Voyage of the Stars.

Chapter 712: Scientific Data Accumulation is also a Form of Strength

The first batch of seven probe spacecraft sent out all safely arrived at the Roche limit critical orbit calculated according to the relevant parameters of the probe mass and material and the mass gravity of the black hole. The process of the probe spacecraft flying to the black hole was very regular. It started with warp speed, and after reaching a certain range of the black hole, it was time to use conventional propulsion to navigate. The orbital distance was precisely calculated, and there were no accidents.

The second batch of exploration spacecraft also consisted of seven exploration spacecraft, but they did not sail as regularly as the first batch. Three of them sailed directly at warp speed to the critical point of the black hole's Roche limit. This batch of exploration spacecraft was experimental in nature, and their navigation status and their own status were monitored in real time by the instruments on board. At the same time, they were also under the camera monitoring of the previous batch of exploration spacecraft.

The three spacecrafts encountered accidents almost without any accidents. Before the warp navigation reached the Roche limit of the black hole, the warp navigation direction was disordered. It was not that the human instruments were directly broken, the force field generator was not broken, but it was disturbed by the strong gravity of the black hole, the warp force field became uncontrolled, and then the exploration spacecraft flew crooked.

When the exploration spacecraft flies off course, humans can still see from the data feedback from the monitoring module installed on the exploration spacecraft that at this time the spacecraft's warp force field automatic control system is still trying to correct the strength and direction of the force field, but it is ultimately in vain.

The more the intelligent system of the detection spacecraft was corrected, the more out of control it became, and it eventually began to run around in the warp state like a headless fly, and was then directly pulled over by the gravity of the black hole at a superluminal warp spiral. Finally, the warp engine malfunctioned, and it was forced to exit the warp state and fall into the black hole.

It turns out that warp travel is very dangerous in extreme gravity, especially near black holes. It is much more serious than the experiments conducted by humans near the orbit of gas planets, which have resulted in the destruction of aircraft and the death of people. When humans conducted experiments on gas planets, the experimental spacecraft was indeed forced to exit the warp speed, but the warp engine was not broken. The experimental spacecraft was even able to enter the normal navigation mode after exiting the warp speed state, and then push itself away from the close orbit of the gas planet.

Some experimental spacecraft can even be forced to exit warp state and make an emergency landing on a rocky planet due to the needs of extreme experiments.

With today's human shipbuilding techniques and material technology, their ships can completely resist the gravitational influence of conventional planets. It is not a problem for planetary battleships to land on a planet, and they will not be torn apart by the gravitational tides of these ordinary celestial bodies.

So although it is not suitable to travel at warp speed in the near orbit of conventional celestial bodies, there will be no loss of life. To be precise, with the current warp speed travel technology of human beings, as long as the human spacecraft flies to the space orbit of a planet like the earth, it can start the warp speed and leave. Although there are still some risks, the process of entering the warp state will be slower, and it cannot directly enter the warp speed of ten times the speed of light, but it is still possible to enter the warp speed of one times the speed of light.

Of course, it is still difficult to start warp speed travel directly on the surface of a planet. After many experiments, human scientists have concluded that human warp force field is not strong enough to violently enter the warp speed. Material technology and warp engine manufacturing technology are also influencing factors.

In short, scientists believe that with the advancement of technology, humans will one day be able to enter warp speed directly on the surface of a planet.

The purpose of this warp experiment near the black hole is to collect more data for research in this area. These data will also provide valuable data for human beings to navigate in various cosmic gravitational environments in the future.

In the future, if we encounter neutron star environments, magnetars, etc., human scientists will also need to conduct relevant navigation experiments to collect data for humans. As an interstellar civilization, such data is necessary, because these things can be said to be the hidden strength of a civilization.

Three of the second batch of exploration spacecraft eventually fell into the black hole, but they also brought valuable scientific data to mankind. The other four were doing another experiment. They approached the black hole in a proper manner and continued to approach the black hole without stopping after reaching the position of the first batch.

After reaching this point, they released several meteorites that were sealed in metal boxes by humans from their storage space, so human scientists saw the process of natural objects being torn apart by gravity within the Roche limit of the black hole. After the metal boxes were opened, the meteorites released were decomposed by the gravitational tide. The large meteorites directly appeared cracks on the surface like muffin foam, and then they were torn apart. The tearing into large pieces and the large pieces being torn into pieces were almost simultaneous. After only a few seconds, the large meteorites were torn into small pieces and then powder. Finally, under the traction of the black hole's gravity, they were pulled into a long sand and dust belt, and then because of the conservation of angular momentum, they orbited the black hole and fell inward.

This process was recorded faithfully by humans and turned into real data in the database for simulating celestial body interactions.

It is certain that when humans need to simulate celestial body collisions in the future, they will inevitably call upon this data. These real data will make human simulations closer to reality, rather than being made up by computers.

Obviously, the positions reached by these four exploration spacecraft have exceeded the Roche limit radius of the black hole for natural celestial bodies. However, the four spacecraft are creations of human technology, and their materials are far stronger than natural objects. Therefore, the black hole cannot tear them apart within the Roche limit radius of natural objects. The logic of this principle is easy to understand.

If there is enough shredded matter, it will form what is known as an accretion disk.

After releasing the meteorites, the four exploration spacecraft continued to approach the black hole, their destination being the innermost stable circular orbit of the black hole. However, humans obviously overestimated the material technology of these four spacecraft, and they followed the footsteps of the previous meteorites before they reached the innermost stable circular orbit.

Seeing this situation, scientists know that with the current strength of conventional materials, it is impossible to reach the innermost stable circular orbit of the black hole.

Since conventional materials don’t work, let’s use No. 2 alloy material.

It was the plan of human scientists to launch a detection spacecraft made of alloy No. 2 to the black hole. They had made preparations before setting out to study the black hole, so the third batch of detection spacecraft was launched quickly.

The results were quickly fed back to the scientific research center that was exploring the black hole. The detectors, which were made almost entirely of No. 2 alloy material inside and out, lived up to expectations and passed the range where the previous batch of detectors were torn apart. However, they ultimately failed to reach the target orbit because the internal detection instruments were torn apart by the strong gravity, and then lost control and were completely captured by the gravity of the black hole and pulled inward. In the end, even the empty shell made of No. 2 alloy material could not maintain its original shape and was torn apart by the strong gravity.

Humans have also detected the location where they were torn apart, which is about four times the radius of the black hole. It's still a little off, but human scientists are not discouraged.

Because if this black hole has an accretion disk, then this place is already inside the accretion disk.

(End of this chapter)