The agricultural development plan has been formulated, and Luo Jia no longer paid attention to this matter, because agriculture, like the East China Sea West Project, is a long-term project to transform the earth, and it cannot see results in the short term. It requires gradual progress and continuous investment.

As the end of the year approaches, the company is becoming increasingly nervous. The reason is very simple. Space Station Zero and Elevator No. 1 will be completed by the end of the year. This is definitely the top priority for straight men in science and engineering who have the dream of a starry sea.

As the largest technology group on earth, Star Technology has carried out too many projects at the same time, and there are countless projects at all, and the space plan is definitely the top priority.

Nearly half of the company's projects are operating around the space program. Even projects like agriculture that seem to be inseparable from space are actually making technical reserves for future space colonization, which is enough to prove the unique importance of the space program to Star Technology.

Not long after Luo Jia left the Ministry of Agriculture, good news came from the company's largest secondary research institute, the Institute of Materials Science, that the electric propulsion project Cao Yuan was in charge of was ready, and he hoped that Luo Jia would participate in the technical verification in the future.

Upon hearing this news, Luo Jia was overjoyed and immediately went there happily.

The Institute of Materials Science currently has three major topics: Ji Ming's three-titanium alloy, Chao'anbang's superconducting, and Cao Yuan's ionic propulsion.

Among them, Chaoanbang's superconducting project is widely involved and extremely complex, and only advances to the medium stage. Although it can produce top superconducting materials, scientific and technological research and development is one thing, and large-scale production of scientific and technological projects is another thing. It is estimated that it will take some time for Star Technology's superconducting technology to be truly industrialized. By then, Luo Jia can build suspended cars and trains on the earth.

Ji Ming's research on titanium alloy started the latest and is still in its primary stage, but Luo Jia is not anxious about this because he is very clear that titanium alloy is best placed after space mining technology.

Only a large number of rare minerals can make the Chinese smelting industry rejuvenate again. Most of the rare mineral veins today are in the hands of Western giants. my country is a country with a poor resource-based resource-based country.

At this stage, it is good to produce carbon fiber and graphene materials in large quantities. Although the price is a little expensive, it is 100% controlled by Xingchen Technology. Use these two materials first to survive the early stage of the space plan. After the space mining industry reaches scale, advanced alloy smelting will naturally be launched on a large scale.

In any case, Cao Yuan's ion propulsion was completed in time, which made Luo Jia feel relieved.

Ion propulsion is really important to the space program. After all, without ion propulsion technology, the company's plan 2 cannot be completed. The plan 2 is to build a starship, which will be used to travel to the moon, mine the precious reactor fuel Helium III, and conduct preliminary manned exploration of the solar system.

While thinking, Luo Jia came to Cao Yuan's laboratory. As soon as he entered the door, he saw two sets of electric thruster samples. They both belonged to electric heating propulsion and adopted a relatively ancient technical route. The one on the left is called the Resistojet propulsion and the one on the right is called the Arcjet propulsion.

Simply put, Resistojet generates heat through resistance, the propellant synthesis expands, and sprays out to produce power. Arcjet will continue to break through the arc of the propellant as a heat source, heating the propellant to the limit temperature, thereby achieving higher efficiency.

The reason why the company studies ancient electric-thermal propulsion technology is mainly to cope with the stage before ion propulsion is launched. For example, the current space telescope array launched by Xingchen Technology uses electric-thermal propulsion. Although the efficiency is relatively low, its advantage lies in stability.

In addition to these, a series of experimental products of electric thrust engines can be found in Cao Yuan. Being in it is like entering the Electric Push Technology Museum.

Although Cao Yuan always looked like he couldn't wake up, he was still very serious in doing things. After Luo Jia handed over the task to him, he worked very hard and conducted detailed and intensive research on the electric push system.

"This guy has actually studied all the electric propulsion technical routes. The workload is so exaggerated. No wonder he has a strong dark circle every day. The talent is not scary. The key is that he has high talent and hard work. It is hard for Cao Yuan to fail like this." Luo Jia murmured in his heart, full of appreciation for Cao Yuan.

Just as I was thinking, I saw Cao Yuan walking towards me lazily with his hair on his back. He knew that he was a great scientist in the field of materials science. He didn't know that he was a young Internet addicted man who fought all night long.

"Are you all ready?" Luo Jia asked.

"Yeah." Cao Yuan nodded slightly.

"What materials are used for working fluid?" Luo Jia began to ask her technical questions she was concerned about.

Cao Yuan explained: "We now have two designs. Traditional ion propulsion uses argon as working fluid, while direct propulsion of nuclear fusion uses deuterium."

"The work fluid is actually not important. Anyway, it is a temporary strategy. When the moon base is established, we will definitely use Helium 3. To go further, we must develop antimatter engines, warp engines, and even space transition engines."

Luo Jia couldn't help but shook her head, "Space Jump Engine, you really dare to think about it. Don't say so much, let me see how you plan to send us to Mars."

Cao Yuan smiled and led Luo Jia into the monitoring room next to the test room.

There are many ways to move in space. In addition to what Cao Yuan said just now, there are solar sail propulsion, nuclear pulse propulsion, etc. These technical routes have advantages and disadvantages, and the difficulty of realization is also different. At this stage, the earth civilization can handle ion propulsion, which is enough.

Ion propulsion is divided into electric push and direct push. The former does not require a fusion reactor, and can sail as long as there is electricity. Direct fusion push is powerful, releasing the ultra-high temperature plasma generated by the fusion of the reactor, thereby generating thrust, with an amazing effect.

Of course, the direct push speed of fusion reactors is fast, but the technical requirements are also high. For example, it is necessary to manufacture a strong electron beam to neutralize the charge released by the engine and avoid serious interference caused by the charge.

In terms of speed, the maximum speed of conventional electric push is about 300 kilometers per second.

The direct fusion push using deuterium and tritium as reactants has an extreme speed of 1,200 kilometers per second.

When deuterium and helium react, it can even reach an astonishing speed of 3,100 kilometers per second.

It is not difficult to see that direct push is much faster than electric push. However, even so, Cao Yuan developed two solutions, mainly to save money.

Whether it is deuterium or helium three, they are rare and expensive. Some space probes, such as space telescopes, do not actually have much demand for speed. At this time, the benefits of conventional electric pushing can be reflected.

"Anyway, we have to go to the moon to mine Helium 3, because the reaction between Helium 3 and deuterium can not only enhance the efficiency of the fusion reactor, but also the fastest speed." Cao Yuan muttered while preparing: "That's 3,100 kilometers per second. In theory, starting from the earth can reach Mars in as little as five hours."

"Come on." Luo Jia said disapprovingly: "Theoretical data never represents reality. The closest distance to Mars is 55 million kilometers, but the longest distance is more than 400 million kilometers. The distance is not a measure, so you can't always calculate it based on the shortest distance."

"And the theoretical maximum speed is not reliable. Considering the effectiveness of starships and reactors, the starship powertrain that can achieve 70% efficiency is already a very, very excellent design, and there are also acceleration and deceleration."

"If we consider all factors, it would be a great feat if we could control the average voyage to Mars within one week. Of course, before developing Mars, we must first build the lunar base and successfully mine Helium III."

Cao Yuan curled his lips dissatisfiedly, thinking that Luo Jia was too steady. As an optimistic school, he liked to estimate the most optimistic results. This also destined that although he was a great scientist, he would never be able to lead the tough guy group.

Boom ~

With Luo Jia's command, the ion propeller quickly ignited and ejected dazzling blue flames. Argon quickly ionized under the action of an electrostatic field and accelerated the reverse jet, thus generating huge thrust.

As Luo Jia expected, the system consumed about one-third of its energy, and the final number on the screen was frozen at 200 kilometers per second.

Theoretically, the extreme speed of 200 kilometers per second can shorten the time when the Earth arrives at Mars to about one week. However, considering the acceleration and deceleration, as well as the movement of astral bodies, the actual time may take three weeks.

Immediately afterwards, Luo Jia and Cao Yuanma rushed to Sichuan and went to the nuclear fusion center to test how much the limit speed could be reached if the reactor was directly pushed and deuterium was used as the working fluid.

The answer I got this time made everyone feel extremely excited. The direct push test score of the fusion reactor is as high as 800 kilometers per second, which is exactly four times that of conventional electric push!

That is to say, even if you consider losses, acceleration and deceleration, and all unfavorable factors, starships can sail from Earth to Mars within a week.

You should know that the most successful Mars lander in human history is NASA's Curiosity. Curiosity set off in October 2011 and arrived on Mars in August 2012. It took ten months and a voyage of 56 million kilometers.

Xingchen Technology uses direct push of fusion reactors to reach Mars in just one week, and the gap is too big.
Chapter completed!