It seems simple, but this resource propulsion module is responsible for the Lunar Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft flying back and forth between the earth and the moon for a long time. Therefore, the performance requirements for the resource propulsion module are very demanding.
For example, all the thrusters at its tail, as well as the attitude engines on it, including the attitude engines and deceleration engines on the entire Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft, all need to be able to withstand long-term operation and thousands of repeated ignitions. test.
The propulsion engine at its tail must withstand the test of thousands or even tens of thousands of hours of continuous operation.
To give an example, it takes about five days to go from the earth to the moon. Calculated as five days, five days is one hundred and twenty hours. It takes about three or four days to come back from the moon. Just follow this round trip. Calculate two hundred hours, not counting the time it takes to orbit the moon and the earth.
One flight is two hundred hours, so ten flights are two thousand hours. We must know that the traditional launch vehicle thruster only takes tens or hundreds of seconds to work, while the recyclable and reusable rocket thruster only takes thousands or tens of thousands of seconds. After this period, the rocket thruster basically It may be the end of his life.
Of course, the thrusters on deep space probes do not work continuously. They usually shut down after a few seconds after ignition, and then use the inertia generated by the thrust to glide.
But even so, as the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft's flight time increases, the various engines it is equipped with also need to be started and shut down mundanely, and work continuously, which will have a negative impact on the performance of these engines. Very demanding requirements.
You must know that in this kind of deep space navigation, each engine of the spacecraft needs to be controlled accurately enough to ensure that the spacecraft accurately reaches its intended destination.
Take the Earth-moon transfer flight as an example. The straight-line distance from the earth to the moon is 380,000 kilometers. The Moon Express Earth-moon transfer spacecraft cannot travel in a straight line. It needs to follow an elliptical transfer orbit, which naturally increases the distance.
During the entire transfer process, it is necessary to continuously control the engine on the Lunar Express cis-lunar transfer spacecraft and adjust its attitude and direction to ensure that the entire Lunar Express cis-lunar transfer spacecraft can accurately enter the lunar orbit.
If there is a problem in this attitude adjustment, the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft may not be able to enter orbit and miss the moon.
In addition, if its propeller fails, ignites suddenly, and its deceleration engine fails and cannot be started, it may cause the entire Lunar Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft to move too fast and be directly hit like a meteorite. Toward the lunar surface.
If its tail propulsion engine fails, or if its deceleration engine suddenly starts, it will cause its entry speed to be too slow and unable to enter the lunar orbit. It may even float in space and become an ultra-high orbit satellite orbiting the earth. .
After listening to Yu Chengwu's introduction, Wu Hao and the others gained a deeper understanding of this propulsion resource warehouse, and learned that the development of the entire Lunar Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft was not easy.
"In order to ensure that the entire Moon Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft can operate in orbit for a longer period of time, the entire Moon Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft adopts a segmented modular structure, which also means that its overall structure Separation and re-docking can be performed.
A propulsion resource warehouse like this also has a service life, so when it reaches its service life, or there is a problem with the entire propulsion resource warehouse. Then we can separate and throw it away, and then launch a new propulsion resource cabin from the earth to dock with it, replacing the work of the original resource propulsion cabin. "Yu Chengwu continued to preach to the two of them.
“In addition, all the facilities and equipment inside and outside the entire Lunar Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft can be replaced as a whole, and they can be added or removed as needed in the future.
In addition, we have reserved expansion space to increase the structure of the Lunar Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft through docking interfaces, and expand the internal space and functional modules, allowing it to undertake more tasks. "
At this point, Yu Chengwu took his transparent folding tablet from his assistant, unfolded it, then swiped it up and said, "Please look at the big screen."
Immediately, a large screen hanging nearby that originally displayed data displayed a bird's-eye view of the spacecraft model.
How does the spacecraft on the screen look similar to the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft? Zhang Jun couldn't help but wonder.
Yu Chengwu smiled and nodded: "You are right, the spacecraft on the screen is an improved model of the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft.
We docked a new module in front of the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft where the lunar landing ascender was originally docked.
This new module can not only expand the internal space of the entire Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft, but also add a multi-docking device at the front end of the new module, with five docking ports, which can be used for docking and landing on the moon. Ascender and cargo manned spacecraft.
At the same time, the original two docking ports on the left and right can also be used to dock new cabin sections, or to dock spacecraft and spacecraft, thereby increasing the number of spacecraft that can be docked overall.
After the improvement, the Moon Express Earth-Moon transfer spacecraft will no longer be just a transfer spacecraft, but will become a space station flying between the Earth and the Moon. As a result, its application areas will be wider. "
So that’s it. Let me tell you, why is this Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft designed so much like the core module of a space station? It turns out that it is preparing for long-term development in the future. Zhang Jun sighed.
Yes, this can be regarded as making the best use of everything. After all, it has been sailing between the earth and the moon and has the ability to dock and dock with other spacecraft, so in essence it can be regarded as a space station.
Aren’t all countries now planning to develop their own lunar orbiting space stations? We have also thought about this issue. Rather than joining in the fun and spending time and effort to build a new lunar orbiting space station, it is better to use existing resources to turn the Moon Express Earth-lunar transfer spacecraft into a lunar orbiting space station.
Not only is it a lunar-orbiting space station, it's also an Earth-orbiting space station. Wasn't our space station project canceled, so we are also thinking about how to make up for this regret.
If conditions permit in the future, we can make complete arrangements. In this way, we will have a cislunar orbiting super space station that combines an earth-orbiting space station and a lunar-orbiting space station.
This kind of space station is much better than the lunar portal orbiting space station built by Lao Mi.
