In March, Oasis New City Launch Center, the first polar orbit satellite rocket launch site.
Zeng Qingfeng was a little nervous at this time, because this was the first time Xincheng had launched a rocket into such a deep space, and he was worried about failure.
It is obviously not an easy task to send a satellite to the depths of space 36,000 kilometers above the ground.
The difficulty factor is not much worse than launching a space station.
But being nervous is stressful, and you still have to work when you need to.
Zhou Jimin, on the other hand, is extremely calm. Because he developed the rocket launcher, he naturally knows better than anyone else whether this launch will work.
Before the rocket was sent to the launch center, he not only checked it three times himself, but also other staff checked it three times.
Just after adding fuel, he checked again to ensure that there was no problem with the rocket launch.
All staff left the launch tower, and the satellite launch entered the final stage of the countdown.
At this time, Lao Lin was also standing next to him. He was the only leader who came to the Xincheng Launch Center this time.
"Yes, you have developed this place so well in ten years, which is great!"
Lao Lin just arrived in Xincheng today. He was picked up by the Type 65 improved passenger plane from the army. It was not Zhou Jimin who picked him up.
Although Oasis New City today has not yet mastered more advanced aero-engine technology, it has made great progress in aero-engines.
The Type 65 improved passenger aircraft is an aircraft manufactured with the latest engine completely independently developed by Xincheng Aircraft R&D team.
The maximum takeoff weight of this aircraft is 220 tons, the maximum landing weight is 180 tons, and the thrust of a single aero engine reaches 30 tons...
All data show that the technology of this aircraft has reached an extremely amazing level.
Such awesome technology was of course the first to be applied to the army and became a transport aircraft.
Actually, this thing can't be used as a transport plane, but there's no other way. This is the current limit of Xincheng.
Originally, Xu Lei and the others developed aviation engines in accordance with civil aviation passenger aircraft standards. However, today's domestic civil aviation market is extremely underdeveloped.
For the time being, it is impossible to sell the engine abroad, so we can only digest it internally.
When the troops heard about this, they were so excited that they danced with their hands and feet.
Because an engine with such a huge thrust can completely build a transport aircraft. For the army, the role of the transport aircraft is really great.
No matter what the occasion, having the ability to respond quickly is a key point that the army should consider.
Lao Lin liked this aircraft very much because he saw the future of the country.
"Comrade Panda, do you think it is possible for us to develop a Chinook heavy transport helicopter?"
Zhou Jimin glanced at the rocket that was about to be launched and said softly:
"It's possible, but it takes time."
Not to mention, Lao Lin thought it through very carefully, and Zhou Jimin himself didn’t even think of it.
Heavy transport helicopters that can drop soldiers and supplies in respective environments are indeed very good equipment.
Especially in the process of disaster relief, such heavy transport helicopters are really important.
The Chinook heavy transport helicopter developed by Bald Eagle more than ten years ago can not only hover in the air, but can also transport thirty-three fully armed soldiers or eight tons of cargo at one time. p>
Its combat radius is 370 kilometers, its maximum range is 2,200 kilometers, and its maximum flight speed is 315 kilometers per hour.
Perhaps if Zhou Jimin uses the electric propulsion system as the main thrust, he can save part of the fuel for take-off weight and increase the transportation capacity and combat radius.
Our country has a vast territory, and there is really an urgent need for such transport helicopters.
Lao Lin did not continue to talk about this topic, because the rocket was already breathing fire.
Accompanied by a huge roar in the distance, the rocket rose from the ground.
At this time, in the new and old cities, the major canteens, squares or in front of the TV screens in their homes were full of people.
After years of development in New Town, televisions have become more popular.
Basically, every household has a TV, and the penetration rate is as high as 80%.
Many public areas, such as school cafeterias, work cafeterias, cinemas, squares and other areas, also have public TV sets.
At this time, without exception, everyone was watching a live broadcast of a satellite rocket launch.
Sitting in a new city with a low-orbit global satellite system, it is not easy to live broadcast satellite launches.
Of course, once the rocket goes deep into space, it will be difficult to capture the signal.
Even if there is a signal, it will be too far away to see clearly, and it will not be attractive.
After all, the place where this satellite needs to go is deep space, 36,000 kilometers away from the ground.
Watching the live broadcast of the rocket launch, the pride of the residents of Xincheng instantly increased a lot.
Many people are very excited, and many students even have the urge to change their major immediately and apply for astronaut exams.
The rocket took off smoothly and soon entered space.
After entering space, the speed of the rocket not only did not slow down, but actually accelerated a lot.
If the launch is a space station or a low-orbit artificial satellite, the time taken is very short. Generally speaking, tens of minutes are enough.
Because we know that the journey to outer space is very long, but it can be done in such a short time, so it is said to be very fast.
But now that we are launching polar-orbiting satellites, the time required is very long, probably within ten days.
Oasis New City uses a multi-stage rocket launch method to launch polar orbit satellites.
The cost is high, but still affordable.
Nowadays, polar-orbiting satellites have reached an orbit range of more than 200 kilometers. From here to a polar orbit of 36,000 kilometers, the rest depends on time.
Lao Lin naturally wouldn't wait that long, so after the launch was completed and he learned that the polar orbit satellite had entered a normal orbit, he left the launch center.
In the next two days, Lao Lin visited the new city, whether it was a greenhouse vegetable planting base or a zoo.
He even visited several squares in the city.
In short, he left casually and did not plan his itinerary in advance.
Lao Lin also visited six university campuses and was very shocked.
The campus is very large, and the green area is also very large.
However, what Lao Lin was a little confused about was why the campuses of these six universities and the trees on both sides of the school roads were all towering trees?
When he came to visit these campuses, he didn't feel like a newly built university. There were too many big trees on the campus.
On the contrary, it feels like visiting a century-old school, which is very unusual.
Except for the teaching building, library, student dormitories and teachers' villas, which look like new buildings, the others are all lush and do not look like a new campus.
"Leader, our six university campuses are all built in the original forest. These trees have been growing for at least ten years, so it seems to you that this campus is so different."
Lao Lin suddenly understood and nodded, "Do you still have many big trees like this in your new city?"
"There are so many of them. There are such big trees everywhere near our new city. Judging from the age of the trees, they are almost more than fifty years old..."
A tree that is over fifty years old is very unusual.
You must know that the new city is built on the desert. In just ten years, not only has a large city with a population of more than one million has been born, but the urban forest vegetation coverage rate is very high.
Within hundreds of kilometers around the city, there are almost all big trees, and there are even swamps in some places.
In addition, there are also very rich species of animals and plants in the forest, including not only Populus euphratica, sand cats and other species unique to the Taklimakan Desert, but also rare species from the primeval forests of North and South America and the deserts of Central Asia.
This place is simply a paradise for all kinds of species.
Originally, these species should not have come together, but not only did they come together, they also built perfect ecosystems.
It looks very balanced and perfect, and the numbers of various species are also the same, maintaining a balanced level, neither flooding nor becoming extinct.
How is it done?
Lao Lin didn't study these too much because it was not the focus.
After he visited the electric propulsion engine Zhou Jimin was researching, he brought up the heavy transport helicopter again.
"Leader, don't worry. As long as you approve the documents, I will gather people for research and development as soon as possible."
"You've already built the engine. Aren't the current electric propulsion aero engines capable of driving airplanes to fly at a speed of one thousand kilometers per hour? Just change it."
Hearing Lao Lin's doubts, Zhou Jimin immediately couldn't laugh or cry, and quickly explained to the leader.
The electric propulsion system can be installed with two engines or four engines on a jet aircraft.
So what Lao Lin just said is correct, it can indeed fly at a speed of one thousand kilometers per hour.
However, the thrust of a single electric propulsion engine is currently only about ten tons.
And this is only for jet engines, not helicopters or other aircraft.
If it were to be replaced by another aircraft, the engine style would definitely have to be changed, or even directly overturned and a new engine developed.
Scientific research work is not that simple, it must be rigorous.
After listening to Zhou Jimin's explanation, Lao Lin didn't say anything more.
Of course, after returning home, the approval documents must be signed as soon as possible, so that Zhou Jimin and his people can seize the time to develop this heavy transport helicopter.
Weapons and equipment like this continue to be used in many places. They are really important to the army and are also very easy to use.
After Lao Lin left Xincheng, Zhou Jimin quickly formed another R&D team in the laboratory.
However, there is no one left!
There is a huge shortage of people.
Fortunately, the army quickly sent over a research and development team of more than fifty people, all of whom are experts in aerospace engines.
You can have this!
Zhou Jimin should immediately send the information and let them take the time to fully understand the electric propulsion system before starting research and development work.
Ten days later, the first polar-orbiting satellite successfully reached its intended orbit. Metro TV broadcast the news that night, and the whole city was excited.
In the Zhou family villa, Zhou Qingyi and the others were also sitting in front of the TV, eating dinner and watching TV.
For the millions of residents in Xincheng, it has become a habit to watch the news broadcast on time at seven o'clock every evening.
Many things that happen in Xincheng will be fully broadcast on the news network.
Not only local news in Xincheng, but also international news will be reprinted or directly broadcast.
Yes, the reprinted news and TV pictures will be standard and clear.
The entire Metro TV station currently has only two channels, one is the news and technology channel, and the other is the entertainment channel.
The two channels are similar. The morning, noon and evening news at fixed times all broadcast the same news, have the same host, and broadcast the same programs.
At other times, either popular science programs on science and technology projects or TV series are broadcast, each of which is different.
"Dad, are polar-orbiting satellites really that powerful? Can they really broadcast weather forecasts in the future? Are they accurate?"
The little guys were very curious, because the announcer had just briefly introduced the main functions of polar orbiting satellites, and they all already knew it.
In fact, as early as ten days ago, the host had already roughly introduced it in the live broadcast on the day of the launch of the polar orbit satellite.
Polar-orbiting satellites are technical improvements made to current space stations, weather forecasts, etc.
"Whether it's accurate or not, won't you know when the time comes?"
Zhou Jimin took a bite of food and said calmly.
Ding Qiunan smiled and said: "I think this is good. Many new technologies should be popularized to improve our national self-confidence."
Zhou Jimin didn't say anything about this.
There is no point in arguing with her. It will only make everyone unhappy.
Whether new technology should be announced depends on the situation.
Aerospace engineering projects are no secret in Xincheng, and polar-orbiting satellites can also publicly broadcast launch progress.
That's because Zhou Jimin has confidence in his own technology and also in the staff of the entire space center.
Naturally, we are not afraid of some tragedies that may occur as a result.
Moreover, it is just a simple science popularization and has nothing to do with technology.
There is no risk of technology leakage.
In today's new cities, how can it be so easy to enter the new cities and become residents of the new cities?
The entire new city is located in the Taklimakan Desert, surrounded by natural barriers such as the desert and the towering Kunlun Snow Mountains, so it has no fear of outsiders.
What's more, there are several surveillance tapes set up at the junction of the desert and forest around the new city, as well as in some parts of the forest. Who can escape and enter the new city without a permit?
No one can do it!
Even Xincheng TV's two channel programs cannot be received at all except Xincheng and Liuer Town.