Chapter 327 Lunar Orbit Station 1
Nineteen days after the lunar orbit patrol boat was put into use, the first accident report was presented to Wang Mingyuan.
On its return journey, the seventh spacecraft took an extra thirty minutes to avoid a mining transport module. Thirty minutes may not seem like a long time, but in low lunar orbit, it meant overheating of the psionic thrusters, attitude array deflection, and the pilot's energy consumption nearing the warning threshold.
Finally, it forced its way down, barely touching the recycle window.
When the hull landed, two of the bottom damping frames snapped off.
The person is alright.
But everyone understood one thing.
Lunar patrol boats are usable, but they cannot rely on ground bases for supplies, crew changes, and maintenance indefinitely.
In the Kyoto joint control room, Lin Feng projected the patrol data onto the large screen.
"A single patrol boat's standard patrol time is six hours. Beyond six hours, the attitude correction error becomes significantly larger. Currently, the number of patrol boats is still small, barely enough to keep up with the schedule. Once the number increases to thirty or fifty, the ground take-off and landing windows at the Guanghan base will simply not be enough."
The court president, leaning on his cane, added in a deep voice, "They need a foothold on the track."
Wang Mingyuan stared at the pale blue trail on the outer edge of the moon, and after a moment, he marked a coordinate 300 kilometers above the Guanghan base.
[Lunar Orbit Relay Station 1]
"Don't expand it yet," Wang Mingyuan said. "It's enough if it can dock, replenish supplies, change shifts, and provide emergency care."
He paused.
"First, let the patrol boat have a place to breathe in the air."
……
When the order was sent to the Guanghan base, Lao Liu was repairing a blocked water circulation branch line outside the No. 2 greenhouse.
After hearing the task, he remained silent for a long time.
"The underground infrastructure isn't even finished, and now they're going to put rails on and build houses?"
Li Xiang submitted the structural diagram.
The so-called Lunar Orbit 1 relay station has absolutely nothing to do with the space station imagined in the old days.
It consists of three heavy titanium steel cans strung together by a central spindle.
One berth compartment, one supply compartment, and one small life support compartment.
Six additional folded damping trusses were welded to the outside to withstand micrometeorite impacts.
After looking at it for a long time, Old Liu commented, "It looks like several gas cylinders welded together."
Li Xiang nodded: "But it can be used."
Old Liu cursed, "You designers really have no aesthetic sense at all."
"On the moon, usability is the highest form of aesthetics."
This statement shut Lao Liu up.
The Guanghan Base is no longer the mining site with a few hundred people it once was. Patrol boats, transport cabins, mining areas, greenhouses, teleportation arrays, and the Great Sun Spirit Summoning Array are all operational. If there isn't a relay point in the outer lunar space, it will eventually be overwhelmed by takeoff and landing scheduling.
……
Construction on the No. 3 assembly area began soon.
The lunar titanium steel blanks produced by the Taiyi Furnace were cut into curved panels. Engineering monks were responsible for welding the outer shell, while array masters were responsible for etching radiation-resistant array patterns and sealing the circuits.
Old Liu cursed for three days straight.
"Rework this weld."
"The damping pattern is off by two millimeters. Disassemble it."
"Don't tell me it can be made do. If it starts leaking air after it's on track, people will die."
The young array master was scolded until his face turned pale, but he could only grit his teeth and go back to work.
No one thought Lao Liu had gone too far.
On the moon, those who are too soft-hearted can't bring people back.
Sixteen days later, the three main modules were sealed and loaded into three short-range push-button modules.
The escort mission was undertaken by six lunar orbit type 1 patrol boats.
This is also the first time that the patrol system has undertaken the task of escorting a railway project.
There was no ceremony on the day of the launch.
Only a series of cold, hard parameters confirm this.
"Third push module, main shaft locked."
"The supply compartment module has a stable airtightness."
"Escort formation, take your positions."
"Low-rail splicing window, countdown 30 seconds."
Old Liu, wearing a modified Xuanwu-III engineering armor, stood next to the push-pod mounting frame.
This armor has added posture thrusters on the back and four mechanical auxiliary arms on the outside of the arms, making it bulkier and more difficult to control than the original.
However, since there is no ground to step on during low-rail construction, people have to rely on this thing to anchor themselves to their workstations.
Li Xiang's voice came through the channel: "Team Leader Liu, the low-orbit operation time is a maximum of five hours. If it exceeds five hours, your life support system will be put into emergency mode."
Old Liu fastened his helmet.
"Know."
Don't be reckless.
Old Liu grinned: "When have I ever tried to be tough?"
No one answered the call on the channel.
The countdown has reached zero.
The three pusher modules slowly left the lunar surface and ascended towards the low Earth orbit splicing point.
The Guanghan Base shrank beneath our feet into a patch of pale blue light.
In the distance, the Earth hangs silently in the darkness.
Old Liu glanced at it once and then looked away.
Stop looking at the scenery and get to work.
……
Upon reaching the designated orbit, the twenty engineering monks were ejected from the airlock.
"Security cable access to the main module."
"Attitude nozzle amplitude limiting".
"berth docking, commence."
The first segment assembly went relatively smoothly.
But when it came time to connect to the supply depot, a problem arose.
Module 3 deviated two centimeters from its intended axis due to attitude nozzle delay.
Two centimeters is nothing on the ground.
On low orbit, if two modules weighing tens of tons misalign and mesh, the entire main shaft will be torn.
"Robotic arm number two, hold the line!"
"Don't use brute force! It will strain the damping array!"
A young engineering cultivator subconsciously circulated his true energy, trying to forcefully pull the module back.
The next second, he was thrown more than ten meters away by the reaction force, and the safety rope suddenly taut, pulling him back hard.
boom!
He slammed against the bulkhead and remained motionless for a long time.
Old Liu's voice turned somber: "Alive?"
"Live... to live..."
"Keep working as long as you're alive."
The young monk gritted his teeth and crawled back to his workstation.
No one laughed at him.
Everyone knows that they might make the same mistake.
Low-Earth orbit construction isn't about brute force; it's about using people as machines. The movement of the sensor, attitude nozzle, robotic arm, and safety cable—even a slight over-motion could throw you off your feet.
Four hours later, the three main modules were finally locked in place.
However, the external damping truss has not yet been deployed.
At that moment, the patrol boat sounded an alarm.
"A small trail of micrometeorite is approaching and is expected to pass past the current orbit in seventeen minutes."
Li Xiang immediately switched to the channel: "Captain Liu, withdraw. We'll do the rest in the next round."
Old Liu stared at the six damping trusses still curled up on the outer shell and remained silent for two seconds.
If we withdraw now, the relay station that we just assembled will be nothing more than a tin can without thorns.
That remaining stream might not be able to penetrate it.
But if they damage the berth compartment, all their previous work will be for nothing.
Give me fifteen minutes.
"You only have fifteen minutes of safety margin left to sustain your lives."
"Then let's finish it in fifteen minutes."
Lao Liu switched to the engineering group channel.
"Everyone, manually deploy the trusses."
Nobody wasted words.
Twenty engineering monks, dragging their nearly depleted life support energy, rushed toward the outer shell.
One.
Two.
Three.
Six folding trusses slowly unfolded in the vacuum, like a rough steel hedgehog, finally revealing its outer protective layer.
As the last truss was locked, the micrometeorite remnant just grazed past.
Ding--
A fragment the size of a grain of rice struck the truss, creating a faint ripple of spiritual pressure.
The structure did not collapse.
There was no air leakage in the berth compartment.
Old Liu let out a long breath.
"The external damping frame of Lunar Orbit Relay Station 1 has been fully deployed."
His voice was incredibly hoarse.
"Requesting asylum at the station."
The airlock light in the life support capsule illuminated.
One by one, the twenty engineering monks crawled into the newly assembled cabin.
It's incredibly narrow inside.
The walls were covered with exposed pipes, and the air smelled of welding and metal. The circulation system had just started, and the oxygen still had a distinct filter smell.
Old Liu took off his helmet and took a deep drag.
Then he frowned.
"It smells awful."
The young engineering monk beside him slumped to the ground, panting, and asked, "Captain Liu, is it done?"
Old Liu looked up and glanced at the green indicator light on the bulkhead.
[Berth compartment: Stable]
[Supply Container: Stable]
[Life support capsule: Stable]
[Damping Truss: Deployment]
He nodded.
"It's done."
……
Hours later, the first lunar patrol boat approached the relay station.
"Lunar Orbiter Type 1, Item 3, requesting docking."
Old Liu leaned against the control panel, drinking a bag of unpalatable nutrient solution, and casually pressed the access button.
"Permission granted to dock."
Click.
Physical locking mechanism.
The two Foundation Patrolmen squeezed into the narrow passage, and after taking off their helmets, their first reaction was to frown.
"This place is really run-down."
Old Liu didn't even lift his eyelids.
"If you think it's too old, work overtime to expand it yourself."
The patrolman smiled and said nothing more.
They touched the cabin wall, their expressions visibly relaxed.
In the past, during each patrol, all they could see was the distant Guanghan Base in the background.
Now, there is an additional place on the track where we can stop, replenish oxygen, and change array plates.
Even if it's dilapidated, it's still a port.
The next day, someone cut a sign from a scrap titanium steel plate and crookedly engraved a few words on it:
【Lunar Orbit Station 1】
A sign was hung at the entrance to the life support module.
The handwriting is ugly.
The edges weren't smoothed out either.
When Lao Liu saw it, he cursed, "Pretentious," but didn't let anyone take it down.
From that day on, every patrolman who docked would glance at it when he entered the cabin.
Because it is no longer just a temporary coordinate.
That was the first station in lunar orbit.
……