Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Even though the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation could afford to redesign the core module, Lu Zhou didn’t have the time to wait.
Skyglow’s working medium and fuel are already replenished. We’re so close to launching, and you are telling me now that something is wrong with the core module?
The f*ck?
This is not happening!
Lu Zhou walked up and down the corridor. He made up his mind. He spoke to Director Li through the phone.
“I’m going to Tianjin!”
Director Li paused for a second.
“Why are you going… Are you a space station designer?”
All of the experts at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation can’t solve this, even Academician Yuan shook his head. What are you going to do, Lu Zhou?
The main research and development projects at Star Sky Technology were all focused on the ion thruster propulsion system. There wasn’t a single engineer at the Institute for Advanced Study who was an expert in space station design.
Lu Zhou said, “I have to see it in person!”
If the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation really decided to disassemble the core module and re-wire the loop heat pipe, it would take at least a year.
Even though Lu Zhou couldn’t solve the technical problem, he wanted to go to the scene and see what was going on.
At the bare minimum, he wanted to see the problem with his own eyes.
Seeing how determined Lu Zhou was, Director Li didn’t try to persuade him otherwise.
“Okay then… I’ll tell the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation not to dismantle the core module yet.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Lu Zhou hung up the phone before putting it into his pocket. He quickly walked back to the laboratory.
Yang Xu was removing the glass slide from the microscope. He looked at Lu Zhou and paused for a second.
“… What?”
Lu Zhou said solemnly, “Something went wrong at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The launch has to be delayed.”
Yang Xu pushed his glasses and asked, “Is the problem serious?”
Even though he wasn’t in the aerospace field, as one of the senior members at the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study, he still cared about these important matters.
“The problem is serious. I might be gone for a week or two, so you’ll have to handle the N-1 research…” Lu Zhou was about to leave when he saw the carbon nanotube fiber samples sitting on the experiment table.
He stared at them for a while before asking, “What is the maximum length we can achieve at the moment?”
Yang Xu said, “Around 1-2mm… Why?”
Without hesitating, Lu Zhou immediately said, “You’re flying with me tomorrow!”
Yang Xu: “…?”
…
The atmosphere in Tianjin was gloomy and bleak.
Because of overtime, most of the workers were already in a bad mood. Now that there was the overheating problem, people were feeling even worse.
Especially the engineers, they all had a tired look on their faces.
Sun Yuanpei, the engineer in charge of the Moon Palace project, sat on a small chair outside the factory building. He smoked cigarettes one by one. It seemed like he aged ten years overnight. He didn’t even notice Systems Director Zhang walking over.
“… The core module is inside, I’ll take you there.”
“Okay.” Lu Zhou nodded toward Systems Director Zhang and looked at the depressed engineer sitting nearby. He asked, “Who is that?”
“That is the engineer in charge of the space station. He’s also in charge of the cooling system.”
Lu Zhou had a look of realization in his eyes.
No wonder!
No wonder he looks so depressed.
I’m sure anyone in his position wouldn’t feel so good.
Sun Yuanpei noticed the conversation happening near him, and he looked up at Lu Zhou. He then looked back down and continued to smoke the cigarette.
Lu Zhou: “You’re Engineer Sun?”
Sun Yuanpei nodded.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Have you found a solution?”
Sun Yuanpei had a bitter look on his face. He shook his head and said, “Right now, the only solution is to redesign the loop heat pipe… We should dismantle the module and rebuild it.”
Honestly, as a conservative, he didn’t really like Lu Zhou.
But right now, he didn’t have any face to hate Lu Zhou.
Rather, he hated himself for not being able to discover the problem earlier.
Lu Zhou stared at him for a while before saying, “Put out the cigarette, and show me what’s happening inside.”
“Okay.”
Sun Yuanpei threw away the cigarette butt and slowly stood up. He walked toward the warehouse like a soulless puppet.
Systems Director Zhang looked at Lu Zhou and sighed.
“Don’t trigger him… He’s in a bad emotional state right now.”
Lu Zhou smiled and said, “Why would I trigger him?”
Yang Xu, who was following Lu Zhou this whole time, asked, “Should I stay outside? I mean… There are state secrets involved here, right?”
After working with Lu Zhou for so long, the most common term Yang Xu heard Lu Zhou say was “state secret”.
This term almost became a trigger for him.
Systems Director Zhang smiled and shook his head.
“It’s fine, that thing inside isn’t exactly a state secret. Two months ago some primary school children came for a field trip… Come with me.”
He took the group of people into the warehouse.
Lu Zhou and Yang Xu followed Systems Director Zhang.
The moment Yang Xu walked into the warehouse, he began to look around curiously.
His research area was materials science. He had never been exposed to the aerospace industry. This stuff was all novel to him.
Lu Zhou wasn’t curious at all. He walked straight to the core module that was placed in the center of the warehouse.
The module connection port was open, and it was wide enough for one astronaut to enter through.
However, Lu Zhou didn’t go inside. He placed his head inside and look around. He then came out.
“The problem is the loop heat pipe?”
Sun Yuanpei nodded weakly and said, “Yes.”
Lu Zhou immediately said, “What about coolants? Have you thought about changing the coolants?”
Sun Yuanpei smiled and shook his head.
“The coolant is glycol/water, which is already an excellent aerospace coolant… Do you really think changing the coolant is going to solve this problem? There’s no way. Increasing the injection speed of the coolant, improving glycol water mixture… We have tried everything! The problem is that the excess heat is accumulated in the capillaries of the loop heat pipes. It’s impossible to dissipate.”
As expected, the problem wasn’t that simple.
Lu Zhou had a dignified look on his face. He walked around the core module and began to recall the Debris No.3 lying in his underground laboratory.
Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. He went inside the core module through the left connection port.
He knocked on the heat pipe and asked, “What is this made of?”
Sun Yuanpei, who was standing outside, said, “Copper-aluminium alloy… Why?”
“Nothing, just wondering.”
Lu Zhou climbed out of the core module and took two steps back. He looked at Yang Xu, who was muddled, and asked, “Is it possible to electroplate the N-1 material?”
Yang Xu adjusted his glasses and answered the question, “It can be done… What do you plan on plating?”
“Copper.”
“Copper?” Yang Xu looked at Lu Zhou. He then looked at the core module and said, “You’re planning to…”
Lu Zhou nodded.
“Yep.”
Yang Xu contemplated it for a moment before saying, “I’m afraid it’s not possible to electroplate the micrometer-sized N-1 on copper plates… Chemical plating should work.”
“Then we’ll do chemical plating. You’re the expert.”
Systems Director Zhang was baffled. He looked at Lu Zhou and asked, “What are you guys talking about?”
Lu Zhou smiled and replied casually, “We’re talking about a way to solve this problem!”
After that, he and Yang Xu began to walk out of the warehouse.
