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

"DeLu" has almost no functions other than necessary components, and even the structure is extremely crude. The astronaut's "seat" is essentially a small folding bench, or a convertible design.

Why send "De Lu" without detection function up first? Of course it is also useful.

Although "DeLu" is simple, it also reserves basic automation interfaces, which can remotely control or link the signal port of the Explorer II robot. The latter is designed to reserve a data port for astronauts to easily change programs during maintenance.

Explorer II can pull out the communication cable from the chassis of "Delu" and plug it into its own port. After downloading and updating the firmware, it can operate the lunar rover to run around at a speed more than ten times unimaginable for unmanned probes.

When the power is out, the lander can be pulled back to charge its solar panels and batteries, which can increase the range of activity by at least 30 kilometers and is extremely efficient.

Moreover, the two "Delu" vehicles also have simple cargo buckets that can hold about 150 kilograms of samples to store valuable resources dug from various places.

When human astronauts go up to the "Delu" in the future, it can be used, and the cost is still cheap. Because it does not have any expensive scientific research equipment, the purpose is pure, and the cost is less than 10 million.

On the contrary, during the Apollo project, NACA built a trolley to facilitate astronauts to collect samples. It was the kind commonly seen on construction sites. It cost tens of millions of dollars and was extremely difficult to use. It would take two astronauts to get through even a small hole. Carrying it, it can be called a "two-wheeled human father".

However, the plan to use the Explorer to drive the lunar rover has not yet been announced to the public. At a glance, the outside world does not think there is anything special about the "Lu", which is just an ordinary vehicle like the Apollo program.

…

"It's really unimaginable that 'Zhu Rongxing' will one day be able to restart."

Alexander Maksimovich stood in a complicated mood on the Red Square, which had just been cleaned and was suddenly covered with a thin layer of snow. He lamented and told the dozen or so old people around him about the changes of the past years.

Alexander Maksimovich, the last OKB-586, former chief engineer of the Makarov South Machine-Building Plant production complex.

In 1954, the OKB-586 Design Bureau was established in Dnepropetrovsk, Ermao. The Energia booster, the "Zenith" rocket equipped with the world's first liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine RD170, was designed by them. manufacture.

When Lucia started seriously preparing to resurrect the "Energy 2" plan, she first realized two difficulties. One was the engine. The key RD170 and booster development parts were at Ermao's house; the core-level RD0120 was okay, and its design Bureau OKB154 (Alliance Chemical Automation Design Bureau) is still in China, but its decline is severe.

Second, the final assembly line is in Kazakhstan. Even if it is retrieved now, it will definitely not be usable, but this problem is not a big one.

The biggest problem is that Ermao has spent too much in recent years. OKB-586 has long been history. Lucia spent a lot of effort to secretly retrieve the former engineers and scientists from all corners, and concentrated them in Moscow for reorganization.

"Project Zhurongxing" is what these old people call the "Energy" series of rockets. It was a code name set during the alliance period and has long since disappeared into history.

These old men who once belonged to OKB-586 were dressed surprisingly uniformly. They all wore thick black or gray coats and fluffy felt hats. When you stop there, you feel like you have returned to that era.

After the disintegration of the alliance, OKB-586's flexible brains were used by European A\u0026M. Most people could only accept unemployment and barely survive. For example, Alexander himself was working in a local agricultural machinery factory when he was found by KGB agents.

No one remembers that this old man once participated in the world's first launch vehicle. No one knows that this skilled master is actually a great rocket engineer.

Others had even worse experiences, but those who are still here are lucky to still be here, and some even the KGB has no trace of them again.

Not long after waiting in the square, a convoy of minibuses led by a Great Wall Haval H6 stopped in front of them. Miklin jumped out of the car and recognized faces that had experienced more than 20 years one by one.

"Andre, Ivan, Joseph...Alexander, oh, okay, thank God, most of the people I know are still alive."

Miklin warmly embraced these old friends from the past. Although many of them only said hello, meeting again at this time is really worth cherishing.

Finally, he held Alexander's hand tightly and said repeatedly: "Great, great, you came in time."

Alexander: "Yevgeny, it looks like you're in a lot of trouble."

Miklin shook his head with emotion:

"More than just trouble, I originally thought OKB586 would be the hardest to gather, but your situation is much better than I thought. The backbone is basically there, and your physical condition should be pretty good. OKB154 is the disaster.

Although their establishment is still there, their high-end research capabilities have basically been lost. I asked them to resume production of the RD0120 engine, but you know, now they don't even have the ability to develop a 10-ton hydrogen-oxygen engine! "

"It has declined to this point?!"

Alexander was shocked, but soon figured out the reason. OKB154 was much more glamorous and more conspicuous than OKB586 where he was, and it must be the target of poaching that the West was closely following.

Miklin: "Alexander, I need your support. Now that Lucia has restored the production capacity of RD170, you have to help resume production of RD0120 and improve it into a deeply reusable model."

Alexander nodded first, then shook his head.

"Hydrogen-oxygen engines are very expensive. A lot of equipment and data have been lost over the years. Can the Lucia Federation still afford it?"

Miklin: "Director Borisov has secured the first budget of 15 billion rubles, which should be enough."

15 billion rubles? That's almost $250 million.

Alexander thought about it and found that it was indeed enough to start preliminary research. However, in the era of energy development, the alliance invested a total of about 20 billion pounds, and the money spent now is less than one percent of that time.

Moreover, the Energy No. is a successful project, and the research foundation of "Hurricane" is quite solid. I hope it can come true.

Before getting in the car, Alexander turned back and asked Micklin one last question:

"The Khitan's Dawn II mission should be almost completed. Project Dawn...is Lucia involved?"

What he saw was Miklin's wry smile.

"We participated, but their attitude towards us is not that of a partner, but more like a charity, but we really have nothing to offer."

"I understand, and I hope we still have a chance to complete the unfinished business. It has been 50 years since 1967. This is the 50th year since the alliance's moon landing program was launched; from N3 to Zhu Rongxing, we have spent 50 years for Preparing for the moon landing, I hope there will be a good result now."