This is how black technology should be used

Chapter 274 Starry space station, evolution!

Regardless of the fact that the space station is built one module at a time, it seems that building it is as simple as "building blocks".

actually not.

Even the "small" space stations of the International Space Station and the Starry Space Station are not simple "building blocks", which involve various calculations and designs, let alone huge "kilometer-class" spacecraft.

The "[-]-meter-class" International Space Station has a pressurized space of nearly [-] cubic meters, and even the "kilometer-class" spacecraft has a pressurized space of nearly [-] cubic meters using the fool's superposition method.

The mass of more than 400 tons of the International Space Station multiplied by ten is more than 4000 tons.

The actual situation may be even greater. For example, if multiplied by ten, that would be 4 cubic meters of pressurized space and a mass of more than [-] tons.

The International Space Station is already a spot of light visible to the naked eye. With a special camera lens, it is possible to take relatively clear "pocket" photos without a telescope. It is estimated that a kilometer-class spacecraft can directly see the clear outline with the naked eye, and it can even be taken with a camera. to some details.

For such a huge structure and such a heavy mass, if you want to assemble it in space, you have to consider the interaction of the structure's "super-large-scale effect", "configuration change effect" and "space weightlessness environment".

Once it is not handled properly, an extremely complex "coupling dynamics phenomenon" will occur, which will threaten the safety of the entire spacecraft.

It's not even a simple issue of the safety of the spacecraft itself.

If such a big thing disintegrates in orbit, it is likely to have a chain reaction, and then kill 90% of the spacecraft in orbit.

The most important thing is that these debris will form a garbage ring in orbit, which will seriously affect the subsequent space launch missions, and may accidentally become garbage and merge into them.

This is the first problem that needs to be solved.

Secondly, because the mass and structure are too large, it is obviously impossible to build it through a single rocket launch and deployment into orbit. That is to say, the "building blocks" method used to build the International Space Station and the Starry Space Station did not work.

To solve this problem, open source and throttling are needed.

On the one hand, through the "lightweight" design, the quality of the spacecraft is reduced as much as possible on the premise of ensuring the strength of the spacecraft, thereby reducing the launch cost.

On the other hand, it is to develop new heavy-duty vehicles or new air and space transportation solutions.

Generally speaking, to overcome these two problems, we need to further integrate the three major research objects in aerospace dynamics, namely orbit, attitude, and structure, and then deeply intersect with the control discipline.

Only when this step is done well can the theoretical and technical foundation be laid for the construction of "ultra-large space infrastructure".

Specifically how to design the interior of this kilometer-class spacecraft is a matter for the design department, but the most important thing is... how to transport tens of thousands of tons of materials into space?

At that time, scientists who didn't know what would happen in the next few years thought of several ways, in order of technical difficulty from low to high-heavy rockets, aerospace planes, and space elevators.

Heavy-duty rockets, whether they are building the International Space Station or the Starry Space Station, they are useful, but even super-heavy rockets with a load of more than [-] tons, such as Saturn V, Long March [-], and SLS rockets, are not suitable for kilometer-class spacecraft. Far from enough.

Aerospace plane, how to say this, it can be reused, and it is very convenient to take off and land, but its disadvantage is that its carrying capacity is not enough.

Although reuse and ease of use can make up for the lack of a single transport capacity, the cabin of the aerospace plane cannot be enlarged, which severely limits the size of the space station module.

Just like the fairing size of a rocket, before the launch of the 5-meter-diameter Long March 3.3, the diameter of Fanxing’s two space laboratories was only 4 meters. Later, after the appearance of the Long March [-] rocket, the Fanxing space station with a diameter of more than [-] meters was built.

The Freedom Federation has a super-heavy rocket Saturn V with a diameter of 10 meters, so it can launch the Skylab space station with a maximum diameter of 6.7 meters.

The larger the space station, the more test equipment it can carry, and the more areas available for astronauts to move around. However, the cargo compartment of an aerospace plane is naturally inferior to that of a rocket, so it is definitely not cost-effective to use an aerospace plane to build a modular space station. The size is definitely cramped.

If a kilometer-level space station is only 5 meters in diameter, then...it's not hard to see. Let me talk about it first, and the utilization rate is not discussed. This form is a "rope" in orbit, and the gravity of the earth will definitely disintegrate it.

Unless the aerospace plane just carries materials, and then let the astronauts weld out the huge space station bit by bit directly in space!
This again involves the issue of space construction, which is also a major difficulty.

And the space elevator is interesting.

If in terms of material transportation, heavy rockets and space planes are making breakthroughs in technology, then space elevators are making a fuss about "basic science".

Theoretically speaking, as long as human beings can create a "rope" with extremely high strength, and then install a counterweight on its tail, stand on the equator and throw it into space.

If the counterweight falls on the geosynchronous orbit, the rotation of the earth will straighten the rope like throwing a shot put, and then humans can climb directly into space along this rope.

Human beings can climb up, and naturally they can climb up with a huge cabin with a diameter of tens of meters, so that humans will have a spacecraft with a huge diameter.

Well, in theory.

The most difficult part is whether you can find a super-high-strength substance. If you have this kind of substance, you will have the basis for building a space ladder.

Beyond that, the construction of a space elevator has many problems to overcome.

For example, the problem of resonance.

There is also the problem of fracture that is most likely to occur at the synchronous track under the action of "stress".

As well as the counterweight that has to be added in order to reduce "lunar perturbation" and "reduce the risk of space elevators", the transportation cost of this counterweight is also a problem.

In addition, there are also problems with the location of the "ground station" on the ground equator. Issues such as "perennial wind force below level 2", "no cumulonimbus cloud", "monsoon circulation", and even the extreme situation of "cable break" must be considered.

If all goes well with the transportation of the raw materials, energy is the next thing to consider.

The first one that is more mature and reliable is the solar array.

Every moment, the sun radiates energy evenly around a spherical surface, and human beings can use these radiation capabilities.

However, the human technology to utilize solar energy is still relatively low-level.

Take the International Space Station as an example. In fact, its cabin body is not too big, but in order to ensure its power consumption, it needs a huge solar array, and even the solar panels in the cabin itself are not enough, so special trusses need to be installed to expand the area. Huge solar panels.

The starry space station has a latecomer advantage, and solar technology has increased, but if you can take pictures, its solar panels are definitely more conspicuous than the cabin itself.

Still big.

If such a solar cell array wants to power a kilometer-class spacecraft, the array area must be "overwhelming".

Of course, the solution without solar arrays is also possible, that is, to use high-level controllable nuclear fusion.

It's just that it will take "50 years" to develop it.

Of course, these are all previous concerns.

The previous super-heavy rocket was not cost-effective, because it could not be reused, and it was thrown away after one use. A fairing with a diameter of 10 meters was too wasteful.

The aerospace plane is "not easy to use" because its cargo compartment is too small to transport large-sized spacecraft components.

But practical science and technology can combine these two technologies to create a reusable super-heavy rocket, and then increase the size, that is a super-super-heavy rocket.

That is, the super rocket launch system under development, a giant with a diameter of 20 meters.

Use it to transport parts, absolutely invincible.

The matter of the space elevator is also considered, because the material for making the "rope" is already in sight, which is graphene.

However, we have to work harder to create the "rope" needed for a space elevator, so we simply use super rockets to assist the kilometer-class spacecraft program.

And the "counterweight" of the space elevator in space orbit also needs to be sampled first, and a kilometer-class spacecraft is good.

So there is the kilometer-class spacecraft plan announced now.

It is said that the kilometer plan this time is actually divided into stages.

The existing "50 meters" scale of the Starry Space Station is still the first phase, and the second phase does not need to be "copy-pasted", but is renamed "300 meters".

This "300m" scale is added to the first phase of "50m".

The first step of the second phase of the plan is to increase the docking port of the space station. This step does not require a super rocket, but an upgraded version of the reusable Long March [-] will do.

At that time, a test module with spaceship parking facilities will be launched. It has a diameter of 4 meters and a total length of 16 meters. There is a docking port in the middle part, which can be connected to the "back" of the core module and form a "T" with the core module. word" structure.

There are node modules on both sides of this special test module, but this node module only has two opposite docking ports for the spacecraft to park.

Such as the wooden kite aerospace plane and the moon-class spacecraft.

When they are docked to this node cabin, their cabins are connected, and the distance between them is less than 3 meters. In addition, the living cabin of the Benyue-class spacecraft is only 7 meters apart. Compared with before, it is necessary to go through the entire core cabin to carry things. Much more convenient.

With this compartment, the space station can simultaneously park four spacecraft.

Coupled with the remaining berths in the core cabin, it can be said to be very flexible.

The reason why this cabin has experimental functions is that it is purely empty and empty. Instead of making it a purely expanded berthing port, it is better to add some experimental cabinets and do a few more experiments.

After that, the second step of the second phase of the project will require a super rocket, because it needs to transport large items.

That is, the "big circle" of the space station that the audience sees.

It is a foldable rotating simulated gravity cabin, which can reach a diameter of 100 meters after unfolding.

The cabin of the big circle is not a penetrating ring, but four 10-meter-long independent arc cabins, which are connected to the central shaft by four cylindrical telescopic passages, and then connected by alloy tubes of different lengths. Make it stronger.

This rotating simulated gravity cabin can provide a simulated gravity of up to 0.4G, which is less than half of the gravity of the earth and about the same as that of Mars.

It rotates slowly, although turning faster can provide higher simulated gravity, but the safety will be reduced, so it can only rotate slowly to provide 0.4G simulated gravity.

But don't look at the simulated gravity of 0.4G is not big, but it is enough for astronauts, at least they can find the feeling of being on the earth, they can eat, sleep, wash, and go to the toilet a little bit normally, and the efficiency of exercise It will also be higher.

And this is much better than the moon's 0.16G gravity.

This rotating simulated gravity cabin is folded during transport, and the folded diameter is 18 meters. Four separate arc-shaped cabins can almost form a circular ring with a break, which can be stuffed into a super rocket with a diameter of 20 meters. in the cargo hold.

Its unfolding is semi-automatic, and the basic structure can be unfolded automatically. The reinforced alloy tubes need to be connected and fixed by astronauts walking outside the cabin, which is not a small project for astronauts wearing heavy extravehicular spacesuits.

There are two such rotating cabins in the second phase of the project, one is rotating forward and the other is reversed, and they will be opened together after the two are fully deployed.

Further on is the "industrial zone" of the second phase of the project, including the manufacturing module and the maintenance module. Their common feature is - big!

They are also 18 meters in diameter, but unlike the rotating modules that have a lot of "gaps" when folded, they don't unfold, and they themselves are large cylinders with a diameter of 18 meters.

It looks like a super rocket ship with a slightly smaller circle, and it also looks like the sky and core module with a much larger circle.

The reason why it is so large is that in addition to the large space required for the track manufacturing module, the maintenance module also requires a large space.

Compared with the production and manufacturing modules that need to be separated into different production and manufacturing areas, the maintenance and maintenance modules are "iron tubes" tens of meters long and 18 meters in diameter.

The bulkhead on one side of it can be opened, and inside is a "big belly" with a diameter of 14 meters, which can hold various spacecraft.

A "little guy" with a diameter of 5 meters and a total length of 10 meters like the "Benyue-class" spacecraft can hold several ships at the same time, let alone various types of satellites smaller than it.

The maintenance module can form a pressurized space by closing the large hatch. Astronauts can wear light maintenance work clothes to overhaul the equipment, which is many times better than wearing heavy extravehicular spacesuits to work outside the cabin.

At that time, the "flying to the moon" spacecraft can be converted into a space garbage collection ship and a malfunctioning spacecraft towing ship.

The former is dedicated to collecting space junk to send materials to the orbit manufacturing module, and the latter tows the faulty spacecraft to repair and maintain the module.

Behind the "industrial zone" is the orbital filling station. Groups of spherical fuel tanks are fixed by metal structures, and the diameter of the collection will exceed 30 meters.

Because the spacecraft currently in orbit need more types of fuel, the number of spherical fuel tanks is also relatively large, and it is easy to operate by separating them one by one in case of accidents.

In case a fuel tank leaks, you can simply close the passage to other fuel tanks, and it is relatively easy to repair.

Because the controllable nuclear fusion reactor cannot be used on the spacecraft, the second phase of the project still uses solar panels to provide electricity, and they are all concentrated in the industrial area.

Even though the utility technology is very advanced, its solar array is still very huge after it is deployed.

Since the main body of the second phase of the project is a 300-meter-long central axis structure, the widest part is two large wheels with a diameter of 100 meters. After the large-scale solar array in the industrial area is deployed, it can reach 400 meters, and the "wingspan" will instantly exceed the length.

So it looked like some kind of weird flying bird.

Well, the huge mechanical flying bird with a length of 300 meters and a wingspan of 400 meters can be seen from the ground!

This is the case after the first phase of the Starry Space Station project evolved into the second phase!

(End of this chapter)