Military Technology

After listening to Zhou Xiangming's words, Wu Hao couldn't help but smile. How to reach Mars is always an important question and a prerequisite for Mars exploration.

In addition to the need for a high-thrust heavy-duty launch vehicle to launch the super-heavy Mars probe into space, a ground-fire orbit transfer propulsion system is also needed to transport the Mars probe from the earth to Mars.

It can be said that a voyage of almost 200 million kilometers requires this earth-fire orbital transfer propulsion system to be responsible for navigation.

In fact, if compared according to the classic spacecraft structure, the Mars probe can be regarded as a crew cabin or a return capsule. This ground-fire orbital transfer propulsion system can be regarded as the service module at the back, or it can also be regarded as the propulsion module.

Its biggest role is actually to carry the Mars probe to Mars. In this respect, it is very much like a rocket. It's just that it's more complicated than a rocket.

It has not only a main engine, but also a swimming engine, attitude engine, reduction engine, etc. These engines perform their respective duties and work together to ensure that during the long voyage from Earth to Mars, the Mars probe can be carried safely and smoothly to the Mars orbit.

Along the way, you not only have to go through a lot of switching on and off, adjusting your attitude, but you also have to accelerate and decelerate. Especially the deceleration process when arriving at Mars is crucial. If the speed is too fast, it may directly skip Mars and pass by Mars.

If the speed is too slow, it may not be captured by the weak gravity of Mars and cannot enter the orbit of Mars.

Even if there is no probe, because it decelerates in time, it is a rare thing to directly rush into Mars and crash.

Therefore, Wu Hao was naturally very unhappy when he heard Zhou Xiangming say that the development work of the geothermal orbit transfer and repulsion system had not yet begun.

The whole process is much less difficult than lunar landing. The lunar landing orbit is actually only less than 70 kilometers away, while the landing orbit of Mars is much lower, so the difficulty brought by it is also much lower.

At the beginning, Wu Hao participated in solving very few key issues in our aerospace technology, so Zhou Xiangming admired Xu You's ability very much.

So if it’s not difficult, the key is to see how to overcome those words and solve the problem. That system is related to the success or failure of Mars exploration. Without it, your Mars exploration rover will not be able to safely reach the surface of Mars. "

Hearing Xu You's words, Zhou Xiangming smiled slightly and said modestly: "It was all a team effort. You just did your duty."

So you also attach great importance to that aspect. After that, you have been staring at that project in the project team, wanting to work with the entire project team to find breakthrough points and solve those problems. "

Moreover, the entire landing process completely requires the system to operate autonomously. You have the ability to interfere, and you cannot say that you are powerless. "

After hearing Wu Hao's inquiry, Zhou Xiangming introduced him directly without any nonsense. Because I know that it is a very rare opportunity. Others may know, but I am very vague. My boss is not only a successful businessman, but also a talented young scientist.

After appreciating it, Wu Hao continued: "Let's talk about the stingy deceleration landing system."

Which area is the main problem focused on now? When Xu You heard this, he didn't say anything else, but asked directly.

Xu Youzhu nodded and his expression became serious: "The stingy deceleration landing system, or what you commonly call the 'sky crane', was the most challenging part of that mission.

Wu Hao frowned slightly and asked, "What was the result of the preliminary test? Didn't you encounter anything easy?"

"Compared to lunar landing, your Mars small air deceleration landing system is basically the same as the deceleration landing system of Laomi's Mars probe, and it is also divided into two parts.

The sky crane ended up hanging the Mars exploration rover to find a suitable landing site, and gradually slowed down and landed. When the Mars exploration rover lands, the hook under the sky crane will quickly separate from the Mars rover, then fly away and crash.

Wu Hao was silent for a moment before listening, and then said hurriedly: "The environment of Mars is indeed much less talkative than that of the moon. It has no atmosphere and no wind. And compared to the moon, Mars' The surface is simple. Then there are fewer factors for you to consider.

Hearing Wu Hao's words, Xu Youzhu nodded seriously and said, "You are wrong. The stingy deceleration landing system is indeed one of the keys to the success or failure of your Mars exploration mission.

Your team learned from the experience of the lunar exploration project and introduced a small number of technological innovations. At present, we have not completed the design and preliminary testing of the system, and are conducting more tolerant ground simulation tests. "

"So they are still worried about the stability of the system." Xu You interrupted Xu Youzhu and asked.

Zhou Xiangming took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "The preliminary test results show that the system performance meets expectations, but under some extreme conditions, there are still some stabilizing factors. You are in the process of in-depth analysis and optimization of the regression of those stabilizing factors. "

When the speed decreases to a certain value, the fairing wrapped under the detector, or the cold insulation shield, will separate from the detector, and the cold insulation chassis will fall off.

Immediately afterwards, when the low altitude of the probe reaches a certain distance from the ground, the sky crane module, which is located below the Mars probe and hangs under the deceleration landing module of the Mars probe, will start. At the same time, the sky crane module will start. , the main parachute separated and fell off.

Hearing Wu Hao's words, Zhou Xiangming nodded and said: "The stingy deceleration landing system should be said to be the most challenging part of your mission. Whether it is reliable or not directly determines the success or failure of that mission.

but……"

Wu Hao smiled and shook his head, and said seriously: "Yes, his role can be ignored. A bad leader cannot make the team get twice the result with half the effort if he makes the right choice."

Success means everyone is happy. Victory means that the project is completely successful.

First of all, the first part is not the parachute deceleration module. When the deceleration landing system surrounding the Mars probe retreats into the Martian atmosphere, the deceleration parachute at the top will open first, and then gradually release the main parachute, using the Martian atmosphere to decelerate.

And because the entire process is completely controlled by your own decision-making, you have no chance to interfere even if you want to. So for you, it is equivalent to a big gamble, with a winning rate of 70%.

Although your team has been working hard on retrograde research and testing, it has also learned from the experience of subsequent lunar exploration missions. And it also uses your latest technologies and materials to ensure that the Mars exploration rover can land on the surface of Mars safely and stably.

"Thank you for your hard work." Wu Hao asked, patting Zhou Xiangming's shoulder.