flame, and slowly landed on the surface of the moon under the pull of the moon's gravity, stirring up billows of dust.

After waiting for the flying moon dust to drift away, the lunar rover returned to this area.

After getting out of the car, Liu Zhengwen pulled out a data cable with a special interface from the spacesuit and connected it to the device.

Soon, a progress bar appeared on the screen connected to the arm.

With the completion of the progress bar, a simple control interface quickly appeared in front of his eyes.

"...This is the lunar scientific research team. The planting unit has been successfully deployed, and the device has started normally."

After a brief electric sound, Nie Yun's voice came from the communication screen.

"Check the condition of the specimen."

"receive."

The entire space planting unit covers a total area of ​​15 square meters, and it looks quite spacious after being unfolded.

The core components are divided into two parts, most of which are planting cabins, which are used to cultivate five easy-to-cultivate crops such as potatoes and carrots, and a small part is the breeding cabin, which is located in a corner of the planting unit and contains ten mice.

Among them, six mice were divided into two groups, one male and one female, and the remaining four "single mice" were sterilized and lived in single rooms separated by metal fences.

As long as the power supply is uninterrupted, the gas circulation system can continue to work. As for fresh water and food, it is enough for them to survive for a year without increasing the number. If it is confirmed that the creature is dead, the entire device will activate the freezing device to freeze the death test questions to prevent them from rotting.

As for longer time...

In fact, there is no need for that.

This space planting unit is only an experimental model to test whether crops can be grown on the surface of the moon to achieve self-sufficiency in space colonies, and the impact of living things on health in a long-term low-gravity environment.

As long as one of these mice can survive for more than three months, the whole experiment will not be regarded as a failure.

After starting the diagnostic program of the planting unit, the first thing Liu Zhengwen did was to check the health status of the little mice.

Perhaps because they could not adapt to the gravity environment of outer space, a few mice appeared to be rather sluggish, but fortunately, they were still alive and could respond to some movements in the outside world.

Liu Zhengwen was not sure whether they could survive tenaciously, but he still prayed silently for these little lives who dedicated their lives to science.

After confirming that the specimen was in good condition, he checked the operation status of the planting unit one last time, then removed the data connected to his arm, and reported the situation to Nie Yun who was far away on the Xiangrui.

"...This is the lunar surface scientific research team. All the specimens in the planting unit survived, and the air pressure, temperature, and carbon-oxygen balance were all at the standard level, and no abnormalities were found."

"Great job! Ready to start a mission."

"receive."

After completing the deployment of the space planting unit, the next step is to collect lunar soil.

For a long time, the samples of lunar soil and lunar meteorites preserved by the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been collected by remote-controlled detectors. This kind of lunar soil and rock soil samples collected manually by astronauts is the first time for Huaguo.

Looking at the gray moon soil all over the mountains and plains, Liu Zhengwen, who was holding a sampling shovel in his hand, had bright eyes.

For him who used to work in the Lunar and Planetary Science Research Center, he really knows how valuable these things are.

No, that's not accurate enough. The value of these things cannot be measured by money.

If it wasn't for the limited weight he could carry, he would have dug all over this area.

"Hurry up, time is limited," Nie Han put a tumble of powdered moon dust into a special sample bag, and glanced at the locator on his arm, "The next sampling point is at the crater two kilometers away. Let's move fast."

After recovering from the excitement, Liu Zhengwen fixed himself with the hook lock around his waist, and then knocked on the ring mountain with the iron catalpa in his turn.

"clear!"

-

(Khan! The chapter number seems to be wrong, this should be chapter 727, I will change it immediately)