Chapter 791

To understand the difference between electric propulsion and chemical propulsion, we must first understand a concept that junior high school students all understand, that is acceleration.

In a short distance scale, because of the huge thrust of chemical propulsion, the spacecraft can achieve a very high speed in a short time, so the overall flight time is more dominant.

However, if the distance scale is enlarged to millions of kilometers, or even tens of millions of kilometers, it is another case.

Although electric propulsion can not be like chemical propulsion, in a short period of time, the working medium can be erupted once in exchange for a huge thrust, but it can obtain a speed far greater than the maximum value of the chemical rocket through continuous acceleration, with a huge specific impulse.

So for the BFR rocket, it will take three months to go to Mars over tens of millions of kilometers.

But a month would be enough for the starlet, which set off directly from the orbit of the moon.

If the relative position of Mars and the earth is in the optimal launch position, it may not take a month to complete a flight from the moon to Mars.

In a deep, dark space, the Xiaguang, which has delivered the lunar palace astronauts to their destinations and completed the replenishment of working fluid, is slowly separating from the lunar palace space station.

Sitting in the cockpit, Xu Zhenghong reached out and pressed on his helmet, reporting to the ground command center in a clear voice.

"This is Xiaguang. We have completed all the flight missions. Please ask for the next instructions."

"This is the ground command center. Congratulations on completing all tasks. Now please switch to cruise mode and wait for the next instruction."

"Roger, switching to cruise mode."

Sitting in the copilot's seat, watching Xu Zhenghong switch to cruise mode, Liu Biao asked casually.

"Not directly back?"

"Ground command let's wait."

"Because of the Americans?"

"Yes."

Speaking of this matter, Liu Biao's heart can't help feeling.

About two or three months ago, they had seen each other far away in outer space orbit.

Before I could say hello, I watched them fly away.

I didn't expect to see you again soon, but in this way.

The silence lasted for a moment in the cockpit.

Just as Xu Zhenghong half closed his eyes and was going to sleep for a while, the signal light in the cockpit suddenly flickered slightly.

Liu Biao opened his mouth to remind him, "the signal from the ground command center."

"Yes," he said, opening his half closed eyes. Xu Zhenghong sat up straight from the armchair, reached out his hand and pressed on his helmet. "Here is the Xiaguang, going to the scheduled airspace, ready to switch routes..."

“5、4、3、2、1…… Fire! "

The faint blue arc light is ejected from the five electric propulsion engines of Xiaguang, dragging the silver spaceship, heading for the boundless star sea far away

……

15 minutes ago.

In this dilemma, the White House finally made a choice. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry of China received a call from the president of the United States, and in the call, the president of the United States formally put forward a request for rescue.

Ten minutes ago, the news reached the Jinling space launch center. The staff who finished the navigation work immediately returned to work.

At almost the same time, Xiaguang, who was on a mission in lunar orbit, received the news and immediately started the preparatory plan. After the Moon Palace space station completed the supply of working medium and living materials, it went to Mars along the channel calculated by the ground command center in advance.

It takes less than 15 minutes from receiving the rescue request to the rescue team's departure.

At this moment, the world once again witnessed the efficiency of China.

At the same time, the lunar orbit Construction Committee held a press conference at Jinling Hotel, and reported the latest progress of the rescue operation to reporters from major media.

This move almost didn't spit blood out of American gas.

What about the agreed low-key business?

How can I even invite a reporter!

Originally, the White House intended to deal with it in a low-key way, but it didn't expect that the Chinese side would go ahead with a big bang, hold a press conference and report the rescue progress to all sectors of society in real time.

In particular, the rescue plan launched within 15 minutes made the staff of NASA ares ground command center blush.

They spent three days analyzing various options and possible results, but no one in charge told them whether to save or not, so that they missed the best window of launch.

As a result, the Chinese side did not make any budget evaluation. Within 15 minutes, the channel was determined and rescue teams were dispatched, which blew them up more than one street in efficiency.Although they also know that this rescue plan must not have been made in 15 minutes. It may have been ready before that video call, or even three days ago.

But even so, the efficiency is beyond their reach.

Not only that, China's open, transparent, conscientious and responsible attitude towards "humanitarian" rescue is in sharp contrast to NASA's previous right and left prevarication. All staff of Ares ground command center and those who support ares plan feel embarrassed for a while, and the wind of public opinion also blows overnight Changes have taken place.

I'm ashamed of NASA. ]

[it's hard to believe that if we weren't Chinese, we wouldn't even know what happened to our colonists on Mars?! Is the white house going to send someone to collect their bodies when they are weathered? ]

[send rescue team within 15 minutes God, how could it be! ]

[don't talk to me about the difficulty of rescue, I seriously doubt that NASA is going to save people at all! ]

[until now, I don't know why the Mars diary stopped broadcasting, not because of the high cost of communication, not because of the dust storm on Mars, just because our white house and NASA want to hide the truth ]

in order to save face and show the determination to take their citizens home, after realizing the seriousness of the matter, the White House announced that it would bear the full budget of the rescue plan.

But within five minutes of the announcement, NASA received a bill from across the Pacific.

A total of $1.7 billion.

Support code scanning and installment payment.

After seeing this bill, director Carson almost got angry and hurt himself.

$1.7 billion!

Nima can build a new Xiaguang!

Is this a cash machine?

Just then his assistant came over.

"Sir..."

"What's the matter?"

Looking at director Carson, whose face was not good, the assistant hesitated for a moment and said again.

"Bad news..."

Looking at his mother-in-law subordinates, Carson impatiently said: "don't talk nonsense, hurry to say."

"Yes!" Seeing his boss's impatient expression, the assistant quickly nodded his head and said, " Just half an hour ago, we found out on the official website of Chinese state-run media that they also had a documentary program there. "

On hearing this sentence, director Carson suddenly clicked in his heart and felt bad.

But he couldn't tell where the trouble came from.

Opening his mouth, he asked in a reluctant voice.

"What documentary?"

The assistant smiled bitterly.

"The name seems to be Mars rescue. "

Carson: "..."

Apart from a word of Falk, he doesn't want to say anything now