Chapter 799 Traces of Underground Ice?

The artificial biosphere technology of the United States should not be underestimated.

There is no problem with the design of the entire life support unit, and it can even be said that the design is quite perfect.

From the air circulation system to the water filtration system and the automatic irrigation device of the planting area, every resource can be used to the maximum efficiency, basically one foot on the border of science and fantasy.

There is even a circular interface with a diameter of about three meters reserved on the side of the entire life support unit, presumably for expanding the size of the colony.

Just like the ambitions shown by Space-X and NASA in the Ares project, they are serious about building New Virginia into a 100-person colony, and using the rich methane and carbon dioxide resources on Mars to realize an artificial and closed colony through self-cultivation. self-circulation of the ecosystem.

If you want to talk about the only problem, or the only place where Lu Zhou, an ecological layman, can find fault, it is probably that the Ares plan was pushed too hastily, and it just happened to encounter a global sandstorm that I don’t know how long it will last. ...

Natural disasters accounted for 70%, and human factors accounted for at most 30%. NASA was really in bad luck this time.

If the dust storm hadn't come too suddenly, perhaps the colonists of New Virginia might have gained a firm foothold on Mars. Once the geothermal wells and methane resource collection points are successfully deployed, even if the solar power generation device fails to work in the face of a global sandstorm, it can also rely on other functional means to survive the sandstorm.

Of course, these are all afterthoughts.

After downloading all the data in the life support unit, Lu Zhou used a small amount of energy to unlock the sample library of the life support unit and the door leading to the corridor of the sample library.

The alloy door inlaid on the wall of the experimental area opened slowly, and air with a high concentration of carbon dioxide was poured into the experimental area in an instant. If there were living people inside, it would probably be difficult to breathe by now.

But to the reptiles, it's just a breeze passing by.

Passing through the dusty corridor, this nimble little guy quickly moved to the sample library, and rows of neatly arranged sample racks appeared in front of the camera.

Judging from the labels affixed to the sample rack, the rock samples from various areas around the New Virginia colony are stored here, and the coordinates and depths of sampling are recorded with numbers and letters.

Although these astronauts going to Mars are called "colonists" in name, in fact their daily tasks are mainly scientific investigations.

And these precious samples are one of their scientific research achievements.

"It seems that there is no channel directly connected to the sample library in the experimental area... It's a pity that I couldn't take these things away." Looking at the samples displayed here, Lu Zhou, who was sitting next to the terminal, had a regretful expression.

If these samples can be brought back to Earth, mankind's understanding of Mars will definitely rise to a new level.

Unfortunately, the situation at that time did not allow the colonists to bring all these precious samples to the return capsule, so that these things could only be abandoned here.

Xiao Ai: [Master, do you want to start the scanning program? 0.0】

Lu Zhou nodded and said, "Well, let's start it."

After waiting quietly for five or six minutes, the Mars rover waiting in the sample library moved to the first row of sample racks, and a part shaped like a searchlight slowly protruded from the top.

As the azure blue light is slowly released from the tapered opening, the samples displayed on the shelves are enveloped in it one by one.

According to the information carried by the reflected beam, under the processing of a special algorithm, a series of physical information such as the element content and particle size of each rock are fed back to the control terminal in front of Lu Zhou.

Not only that, according to the sampling location and depth area of ​​each rock sample, these data were quickly mapped to the corresponding area on the map.

In less than ten minutes, a circular resource distribution map with a diameter of about 10-20 kilometers was conveniently presented in front of Lu Zhou.

Looking at this resource distribution map, a look of interest suddenly appeared on Lu Zhou's face.

It was already a lot of money to get the data of the life support unit, but I didn't expect to get such an unexpected harvest from this life support unit!

According to the data on this map, there are at least two craters that intermittently erupt methane gas near the New Virginia site, as well as a suspected subsurface ice layer in a shallow area!

Although as early as March 19, the Mars Express probe of the European Space Agency had found traces of liquid water under the ice cap of the South Pole of Mars. Earlier, NASA also announced the discovery of perchlorate in the crater However, these resources with extreme conditions and uneven distribution are obviously difficult to use directly.

If an underground ice layer with sufficient reserves and relatively shallow depth can be identified, it will undoubtedly be of great help to the future colonization of Mars!

"...It seems that NASA actually possesses far more information about Mars than what they published and published papers."

Staring at the area marked with suspected underground ice, Lu Zhou pondered for a moment, reached out and tapped on the keyboard twice, marking this area.

There is no need to be on time at all, Xiao Ai immediately understood what he meant.

Xiaoai: [Master, do you need to explore this area? (o゜▽゜)o☆】

Lu Zhou nodded and said: "Well, after the investigation of the remains of the New Virginia Colonial Station is completed, let the reptiles go for a walk here. If you find underground ice, report it to me immediately."

Xiao Ai: 【Obey! ()】

Finally, after witnessing the honor of the life support unit and NASA's black technology, Lu Zhou's curiosity was satisfied.

Even without him watching over the rest of the work, Xiao Ai can perfectly execute his orders.

After instructing Xiao Ai to preserve the original appearance of the life support unit as much as possible, Lu Zhou copied the data in the terminal to a mobile hard drive, then took the mobile hard drive through the entrance of the underground laboratory, and took the elevator back to the main building of the Institute for Advanced Study layer.

Taking out his mobile phone from his pocket, Lu Zhou opened the address book and flipped through it for a while, and soon broadcasted a number.

The phone rang twice and was connected immediately.

A hoarse and tired voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hey?"

Lu Zhou: "Excuse me, is this Professor Hu?"

Hearing Lu Zhou's voice, Hu Yang froze for a moment, then said.

"Yes...you are Professor Lu?"

"Yes, I'm Lu Zhou." After a pause, Lu Zhou continued to ask, "Where are you now?"

"I'm here at the Space Research Institute of Shangjinghua Academy of Sciences... Is there anything going on?"

"Yes," without too many pleasantries, Lu Zhou went directly to the topic succinctly, "If you are free, please come to the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study. I have something that is inconvenient to talk about on the phone. Hand it over to you.

For a moment, Professor Hu held his breath.

With a tone of uncertainty in his excitement, he asked in a trembling voice: "...is it related to the Tinder Project?"

As if it answered his expectations.

Lu Zhou's next words made his eyes glow with excitement again.

"Yes, it's related to the Tinder Project!"