Chapter 132 I don’t agree!
Hearing Zhou Cheng's words, Professor Li froze for a moment before turning around and looking at Zhou Cheng in disbelief: "Are you not considering returning?"
Zhou Cheng smiled and said, "I'm just a little curious, just want to chat.
If we don't consider the return trip, we don't have to consider the fuel required for the spacecraft to leave the surface of Mercury, the fuel for the return trip, or the consumption of life support supplies for the return trip.
Without all these things, the design requirements for the spacecraft itself should be much lower, right? In that case, what would the mass of the spacecraft be?"
Professor Li murmured, “If we don’t consider the return journey, it would be much simpler.
For example, the fuel needed for the return trip also requires additional fuel for the outbound trip to be brought from Earth. If there is no return trip, not only can the return fuel be saved, but also the additional fuel consumed for the outbound trip can be saved.
Other aspects can also reduce a lot of consumption. I roughly calculated that the spacecraft mass should be around 1,300 to 1,700 tons. With our current space launch capabilities, we should be able to do it.
But Professor Zhou, you may have overlooked one issue, which is stability."
He looked at Zhou Cheng: "At our peak, did we really not have the ability to land humans on Mercury? No, we already had it.
But why haven't I logged in?
It’s not that the stability is not up to standard, the risk is too great.
We are at the peak of our career and have no external pressure. Of course, we must develop step by step. We must wait until everything is foolproof and we are confident enough before we actually carry out the landing activities.
If we were truly willing to risk it, we would have landed on it long ago. What's the harm in failing once? If we fail once, we try ten times, and we'll eventually succeed."
Zhou Cheng understood the meaning of Professor Li's words.
Even humans in their prime were unable to reduce the risks of landing on Mercury to an acceptable level, and humans in their twilight years are even less able to do so.
If we really want to land on Mercury, we can launch it, but the risks are self-evident.
"But we're just chatting, not really going to land on Mercury, so it doesn't matter."
Professor Li smiled.
Zhou Cheng also said politely: "It's a pleasure chatting with you, then you go ahead and do your work, I'll be leaving first."
"Okay, come visit us often when you're free. Professor Zhou, you don't know, but we're usually pretty bored sitting here."
"Okay, sure."
After saying goodbye to Professor Li, Zhou Cheng returned to his office.
The only possibility is to abandon the return trip and land on Mercury with experimental equipment.
But even so, it would require exhausting all the space launch power left over from the peak era of human civilization in order to barely achieve it.
At the same time, the risks are enormous.
Zhou Cheng stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bright sunshine, and sighed softly.
He dismissed the idea for the time being.
But in the following period of time, the three words "dark matter" kept popping up in my head uncontrollably.
Whether in daily work, while taking a walk with Liu Yu, while chatting, or even when waking up in the middle of the night, Zhou Cheng would unconsciously think of this word.
Time passed quietly. One day, Zhou Cheng got off work early and returned home early.
After waiting for a long time, Liu Yu finally came back from work. Seeing Zhou Cheng, Liu Yu was very happy: "You got off work so early today?"
"I have something to discuss with you, so I came back early."
Noticing Zhou Cheng's seriousness, Liu Yu couldn't help but become serious.
"What's up?"
Zhou Cheng sighed and recounted the results of his research from some time ago.
Finally, Zhou Cheng whispered, "I've asked around, and if the total mass of the spacecraft can be reduced to 1,500 tons, the space launch base will have sufficient capacity for the launch.
But if the mass is reduced to 1,500 tons, there will only be a forward journey, no return journey.”
Liu Yu looked at Zhou Cheng in shock, his eyes gradually turning red.
She roared angrily: "No, I don't agree, I don't agree! You can't go! Have you ever considered my feelings?! No, no, no!"
She continued to roar furiously, her voice hoarse. After a while, Liu Yu's voice softened again.
She hugged Zhou Cheng tightly, her voice full of pleading: "Please don't go, okay? You can't come back if you go. Besides, the risk is so high. It's very likely that you will have an accident before you even reach Mercury. It's useless. Please don't go, okay? I, I will make hand-rolled noodles for you every day, okay?
I cook your favorite food every day. I make you braised pork, steak, and boiled fish. I promise you everything. Please, don't go, okay?"
Zhou Cheng closed his eyes in agony, his voice trembling: "But, but, Ah Yu, this is the only hope, the only hope...
I don’t want to go either, I really don’t want to go, I just want to stay with you and live our lives in peace and stability, I don’t want to go at all, but I can’t, I can’t…”
"You're always like this, always like this."
Liu Yu choked up, "It's clearly not your fault, but you always take it upon yourself. To show that you're capable? To show that you're a hero?"
There are so many people, so many scientists, why do you have to take the lead? Why?"
"This is my responsibility. I can't escape it. I can't escape it."
"You can go if you want. I'll go with you!"
"No, we can only go alone. One more person means one more expense, and the spaceship can't carry that much supplies."
"No, no, I don't agree! You can't go! Have you ever considered me? Ah? Zhou Cheng, say something! Speak!"
Seeing Zhou Cheng silent, Liu Yu stood up angrily, slapped him hard in the face, then turned around and rushed into the bedroom as if escaping, slammed the door, and burst into tears.
Zhou Cheng touched the slap mark on his face in a daze, his expression silent.
After a long while, he stood up, went to the kitchen, and cooked some dishes carefully. Then he knocked on the bedroom door.
"Ayu, it's getting late, come out for dinner."
"Go away, go away!"
Listening to the shouting in the bedroom, Zhou Cheng silently put the food at the bedroom door and then returned to the sofa.
A night passed and the dishes remained untouched.
Zhou Cheng sighed, facing the morning sun, threw away the food, made a new meal, and put it at the bedroom door again.
The bedroom door finally opened.
Zhou Cheng walked over.
"I don't want to talk to you! Go away!"
Liu Yu took a steamed bun and slammed the door shut.
Zhou Cheng waited for three full days, during which Liu Yu became visibly more haggard.
She finally opened the door.
"Ah Cheng, do you really want to go?"
Zhou Cheng nodded silently: "I will go."
Liu Yu hugged him again and cried, "You are always like this, always like this! Why do you have to do what you have decided to do?"
Zhou Cheng remained silent, just hugged her gently.
After a long time, Liu Yu's sobbing stopped.
"Alright, alright, I can't stop you. I won't stop you anymore, I won't stop you anymore..."
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