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Chapter 2640 The Initial Stages of Lunar Industry (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

The journey from Earth to the Moon was an extremely long one.

A distance of 360000 km would take 3 days to reach the Moon via a lunar transfer orbit; that is the rapid Hohmann transfer.

To reduce fuel consumption, the Earth-Moon Express opted for a low-energy transfer, which takes 5 days.

This is not the slowest.

The low-energy transfer method chosen by the unmanned transport spacecraft will take more than a month to reach the moon or return from the moon to the International Space Station.

That's why it's called the Earth-Moon Express – because compared to transporting spacecraft, it only takes 5 days.

And so, over the next five days, Pang Guoxi's mission team boarded the "Earth-Moon Express" and flew toward the moon.

Five days later, after a long journey through space, the mission team finally arrived on the moon.

The spacecraft began its descent procedure.

After the Earth-Moon spacecraft landed on the landing platform, the twelve astronauts disembarked.

Soon, they entered the outpost located inside the lava tube. At this point, the entrance to the lava tube was completely sealed, and the astronauts needed to enter the base through a hatch.

The pressure balance valve emitted a long "hiss," and when the indicator light changed from warning red to safety green, Pang Guoxi followed the lunar mission team into the cabin. The low gravity on the lunar surface made his steps feel unreal.

Why are there lights outside the cabin?

Looking out the window at the light outside the cabin, Pang Guoxi's face was full of questions.

"Then, are those moss?"

Zhang Yonghui, who was standing next to him, explained:
"The outpost was built inside a lava tube. After the tube was sealed, the environment inside was modified. The moss was genetically modified to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, creating an aerobic microenvironment..."

Zhang Yonghui's explanation immediately surprised Pang Guoxi:

"You mean we can leave the base and go outside without spacesuits?"

"Theoretically, that's true, but to ensure safety, spacesuits are still required for extravehicular activities. Currently, it has only created a low-oxygen environment, and the modification of the lava tube is still ongoing."

The environmental modification of the lunar base is itself an extremely complex ecosystem modification. This experiment originated from "Ecosphere 1" and "Ecosphere 2" established in Yinglong, Antarctica. Over the years, scientists have gained a lot of experience in planetary modification in Antarctica.

In the past few years, the experience gained from "Ecosphere 2" has been applied to the modification of the "Outpost 1" lava tube. Ideally, the lava tube will be able to produce its own oxygen in the future.

At that time, humans will not only be able to survive in it without spacesuits, but also grow crops inside the lava tubes, thus freeing themselves from dependence on Earth, or at least to some extent.

This kind of space farming is the foundation for human survival in space. After all, farming inside the base is just an experiment, but lava tubes have more space to grow more crops, and even staple foods like wheat. If successful, it will fundamentally change the moon.

Therefore, in addition to geologists, many biologists and botanists are now conducting research on "Outpost 1".

Soon, they achieved balance and entered the cabin.

On the gray-white base bulkhead, pipes crisscrossed, and the lights illuminated the passageways, while a complex odor lingered in the air.

Pang Guoxi was no stranger to this smell. Before becoming an astronaut, he had heard astronauts describe it on television—it was the "smell of a space base"—a "mixed, metallic, roasting, and mechanical" smell, which some people likened to "welding fumes," "hot metal," "ozone," or the smell of a "military academy locker room."

The smells include those from human sweat, exhaled gases, and intestinal gas, as well as the "thermal plastic" or "ozone" smell produced when computers and instruments overheat. There are also the odors of volatile substances like lubricants and hydraulic oil, and of course, the smell of experimental materials.

The most unique aspect is that after a spacewalk, the spacesuits and tools brought back to the airlock will have a distinctive "space smell," which mainly comes from compounds produced by high-energy particles bombarding the surface materials of the spacecraft under the sun's ultraviolet radiation. However, this is a different kind of smell.

These flavors are unfamiliar yet evoke a sense of longing; this is the taste of space!

The welcoming ceremony at the base was very simple. A dozen or so astronauts without missions lined up in the central module, some carrying cameras, while the base commander calmly explained the safety procedures, work and rest schedules, and base material management rules—all survival rules for the extreme environment of space.

As soon as the ceremony ended, a tall, blond man pushed through the crowd and walked toward Pang Guoxi. He was wearing the Union Jack on his arm; he was none other than British astronaut James.

Like the International Space Station, the outpost also has astronauts from many countries, especially Commonwealth astronauts, who were among the first foreign astronauts to enter the outpost.

Without saying a word, he raised his hand and tore off the blue-and-silver badge on his chest—the badge was engraved with the logo of the lunar base. He deftly tore off the nylon tape and, before Pang Guoxi could react, firmly stuck it to his chest.

“Welcome to the moon, rookie.” James grinned, his voice carrying a slight electric current through the communicator, his eyes full of mockery.

"Rookie?"

Pang Guoxi glanced subconsciously at the blue badge on his chest, which featured a fat bird.

“According to the base’s rules, astronauts who come to the outpost for their first mission are all called rookies.” James patted his shoulder, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy.
"As a rookie, the first thing you need to learn is to obey. The outpost is like a sailing ship in the Age of Exploration. Here, the base commander is the captain, the big boss, and everyone has to obey him. The newcomers are like trainee sailors, the rookies who need to obey everyone."

As he spoke, James pulled him toward the dormitory pod, and along the way, the astronauts stationed there occasionally gave him knowing smiles. The dormitory pod was not large, with four single beds arranged along the curved wall, each bed equipped with a small storage cabinet, and above the innermost bed, there was a thick ventilation duct running horizontally.

"Congratulations, this is your bed."

James pointed to the bed, a genuine smile on his face:
"Right above the ventilation duct, there's constant noise 24/7: the sound of wind, the vibration of the duct, and occasionally some strange noises. In short, all sorts of sounds are here."

This is of course also the throne of kings—as you often say, "Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are destined for them, and will first test their sinews and bones, and subject them to hunger and thirst." This is the hardship you must endure to achieve success in the future.

"That's right, it's a trial. This used to be my private bed, a three-month ordeal. Now it's yours, my friend. This is a test on the moon. Please accept it."

Pang Guoxi looked up at the ventilation duct that was right in front of him and gave a helpless twitch of his lips.

Is this some kind of test?
This is clearly bullying newbies.

Back during the ground training, the instructors had repeatedly reminded him that rookies at the lunar base always received special "treatment"—the worst beds and the most fragmented shifts were unwritten rules. He could only accept this "congratulations" without question.

This is not simply because space exploration has inherited many military practices—hierarchy and absolute command over subordinates, and most fundamentally, absolute obedience of subordinates to superiors.

More importantly, this is directly related to everyone's survival.

On the ground, their instructors had told them that the rules of survival in space were the same as those of the Age of Exploration: the captain was in charge. On this ship, there was a clear hierarchy, and no questioning was allowed, because the slightest questioning could cost everyone's lives.

Therefore, absolute obedience and the complete prohibition of individuality are inevitable in all space stations.

Because on Earth, there might still be a sliver of room for error. But in space, all such luck must be shattered; after all, the slightest mistake could cost everyone's lives.

This is precisely why the space age and the age of exploration are so similar.

After a brief tour of the base area, Pang Guoxi returned to his dormitory, opened his lightweight lunar landing duffel bag, and stuffed his change of clothes and toiletries into his locker. Just as he sat down, James leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and asked:
"I heard you're a materials engineer? In charge of building the lunar crystal factory and the subsequent crystal production?"

Pang Guoxi nodded in agreement:
"Yes, this is my core task. I need to check one piece of equipment first..."

"There's no need for verification; the No. 3 experimental module you requested has already been prepared."

James interrupted him directly, his tone unusually serious.

"Two people will assist you: mechanic Li Guodong and marine Xiaolin."

In space, everyone has multiple roles. In addition to their own primary job, they also need to assist others, since their primary job isn't 24/7.

In short, the use of human resources in space is extremely "exploitative," since there are so few people, and everyone must be used to their fullest potential.

He paused and added:
"Over the past year, the base has been paving the way for crystal production. The ore beneficiation equipment and rough processing units are all in place. The only thing missing is this crystal melting furnace, which is the final and most crucial step. If we can achieve this, we will no longer need to transport crystal ore to Earth, and the cost of X crystal will be greatly reduced."

Half an hour later, they arrived at Experiment Module No. 3. Experiment Module No. 3 was not inside the cave, but outside the cave.

Completely exposed on the lunar surface, this allows for the use of the moon's low temperature for heat dissipation, as precise cooling is required during the crystal ingot production process. On Earth, cooling water is used, but such a luxury is clearly not feasible in space.

The -269°C temperature in space provides the best cooling environment. With the help of this low temperature, a controllable cooling gas environment can be created inside the melting furnace, thus providing the cooling conditions for the crystal rod production process, without relying on water as on Earth.

This is a very precise control process, which can be said to be the biggest challenge in space production, or space smelting.

This is precisely why countless experiments were conducted on the space station before this, through continuous experimentation.

Ultimately, SpaceX mastered the technology.

It is this seemingly insignificant cutting-edge technology that has once again placed SpaceX at the forefront of the world.

(End of this chapter)