After the Xinghai Research Institute was officially established, Xu Chuan's work became three points and one line.
He lives in a villa at the foot of Purple Mountain, attends classes and tutors students on the NTU campus, and Xinghai Research Institute handles initial project work.
In addition to these, the remaining time is used to study the new atomic doping structural mechanism and multi-orbital strong correlation system discovered in the KL-66 material.
Nearly a week has passed like this, and there is still half a month left, and it is almost New Year's Day of the new year.
In a conference room of Xinghai Research Institute and Aerospace Research Institute.
Xu Chuan sat on a chair and listened to the report by Weng Yunzong, the general director of the Aerospace Institute.
Although the instruction document for restarting manned spaceflight and even lunar exploration projects has not yet been released, the relevant projects fall on the Xinghai Research Institute, or in other words, like the controllable nuclear fusion project, a new research institution has been established here.
It's a foregone conclusion.
For Xu Chuan, the development of aerospace technology is almost as important as the first after the completion of controllable nuclear fusion technology.
After all, the stars and the sea are the most desirable directions.
"Currently, engines in the aerospace field mainly include chemical fuel propulsion engines used in the atmosphere and electric propulsion engines used in outer orbit."
"Fossil fuel rockets mainly use liquid oxygen and kerosene fuel, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel, liquid oxygen and methane fuel, unbiased dimethyl hydrazine fuel and solid fuel. The fuel used by our Long March series rockets is mainly liquid oxygen and kerosene.
..."
In the conference room, Weng Yunzong gave a simple and general report on the current aerospace directions of various countries.
Through the meetings he participated in these days, through Weng Yunzong's words, and through some information he consulted, Xu Chuan had a general understanding of the aerospace industry and related developments at home and abroad.
After hearing this, he said: "From the information you reported, if we develop a space shuttle, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen should be the most suitable fuel."
Weng Yunzong nodded and said: "Well, liquid hydrogen-oxygen fuel is indeed the most commonly used and highest-performance rocket propellant fuel at present."
"However, due to the ultra-low temperature properties of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, both storage and use are quite troublesome. Our domestic technology in this area is relatively lagging behind."
After a slight hesitation, he looked at Xu Chuan and said: "With all due respect, Academician Xu, although our domestic aerospace technology has developed quite rapidly in recent years, it started late after all. In terms of aerospace technology, it is on par with the United States and Tsarist Russia.
There is still a big gap between other countries."
"The launch vehicles we are currently developing, whether they are the Long March series or the Shenzhou series, have basically a carrying capacity of less than 30 tons. We do not have much experience with high-capacity launch vehicles above 30 tons."
"And if we want to develop space shuttle technology, there are too many things involved in large-capacity launch vehicles and space shuttle-related technologies."
After a pause, he continued: "Although it's hard to say that boosting other people's ambitions destroys one's own prestige, judging from our current domestic aerospace technology, if we want to complete a manned moon landing, especially through technology like the space shuttle,
It can be said to be something that is almost impossible to do.”
Hearing this, Xu Chuan didn't pay much attention.
As far as facts are concerned, the development of the aerospace field is indeed as Weng Yunzong said.
Because aerospace, especially manned space and moon landing technologies, are difficult to bring equivalent returns, aside from the Cold War period of the last century, countries in aerospace technology have basically not invested much in it.
Take China as an example. Currently, China’s aerospace industry budget is only 13 billion RMB in 2020, less than 15 billion RMB in funds, and this is for the Long March, Shenzhou, Beidou, Chang’e, etc.
The various items such as the Heavenly Palace are added together for the total.
It sounds like a lot, but it's actually quite a few.
You know, in the last century, the United States formulated the Apollo program in order to achieve manned landing on the moon, and the total investment in it exceeded 22 billion meters.
If calculated based on the economic growth and inflation of the United States to today, this number would have increased by about seven to eight times.
In other words, it would cost about 150 billion yuan to achieve a manned moon landing.
Of course, this conversion does not actually mean much. After all, the technology was relatively immature at that time, and the investment was naturally more.
Nowadays, manned moon landings cannot cost so much money now that aerospace technology is relatively mature.
But judging from this data, it is enough to see how expensive investing in aerospace technology is.
And it’s not just about funds. The manned moon landing involves too many core technologies.
Just a large-load launch vehicle involves rocket body, power plant system, control system, telemetry system, external measurement system, safety control system, etc., not to mention a space shuttle.
Manned space technology involves an almost complete industrial system, and even to some extent, the scope of involvement is broader than controllable nuclear fusion technology.
Investment and research in this area cannot be achieved overnight.
It is very difficult to catch up or even surpass us in aerospace technology.
Not to mention other things, just the load capacity of the launch vehicle. The Saturn V super-heavy launch vehicle developed by the United States in the 1960s has a thrust of 3,400 tons, and its carrying capacity is in low-Earth orbit and lunar orbit.
Reached 118 tons and 45 tons respectively.
In China, the Long March 5 with the strongest carrying capacity currently has a maximum thrust of 879 tons and a carrying capacity of 25 tons in low-Earth orbit. There is no data on the lunar orbit.
From this point of view, it can only be said that the task is long and arduous.
.......
After understanding these gaps, Xu Chuan was naturally clear, but he did not give up.
For a scientific researcher, the most fearless thing is to face the difficulties he encounters.
After thinking for a while, Xu Chuan looked at Weng Yunzong and asked: "If it can provide millions of kilowatt-hours of electrical energy, is there any suitable electric propulsion engine technology that can achieve a carrying capacity of 100 tons?
?”
Hearing this question, Weng Yunzong was stunned for a moment and then frowned.
After thinking for a while, he smiled bitterly and shook his head: "This question is beyond the scope of my answer. I don't know much about the electric propulsion series."
"After all, when I was at the Sichuan Space Base, I was mainly responsible for chemical fuel launch vehicles."
After thinking for a while, he continued: "If you need something related to electric propulsion, I can recommend someone to you."
"Who? In China?" Xu Chuan asked.
Weng Yunzong nodded and said: "Of course in China, Academician Yang Hong, the chief designer of the Tiangong Space Station. His technology related to electric propulsion should be the top in the country, and the world's top Hall propulsion is used on Tiangong.
The instrument was designed by him."
Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll look for Academician Yang here."
Weng Yunzong glanced at Xu Chuan, thought for a moment and then said after hesitating: "As for the electric propulsion engine, to be honest, I personally am not very optimistic about it."
"Whether it is an ion thruster or a Hall thruster, although the understanding is not deep, the thrust of both is not large. It is enough to be used on satellites or space stations in outer space, but if it is used in the atmosphere now, I am afraid there will be no four
Five updates are difficult to achieve."
"After all, the thrust is too weak, still at the millinewton level."
"As for studying electric propulsion, I would suggest imitating the aerospace route of the United States and using chemical fuel for propulsion. At least this is a path that has already been taken, and we have a greater certainty of success."
Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled and said: "You are right. Chemical fuel propulsion technology is indeed a road that has been traveled. It is more mature and we can cross the river by feeling the stones."
"But its potential has basically reached its end, and it can be said that it is difficult to expand forward. I think you are also aware of this."
Hearing this, Weng Yunzong nodded in approval.
Although chemical fuel rocket technology is mature, the specific impulse can hardly be improved any further.
Xu Chuan continued: "If we want to surpass Western countries led by the United States in aerospace technology, we must find another way."
"Electromagnetic propulsion is undoubtedly the key to the future, especially under the premise that controllable nuclear fusion technology has been realized, it is even more necessary to develop electric propulsion with high specific impulse."
After a pause, he continued: "Of course, at present, our route has not been determined. Whether it is a traditional fossil fuel propulsion engine or an electric propulsion engine, both are under consideration."
"The specific development direction will be discussed and studied by convening experts in the aerospace field after the manned spaceflight and manned moon landing projects are implemented."
"Our job now is to sort out the advantages and disadvantages of various propulsion and related engines, and then discuss them at the project meeting later."
"Don't worry, I'm not someone who can't listen to suggestions. Discussions should be made and discussions should be discussed."
Hearing this, Weng Yunzong's half-hearted heart relaxed a little.
When he was transferred here from Sichuan Space Base, the instruction he received was to fully cooperate with Academician Xu's research work.
What this means is naturally self-evident.
But to be honest, crossing industries is like crossing mountains. The barriers between different fields are not so easy to cross.
Especially in the two almost completely unrelated fields of controllable nuclear fusion and aerospace engineering.
He was a little worried that this person might be obsessed with a certain technology that he thought might be possible but was currently very difficult to achieve, and then invested a lot of manpower, material resources and money, and ultimately made slow progress or achieved nothing.
This is not an impossible thing to happen.
However, after saying these words, he felt relieved a lot.
.......
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