I ask you to build tractors, but you build rockets?

“Although the launch date of SLS is four months later than that of Long March 10, their manned spacecraft is only being tested in low-Earth orbit, and the spacecraft has not been developed for a long time and has not reached a mature state.

Our Orion spacecraft has completed research and development tests in the past 10 years and is very reliable and has undergone sufficient tests. Therefore, 'Orion CM-002' will directly go to the lunar orbit for circumlunar testing. This is China's second A mission carried out on the Long March 10th. "

In the early morning of the 12th, Claire explained to the senators sent by Congress to supervise four hours before launch, trying to explain the significance of the Artemis 1 mission and prove that NACA was not lagging behind.

Senator: "Mr. Director, do you mean that one SLS is equal to two Long March 10s?"

Claire: "If you insist on understanding here, there is actually no problem. According to CASA's plan, the second Long March 10 will be launched in April next year. Now we are 4 months ahead."

Several senators looked at each other, then looked at the SLS in the distance, and nodded in unison.

One Aramco rocket can be used to dismantle two rockets. This is very freeing.

Another female senator raised a question: "I heard that there are dummies on board the spacecraft. What are they used for?"

There was a bit of confusion in Claire's eyes, and she thought, "Can't you read the public reports before the launch?"

"Madam, the radiation of the moon is different from that of the orbiting earth. There is a radiation belt around the earth... that is, the radiation is lighter and the moon is heavier, so we put protective clothing on the dummies. They will orbit the moon for about 20 days. Return to test the vest’s ability to protect astronauts from radiation.”

"What's the gender of the dummy?"

Claire: "Both are female dummies."

The female senator's eyes suddenly opened wide, as if she had heard something terrible that was not tolerated by social ethics.

"You want women to bear radiation? Oh my god, this is blatant discrimination!"

Claire:…

"Madam, the Artemis program will send female astronauts to the moon for the first time. We have already seen the effects of male astronauts under lunar radiation in the Apollo program, so the dummy carried this time is mainly Simulating female characteristics is not discriminatory.”

“Then why didn’t we send female astronauts up during the Apollo program?”

Another senator interjected with a look of certainty: "Because the Apollo program was just a conspiracy to deceive the alliance, and the earth is actually flat."

Claire: "..."

Claire spent a lot of effort to get rid of these weird senators who had nothing to do but care about inexplicable places, and at this time, the SLS rocket was about to be launched.

3.5 kilometers away from the 39B launch pad, there is a huge digital screen connected to the launch center, which displays the rocket launch countdown.

Since the launch time was chosen in the morning, the weather conditions were very good, and a large number of cars and people gathered nearby, waiting for the first launch of the SLS rocket.

CBS reporters turned their backs to the launch pad and introduced the significance of the SLS rocket to the camera with great interest, calling it a great symbol of Aramco's re-emergence.

There were at least 150,000 live viewers, and more than 10 million people watched through the online broadcast, which shows that SLS is really well-known.

"When do you think we'll get to the moon?"

"Definitely before 2018."

"Wow, this is earlier than the time given by NACA."

"I believe Ami can create miracles. We have already landed on the moon, and it will be easier to go back now."

"..."

It is now the early morning of the 13th Beijing time, and Lin Ju is also staying up late at the B-level base with engineers to watch the first launch of the SLS rocket through the oil pipe.

An hour ago, he was on the phone with Academician She, who was still teasing that the development date of SLS was too long.

After all, to outsiders, the SLS rocket is considered a mature technology, and it is already very late to launch it now.

But Lin Ju knew that SLS would be known as the "Ace Pigeon" in future generations. Not only did it delay its first launch until 2022, but there were also many accidents, making the launch road bumpy and arduous.

It’s unbelievable that we are working so hard now that we haven’t heard of any major problems. It can only be said that the original world line Artemis project did not receive much attention at all. It was only officially launched in 2020, and the response was too slow.

However, although it was launched 6 years ahead of schedule, the appearance of SLS has basically remained the same.

With 10 seconds left before launch, the host said "here we go" on the screen, and the launch pad began to fill the bottom of the rocket with water.

Under the water curtain, four RS25 hydrogen-oxygen engines were ignited and started at the same time, and the steaming water mist spread into air masses and became a sphere.

Five seconds later, the solid boosters on both sides ignited, bringing a total thrust of more than 3,000 tons.

The uniquely large amount of smoke produced by the solid booster was immediately released around the launch pad through the diversion trough. The SLS was making a huge noise even before it took off. A bright fireball could be seen gestating in the gap of the launch pad.

With a total thrust of about 3,700 tons, the rocket began to rise slowly, leaving behind a huge diffusion cloud of solid boosters wherever it passed, which was extremely spectacular against the blue sky background.

At this time, the crackling sound of the rocket engine was heard in the picture. In the camera that was not adjusted in time, only a light group was rising rapidly.

Because the solid propeller and upper stage are relatively light, the SLS has a higher ascent rate, so the speed is also faster, and it becomes a bright spot on the sky in a few seconds.

Looking at the wake formed by the solid booster that looked like a road reaching the sky, Lin Ju couldn't help but feel a little shocked:

"Solid rockets are too buggy. The total thrust is obviously smaller than that of our Xinyuan-2A, but just looking at the wake is much larger. The kerosene engine of the No.3 rocket is better, and the methane engine tail flame of the No.2 rocket It’s bland and small, and doesn’t look so spectacular.”

Androv: "The SLS rocket design is actually not very good. Their original reason may be to use up the remaining RS25 engines. The boosters were all fished out of the sea from the space shuttle and became disposable. , expensive and impractical.

We have a fixed thruster with a single-stage thrust of 700 tons and a combustion time of 240 seconds. One stack of five stages has a thrust of 3,500 tons, but it is not cost-effective economically.

Unless we want to develop the No. 4 rocket, we will use fixed thrust, but that is just our assumption. "

"No, it's not an idea."

Serev shook his head slightly:

"The newly built workstations at the Xinyuan launch site can accommodate a maximum width of 25 meters. They are not only compatible with H2, but can also accommodate the No. 4 rocket."

Androv opened his eyes wide: "Do we need that thing? The low-Earth orbit has a transport capacity of 800 tons and a diameter of 14 meters. What the hell are we going to send up there? Just let the No. 3 rocket send it in several times."

Serev did not answer but looked at Lin Ju, who pointed to the sky.

"The Tianwen Project is a plan of the Aerospace Development Commission. Xinyuan also has its own Mars exploration mission. Mars is too far away. We want to launch a single-stage super-large space station there with a mass of about 200 tons. Only the No. 4 rocket can complete it in 2018. We will launch it next year."