In the Artemis lunar module, two NASA astronauts, Smedley Moore and McAdam Julia, were waiting in the lunar module with uneasy expressions.
Nearly ten hours have passed since the opponent asked them to open the lunar module data.
Normally, ten hours of sleep would have passed, but for them trapped on the moon, this was an extremely long process.
In particular, the lunar module is not very large, and it is almost at its limit to accommodate two people. In the narrow lunar module, it is very difficult for the two of them to move or move their bodies.
In this situation, being trapped on the moon and watching helplessly waiting for the oxygen to be used up little by little is undoubtedly a kind of torture for the two of them.
If they cannot wait for rescue, for them, it is like watching the time of their own death getting closer.
An anxious and restless atmosphere filled the lunar module. At this moment, a clear voice suddenly sounded in the ears of the two of them, like the sound of nature, as sweet and beautiful as the sound of heaven.
"...Friends from NASA, this is the Chinese Xinghai rescue team. We have arrived near the Artemis lunar module. Are you okay?"
The voice in his ears rang, and Smedley Moore was shocked. He quickly pressed the contact headset and replied quickly: "Are you already here? Oh, God, please save us and land on the moon.
There is not much oxygen left in the cabin..."
Along with the sizzling sound of electricity and the delay of the call, the voice on the other end of the communication was transmitted again.
"Yes, we have arrived outside the Artemis lunar module and have seen your situation. However, the ramp is also tilted into the air due to the tilt angle, and we are temporarily unable to get up."
"But please don't worry, we have sent the relevant photos and information back to Earth. The command center is trying to find a solution. Please wait patiently for a while."
After circling the Artemis lunar module several times, Zhai Zhigang finally figured out why something went wrong with NASA's lunar landing.
I have to say that the Americans were really unlucky this time.
There happened to be a long and narrow lunar gap where Artemis landed. (There are gaps on the moon, and the cause of their formation is currently unknown. A more reliable theory is that the lunar core is torn apart by cooling, just like thermal expansion and contraction that cause the ground to
Like tearing.)
And more importantly, this lunar gap is covered with lunar dust, which was not found in earlier detection sites.
This caused two of the four landing gears of the lunar module to get stuck in the gap. One of them was damaged due to severe stress and twisted the mechanical connection at the joint, causing some parts to be damaged and the hatch to be stuck.
With this level of unlucky, it can only be said that the probability of winning five million in lottery tickets is higher than this.
.......
After briefly appeasing the two astronauts in the lunar module, Zhai Zhigang switched the communication channel to the ground command center and reported:
"This is the rescue team. The situation of the Artemis lunar module is not good. Two of its landing gear legs were inserted diagonally into the loose lunar soil. There happened to be a lunar gap there, which blocked the lunar module.
The module's landing gear caused the lunar module to tilt and the lunar landing ramp to move away from the ground, making it impossible for us to climb up."
As for how to rescue the two astronauts trapped in the lunar module, Zhai Zhigang and Chen Dong went around in circles but didn't have a good idea.
Although the lunar module is a small piece of equipment in aerospace facilities, the Artemis lunar module is currently connected to the lander and ascender, and its height has reached five or six meters.
With the gangway tilted away from the ground, they could not get close to the hatch, and rescue methods were yet to be determined.
Moreover, the overall weight of the lunar module is as high as more than ten tons. Even on the moon, they would not have the strength to lift it.
If you have a jack, you can try to lift it up, but who would go to the moon with a jack?
"The ground command center has received it and we are discussing a solution."
At the same time, in the main control room of the manned lunar landing project at the Xiashu Space Center, Xu Chuan and Chang Huaxiang, as well as the aerospace group, and NASA's remote call technicians formed a temporary small meeting to discuss the corresponding rescue plan.
.
"My suggestion is to cut off the damaged landing gear to allow the lunar module to tip over further, and then use the cutting equipment to break open the lunar module door and rescue the two astronauts."
In the small meeting, a technician from NASA with a thick beard and an aerospace expert directly proposed the simplest rescue method.
This is the fastest way to go if you can't get on the ascender.
Moreover, due to its scientific research work, Xinghai happened to carry cutting equipment for mining lunar rocks, so it was not difficult to break open the lunar module.
In the conference room, Chang Huaxiang shook his head and objected: "Forcibly cutting off the landing gear will seriously destroy the balance of the lunar module. Once the lunar module topples too fast, it may threaten the lives of the astronauts inside.
"
Countries all over the world are paying attention to this lunar rescue operation, and it is extremely popular.
Therefore, they need to ensure the personal safety of the two American astronauts. Otherwise, if problems arise, they may be criticized by NASA and the United States, saying that the astronauts died because of problems with their rescue methods. Public opinion will definitely be completely different for them than it is now.
on the contrary.
"But we are running out of time. The oxygen reserve on the lunar module is less than ten hours. Moreover, the two astronauts have not eaten or rehydrated for more than thirty-six hours. If they cannot be rescued as soon as possible,
, there may also be life risks.”
In the conference room, discussions continued.
At this moment, the voices of two astronauts on the moon came over. "This is the rescue team. After careful observation, we may be able to complete the rescue work."
While the rescue plan was being discussed on the ground, Zhai Zhigang and Chen Dong were also observing around the lunar module.
Compared with the ground command center who can only watch the videos and photos they took back, it is easier for them to find some solutions on site.
"The ground command center has received it, please report your plan."
"Through observation, we found that there were corresponding storage materials on both sides of the damaged landing gear. We are going to separate these materials or equipment first to see if we can rebalance the attitude of the lunar module."
Upon hearing this, the expression on the face of the NASA expert on the other end of the communication changed instantly.
The equipment carried on the Artemis lunar module was obviously something they did not want China to have access to.
They would rather let their opponents dismantle the landing gear than consider this option.
Especially on the side stuck into the lunar soil, there are their most advanced lunar exploration vehicles, communication equipment, and experimental packages and equipment for lunar exploration.
These are the crystallization of their most advanced technology, and even if the Chinese take a look at them, it will be a huge loss for them.
But obviously, this is currently the safest and most effective method for moon landing rescue.
In the conference room, Xu Chuan glanced at the NASA expert on the other side of the video call, with a hint of playfulness in his eyes, and said: "Approval of the plan, please ensure your own safety."
"receive."
After a short delay, Zhai Zhigang and Chen Dong on the lunar surface had already launched operations and untied the supplies stored on the side of the landing gear.
A brand new lunar rover was quickly assembled on the moon.
This brand-new lunar rover, designed by NASA, was thoroughly explored before it landed on the moon and had not yet started any missions.
If it hadn't been on a mission, Chen Dong would have even wanted to drive it around the moon twice to test the instruments inside.
After all, the database of the Artemis lunar module is currently open to them, and every piece of data passed back can be intercepted by them.
.......
On the moon surface, Zhai Zhigang and Chen Dong fumbled with the lunar rover and communication equipment on the Artemis, and then quickly unpacked the supplies stored on the other side.
As the experimental packages and equipment boxes for lunar exploration fell to the lunar surface, the Artemis in front of them also swayed, as if being pulled back to balance by the counterweight on the other side.
Unfortunately, for the stuck lunar module, this counterweight is not enough to pull it back to its normal posture.
Moreover, the lunar soil gap zone of the Artemis lunar module landing gear seems to be stronger than imagined.
Looking at the lunar module stuck there unable to move, Chen Dong took a shovel from his lunar rover, which was the tool they used when collecting lunar soil.
He was going to dig holes in the lunar soil of the main lunar module to see if he could restore balance.
After peeling off a thin layer of moon dust on the surface, he swung the shovel and dug for a while. He was panting from exhaustion, but he only shoveled out a few pieces of moon rock.
On the side, Zhai Zhigang walked over, picked up a piece of moon rock from the ground, and looked at it through the tempered glass mirror of the space suit.
"This is a mixture of metal and rock??"
Looking at the moon rock in his hand, Zhai Zhi was stunned for a moment. After shaking off the moon dust, the dusty moon rock unexpectedly revealed a little silver-white metallic luster. It can be clearly seen that the rock formations
Mixed with metal.
"Is there a metal mine here?"
An idea quickly emerged in his mind, and he quickly picked up several other rocks on the ground. Just as he expected, the moon rocks in his hands all had a silver-white metallic luster.
"Captain, what's wrong?"
On the side, Chen Dong came over curiously, looked at the moon rock in his hand, and was stunned for a moment.
"This...this is gold..."
Looking at the moon rock in Zhai Zhigang's hand, Chen Dong stammered in surprise, his whole body was astonished.
"Shh!"
Making a silence gesture, Zhai Zhigang shook his head, quickly collected the pieces of moon rock in his hand, and put them into his lunar rover.
Judging from the reflected metallic light and the most abundant metal on the moon, this is most likely a titanium metal ore. And it is an absolutely rich ore, because according to visual inspection, the metal content of the few stones he just picked up is almost
One third of it.
For them, this is definitely huge good news.
After all, they are already preparing for the development of the lunar surface. Picking up a titanium metal mine for free can greatly save the construction time of the subsequent lunar base and the transportation of materials to the moon.
Fortunately, they have not passed these scenes back and can still keep this secret.
Thank you Artemis and NASA. If it weren't for them, this metal deposit would definitely have nothing to do with them.
.......
PS: To make up for yesterday’s second update, I got stuck. Mainly because it was difficult to find a reasonable reason for the crash and how to quickly develop the moon. It took me a long time to figure it out.