The bright rays of the sun shine on the spacecraft and the two "golden sailing ships" next to it. The dazzling light they reflect looks very warm. But behind the shadow is the extreme cold of more than minus 260 degrees in space 3k
.
Lu Yuanzhou is performing a spacewalk in an extravehicular spacesuit. Parked next to the spacecraft is the cargo spacecraft launched from the Bainuor Launch Center a month ago. What he wants to do is to replenish fluids for the four engines at the rear of the spacecraft through transportation pipes.
fuel.
The docking port on the top of the spacecraft was also connected to a cargo spacecraft. Wei Xu in the spacecraft was like a martial arts hero who was well versed in light skills, carrying supplies from the cargo spacecraft to their own spacecraft. He was muttering something in his mouth.
:
"The originally planned 45-day space flight plan looks like it will be extended!"
Xia Lan was operating back and forth on two computers arranged opposite each other. She had just received an order from the Jinghua Aerospace Control Center, requiring them to use the "Gaoming" and "Webb" space telescopes near the spacecraft to survey a patch of land four light years away.
Observations of nebulae.
"Senior sister, do you need my help?" Wei Xu easily pushed two supply packages that were as big as his body and flew out of the cargo spaceship.
Xia Lan continued her operation:
"No, you are busy with your work. I just received instructions from the ground to adjust the position of the space telescope. I checked and found that there is not much adjustment gas left in the telescope, but it is enough this time. If there are follow-up missions, it will be
We need to have additional supplies launched from the ground."
"Where is the location to be observed this time?" he asked.
"The data shows that it is a nebula 4 light years away!" Xia Lan replied.
"4 light-year nebula? Has Teacher Zhou's prediction been confirmed?" Wei Xu asked.
Xia Lan shook her head:
"I don't know. We are only responsible for observation and data transmission. The analysis results are completed on the ground."
While waiting for the data to be transmitted back, Xia Jigang also rushed to the Space Control Center because of the news of the detection of gravitational waves.
Director Yin returned to the conference room from the control center below, came to Xia Jigang's side, and whispered into his ear for a while. Although he could not hear clearly what they said, it was obvious that
Xia Jigang's expression gradually turned gloomy.
After repeatedly confirming with Director Yin, Xia Jigang sat in his seat in a daze. Song Shi asked anxiously:
"Are there any observation results?"
Director Yin nodded solemnly:
"Xia Lan and the others have just used the space telescope to observe the nebula, and have preliminarily confirmed that there may indeed be a dense celestial body similar to a white dwarf behind it. Further confirmation and observation work has been carried out, and a more precise answer will be obtained soon."
Xia Jigang sighed softly and nodded to Director Yin who had been looking at him. Then a huge and beautiful nebula photo appeared on the large projection screen in the conference room. The atmosphere in the venue changed with the photo.
It appeared and then gradually became quieter.
Director Yin picked up the laser pointer on the table:
"We just used the Gaoming and Webb space telescopes to observe and take pictures of the nebula 4 light-years away. This is the high-definition photo we obtained. Because the observation location is 20 million kilometers above the ecliptic plane of the solar system.
In deep space, we have obtained observation angles that have never been seen before, everyone, look here."
Because it is filled with various elements formed at the end of stellar evolution, the nebula looks colorful, like a cocktail that has been spilled on the tablecloth. Director Yin pointed the laser at a dim star in the gap of the nebula:
"After comparative analysis of apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude, we believe that this is the white dwarf we are looking for."
Everyone else sighed softly, and even Shen Manling had a look of surprise on her face. Only Zhou Cheng hardly glanced at the inconspicuous star, as if everything should be as it should be. So. Director Yin continued:
"Although the analysis data of the apparent magnitude shows that it is lower in brightness than traditional white dwarfs, this just confirms Professor Zhou's inference. The wormholes they opened absorbed part of the heat of the white dwarf, resulting in its apparent magnitude. Reduced somewhat.”
Everyone's eyes unconsciously turned to Zhou Cheng, the former "Oriental Pauli" and the proud man of the academic world. But he remained unmoved, with a stern look on his face.
"Also, we found something here that might be of interest to us."
Director Yin operated the remote control and enlarged an area in the upper left corner of the middle part of the photo. After the image was sharpened, a hair appeared in the middle of the image that seemed to have fallen onto the photo. Although it was very small, it was clearly visible. . Shen Manling and Yi were startled, staring at the hair with wide eyes and saying nothing.
Song Shi asked:
"Is this an image quality issue?"
Shen Manling stared at the unclear hair in the middle of the photo in a daze, her face turned a little pale, and after a while she slowly said:
"It's the track of 'Oumuamua."
"Trail?" Song Shi opened his eyes wide.
Shen Manling retracted her gaze from the photo and said with a hint of fear and despair in her eyes:
"That's the wake left by an alien spacecraft that quickly passes through interstellar dust. As long as we analyze and calculate the wake, we can quickly figure out its size and speed..."
Zhou Cheng turned his eyes and looked at the inconspicuous hair in the photo. His calculated solution was confirmed, but he was not happy at all. Instead, waves of dark and hollow fear arose in his heart. What he feared was not only the appearance. Star Man's attack, his omniscient student, and the ubiquitous Rain Man.
The calculation results based on actual observations quickly verified Zhou Cheng's previous verification of 'Oumuamua's size and flight speed. It is indeed flying to the earth at 1/3 the speed of light, and will reach the solar system in 8 years. Song Shi's face Hanging with despair, he asked the question that everyone wanted to ask:
"What else are they doing sending Oumuamua here?"
Everyone unconsciously turned their attention to Zhou Cheng. He took a deep breath and spread his hands: