You were told to build a tractor, but you're building a rocket? Chapter 168 - 164 Deep Space Detection Network1

To prevent sliding and ensure even force distribution, as well as to facilitate lifting, the node module was transported upright, supported by molds cradling its curved bottom, rather than lying horizontally.

The transfer trailer, together with the standing node module, had an overall height exceeding 14.5 ters. From the ground level, it almost seed as if it were scraping through the workshop doors, although in reality, there was still less than two ters of clearance.

This also dictated that the transported cabin sections or the rocket casings couldn’t exceed 14 ters in height, so even the New Yuan No. 4 rocket, which was in a PPT state, was ultimately designed with a diater of only 14 ters after reinforcent.

If only the aircraft transportation conditions and the launch site were considered, this figure could reach 18 ters, surpassing the N1 and becoming the world’s thickest rocket.

Although this record didn’t an much...

However, the node module wouldn’t be imdiately transported to the Qiongzhou launch site once it was moved out; the New Yuan No. 3 rocket wasn’t even ready yet.

It had to be moved out of the workshop and stored elsewhere, otherwise it occupied too much space.

Even though the B-level Base’s workshop was exceptionally large and, in theory, could accommodate the processing of two 14-ter level cabin sections at the sa ti, in practice there were other things to be manufactured, and having one large item in the way was too much of a hindrance.

But although the workshop workers thought the big guy was sowhat in the way, it didn’t affect their affection for this node module at all.

This was the world’s largest diater cabin section; although it was only 6 ters in length, the interior space reached a terrifying 320 cubic ters, so wide it could be used as a square.

The other two sections along the axis were even more exaggerated, being super cabin sections 14 ters in diater and 45 ters in length, constituting the core control segnt of the entire space station.

One of the sections was designated as the pilot cabin, housing navigation equipnt fixed by extra-large gyroscopes and storing a significant amount of fuel; the other was a module for docking with other spacecraft and storing cargo and also housed a lot of equipnt.

Even though they were not as empty as the XS-62, the usable space still exceeded three thousand cubic ters, with two totaling nearly seven thousand cubic ters.

It was imaginable that the so-called third- and fourth-generation space stations were nothing compared to just this axial cabin section. If the Forward Space Station was classified as a fifth-generation, then the generational gap was too exaggerated for other space agencies to know how to catch up.

Moreover, constructing such a massive space station required an additional facility: a space shuttle.

A small one simply wouldn’t suffice as these gigantic structures needed to be fortified with scaffolding to enhance strength; they couldn’t rely solely on dockings to withstand the pull of rotation, which would undoubtedly cause problems.

A hundred-ton class space shuttle was required, and currently, none were in service worldwide.

Although NACA had restarted the space shuttle program, the success of H1 convinced them that miniaturization was the right path. They didn’t start another project or continue the STS program but chose to invest directly in Dream Chaser.

While everyone believed that hundred-ton class space shuttles were unfeasible, New Yuan was silently progressing with the H2 project.

On June 1st, a gray-white H1 type space shuttle was loaded onto an Il-62 and took off from B-level Base, heading to the New Yuan Aerospace Launch Site.

The outside world speculated that this was a new model of the H1 modification or a special test vehicle without thermal insulation material applied.

The conclusion was more or less correct; this was a specially manufactured unmanned verification aircraft designed to test H2-related technologies.

The reason its surface had turned a dull gray was that it was equipped with brand new heat-resistant tiles.

In order to reduce operational costs, H2 decided to use heat-resistant tiles that wouldn’t need replacing over the entire service life and were integrated to eliminate risk completely.

Therefore, New Yuan’s engineers applied to this H1 the integrated heat-resistant layer technology anticipated for H2. The interior was incredibly complex and non-replaceable, allowing for heat transfer from the most heat-bearing bottom part to evenly wear the entire thermal layer until completing a 100 flight lifespan.

This set of thermal layers was extrely expensive, accounting for more than half of the manufacturing cost of this H1. But if it could result in an entire lifecycle without the need for refurbishnt, it would be well worth it.

On June 4th, the test vehicle codenad H1X, carried by New Yuan 5B, took flight at the Qiongzhou Space Launch Site. On its return, it did not land in Qiongzhou but directly returned to New Yuan Airport.

New Yuan announced to the public that it was conducting a flight test for a major improved model of H1, leaving other major space agencies with a bundle of questions but refusing to divulge any information.

NACA couldn’t make head or tail of it and could only push Nevada Mountain Company again to accelerate the progress of Dream Chaser.

...

In the Spacecraft Design Departnt, Xiao Okada was fiddling with a giant Solar System Star Map, placing magnetic pins on it. Lin Ju stood behind him, casually taking a seat on the table.

"Boss, are you really planning to undertake such an ambitious plan?"

"Yes, within ten years, we should complete the exploration of the planets within the Solar System as much as possible, acquire essential data, and prepare for unmanned or manned landings."

Lin Ju, after finishing that statent, also picked up a magnetic pin and placed it on Europa, the second satellite of Jupiter.

He had co to assign tasks to Xiao Okada, who specialized in spacecraft design. Lin had tasked him with organizing the launch of probes to all the planets in the entire Solar System, preferably including landings.

This included the eight major planets, the asteroid belt, several of Jupiter and Saturn’s moons, and so on—an exceedingly complicated mission.

Ten years was the tifra Lin Ju had set for Xiao Okada.

The next system mission was uncertain, although Mars was a high likelihood, but what if it wasn’t, or if another location or mission arose?

Yet it would most likely still be within the Solar System and, for future missions, surveying the entire Solar System was essential.

However, Okada was still profoundly shocked because this was not rely about simply sending a probe like in the last century. It was an attempt to establish a network spanning various celestial bodies for long-term monitoring.

This network included the asteroid belt, which, although lacking fully-fledged planets, was rich in resources with a considerable amount of high-value asteroids that could potentially beco significant resource fields in the future.

To implent this plan, an investnt of tens of billions would be required over a period of 10 to 15, maybe even 20 years, making extensive use of heavy-lift rockets and ticulously calculating the orbits of celestial bodies while forming a team specially tasked with overseeing this deep space network.

And to communicate with these deep space probes, which were at distances asured in astronomical units from Earth, it was necessary to construct super-large antennas on the ground or in near-Earth orbit to handle massive data transfers.

So Lin Ju tentatively nad it the "Star Dwelling" deep space network, to provide various services for flights within the entire Solar System, including pre-selecting landing sites, spacecraft navigation, cosmic teorite impact prevention, and so forth.

Xiao Okada was well aware of the importance of this task, which was almost like holding the entire star system in the palm of one’s hand.

"Rest assured, President. The detailed plan for the deep space network will be completed and submitted before the end of the year. However, I still want to ask how much budget the Star Dwelling network can receive annually?"

Lin Ju: "It can’t be too much., it should be kept under two billion to minimize the financial pressure significantly."