This is how black technology should be used

Chapter 199 Mysterious New Spacecraft
A new video has been released on Practical Tech Aerospace's website.

This video can be said to stir up waves with one stone!

The video is unfolded from the perspective of Li Weiwei inspecting the aerospace base. First, after seeing the environment of the base, people's first impression is cleanliness.

After all, this aerospace company has been remodeled after it was acquired. Many lines have been changed to wireless transmission, and some factories have also lifted the roof and re-raised it.

After that, I went around the construction site under construction, and finally entered a factory building.

And this is also the focus of the entire video.

Li Weiwei walked into the factory building and went through two cleaning procedures before entering the real workshop area. What he saw was a clean and large space with light colors, just like the anti-static clothing they were wearing.

All kinds of equipment are listed among them, many but not chaotic, and many engineers wearing the same anti-static clothing are busy.

The most eye-catching thing is the aircraft in front of it. It is surrounded by many scaffolding, flyovers, moving ladders, and mechanical arms.

However, its overall shape is flatter than that of the "space shuttle", and it looks sharper and more sci-fi.

Its size is not introduced in the video, but according to estimates by netizens, its length is about 20 meters, its wingspan is estimated to be about 15 meters, and its height is about 5 meters.

At this point, the video is coming to an end, and the staff next to him reported to Li Weihuihui: "The progress is going well, and the test flight can be carried out in the middle of the year."

"That's good," Li Weiwei nodded and said, "It seems that human beings can finally enter the next stage of the space age."

The video ends.

Netizens are stupid.

"???"

"What the hell?"

"Fuck, what did I see?"

"Practical technology is going to build an airplane?"

"Is it a model plane or a real plane?"

"Feels like a real guy."

"I don't think it's a simple plane, but a space shuttle!"

"Can such a small spacecraft fly into space?"

"There are even smaller ones, which can go into space with rocket boost, no problem."

"No, your assumption is unreasonable, I know you said 'smaller' is the Dream Chaser space shuttle..."

The space shuttle is a very dreamy spacecraft, and the space shuttle that people are most familiar with is the space shuttle of the Freedom Federation, a behemoth with a length of nearly 40 meters, a wingspan of 30 meters, and a height of more than ten meters.

Its own flight capability is very poor. Because it has a cargo hold that is 18 meters long and 4.6 meters in diameter, it cannot hold much fuel, so it needs external force to fly into space, which is orange fuel that is much larger than itself. tanks and powerful solid fuel boosters.

Later, because the actual use was too far from the idea, and after two major accidents, this dreamy spacecraft was retired.

But people still haven't given up the idea of ​​"space shuttle".

Although there are already reusable spacecraft such as Eagle [-] and Dragon spacecraft, people think that things with wings must have a higher degree of freedom.

In fact, this is true. If there is no fuel, the reusable rocket will definitely fall directly, but the space shuttle with wings can glide.

Of course, people have also learned the lessons of the previous space shuttle, so there are two new routes.

The first is the route of the second-generation space shuttle.

One of them is the Dream Chaser space shuttle.

The "color matching" of the Dream Chaser space shuttle is the classic space shuttle "white on the top and black on the bottom", with a total length of about 9 meters, a height of about 3 meters, and a wingspan of about 7 meters.

Its wings can be folded, with a wingspan of 4.5m after folding, which can fit into a fairing with a diameter of 5 meters.

Its empty weight is about 9 tons, the manned version can support 3 to 7 crew members into orbit, and the cargo version can transport 5.5 tons of payload to the International Space Station.

The size is so much smaller, and its take-off method is also somewhat different from the first generation of large space shuttles.

The size of the first-generation space shuttle is too large, so it is hung on the outside of the "rocket", while it is smaller in size and is normally wrapped in the rocket fairing just like the payload.

During the re-entry process, the re-entry acceleration of the Dream Chaser space shuttle is less than 1.5g, and it can glide in the atmosphere without power for a distance of more than 1800km. The two inclined stabilizer rudders, vertical tail rudders and speed brakes at the tail can control the speed of the aircraft, pitch, yaw.

Its landing method is similar to that of a small aircraft, but there are two landing wheels at the back and a support skid at the front. The landing glide distance is about 3000m, and it can land at a standard large civil airport.

Compared with Emmalon's "Dragon" spacecraft, it is obvious that its landing methods are more diversified.

However, second-generation space shuttles such as the Dream Chaser space shuttle and similar military X-37B aerospace fighters are being tested and have not yet officially entered service.

The second route is great.

It is a reusable single-stage space plane "Adventure Star" that can go to the sky with its own engine and does not require external boosters... X-33.

This space plane can be launched vertically on the launch pad, and then land horizontally on the runway.

The X-33 prototype is a beautiful triangular aerodynamic device with a length of about 20 meters, a wingspan of about 22 meters, and a height of about 6 meters. It weighs about 130 tons when launched, of which 95 tons will be liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. fuel.

It has no windows, no astronauts, lifts up vertically, and lands like an autopilot.

If the X-33 is successfully developed, it will replace rockets and space shuttles as a cheaper and safer spacecraft
Unfortunately, this technical demonstration aircraft code-named "X-33" has never taken off, and the final progress is fixed on 95% of the parts manufacturing and 75% of the assembly.

Because the Freedom Federation's technology at the time was not enough to make it, the project was finally discontinued, leaving a big hole for aerospace enthusiasts.

And now, it seems that another big pit has appeared.

The aircraft in the practical science and technology video is also a classic space shuttle color scheme, and Li Weiwei said that "human beings can finally enter the next stage of the space age", which is obviously saying that this thing is a space vehicle.

And it's all at the 20-meter level, so it's definitely not the second-generation space shuttle. This thing can't fit into the fairing.

It is very similar to X-33.

Is this a new type of single-stage orbital spacecraft?
Is it the legendary aerospace plane?
It's just that this aircraft is obviously not as bloated as the X-33, which means that it cannot hold too much fuel.

The take-off weight of the X-33 aircraft has reached about 130 tons, and the carrying capacity in the unmanned state is 1 ton.

Assuming that the X-33 can be converted into a manned space vehicle, after adding various life support devices, it may also carry an astronaut.

Obviously, the weight of this "thin" aircraft in the practical technology video cannot reach 130 tons with full fuel, at most... 70 tons, then there is basically no carrying capacity.

Even being able to send yourself into orbit is considered a success.

But what does this thing do in space by itself, to see the scenery?

Or is it that Pragmatic Technology intends to create a model of the first-generation space shuttle, but the size is much smaller?
But the size is so small, and there is no "big belly" to load, it should not be of much use.

Or is it really like the X-33, which is also a scaled-down technical verification machine, and then a larger one will be built after the technical verification is passed?

If it can be made bigger, it will definitely hold more fuel, but if it is still in this shape, its carrying capacity will still be poor.

The ultimate enlarged version of the X-33 is the "Adventure Star" aerospace vehicle, with a total weight of about 1200 tons and a maximum design capacity of 24 tons. If a 1200-ton aircraft with a practical technology shape, it is estimated that it can only carry a dozen tons.

Netizens have thought of many possibilities, some of which make sense and some of which do not.

As far as carrying capacity is concerned, this thing is very weak, because Fanxing has better alternatives.

Until someone suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"What if its fuel is a superfuel?"

"Have you forgotten the missiles that Fanxing demonstrated before that can fly ultra-long distances and the rockets that can enter orbit in a single stage?"

"You mean..."

(End of this chapter)