cosmic hegemony

Chapter 188, Capturing Asteroids
"This asteroid numbered M0001 is not good. Its diameter exceeds 130 meters. Although more than 80% of it is iron, its mass has far exceeded the limit that our spacecraft can drag, and its mass has reached 2 million. tons."

Tang Boyuan and Dong Zhifei were looking for suitable targets at this time. As the spacecraft entered the core area of ​​the asteroid belt, more and more asteroids were discovered.

"Look at this one, get rich, get rich."

Dong Zhifei excitedly sent the information about an asteroid to Tang Boyuan, and at the same time, he looked like Brother Zhu, drooling and yelling.

"If you two have something good to share, don't just focus on your own happiness."

"That's right, what are you making a fortune for?"

The other team members also spoke one after another, but they had no choice but to be anxious because they couldn't understand the spectral data, and they couldn't analyze the mass and composition of the asteroid.

"Damn, I really got rich. This asteroid numbered M0823 is actually mostly composed of gold. My God, this is simply an asteroid made of gold."

"Fuck, its mass is too big, more than 2 million tons, it's not something we can eat at all."

Tang Boyuan was very happy at first, if he could bring back an asteroid full of gold, the whole earth would explode completely, but when he calculated the mass of this asteroid, he couldn't help cursing.

"I go!"

When the other people heard it, they looked like deflated balloons.

"The mass of this asteroid is only 300 million tons. We can completely drag it, but its mass is too small, and the basic element is silicon, which is of little value."

"The mass of this asteroid exceeds 1000 million tons. Although it is basically composed of iron elements and is of great value, it exceeds our limit capability."

Dong Zhifei and Tang Boyuan patiently calculated the mass and composition elements of each asteroid. Anyway, there are more and more asteroids around, and there are many opportunities to choose.

"According to the analysis of spectral images, planets and meteorites in the asteroid belt can be roughly divided into three types, accounting for more than 60% of all asteroids are carbon-rich C-type asteroids."

"The number of silicon-containing S-type asteroids accounts for about 25%, and the spectrum shows that its surface contains silicate and some metals, but the composition of carbonaceous compounds is not obvious. This shows that they are significantly different from the composition of the original solar system, Probably due to the melting mechanism in the early solar system, leading to the result of differentiation."

"The total number of M-type asteroids accounts for about 15%. Their spectra contain iron-nickel-like spectral lines, which are white or slightly red, without the characteristics of absorption lines. According to speculation, M-type asteroids should be formed by The core is formed by catastrophic impact with iron-nickel as the main matrix."

Based on the spectral information detected by various instruments, scientists have a rough idea of ​​the structure of planets and meteorites in the entire asteroid belt. This is a scientific method, and it is already clear to you thousands of miles away.

It is the M-type asteroids with the smallest number that really play a big role. These asteroids contain a lot of metal resources. According to the spectral detection, most of the asteroids are composed of silicon elements and can only be used to produce solar power. board or something
"Everyone, take a quick look. An asteroid with a diameter of about 2270 meters was found at 80 kilometers in front of us on the left. According to the spectral wavelength and color position, this asteroid is actually composed of iron elements! This asteroid The weight is between 900 million tons and 100 million tons, which is definitely our best goal."

Tang Boyuan sent the data of the asteroid S0087 on the surface to everyone on the spacecraft, and then he screamed excitedly. The whole body is made of iron elements, and the quality is just right. This is definitely what everyone has been looking for. .

"Now the price of steel is more than 3000 yuan per ton. This kind of raw ore that has not been refined is pulled into space. I think 5000 yuan per ton is the price of cabbage. No matter how low the transportation cost of the aerospace plane is, it is higher than the ground. A lot, this meteorite counts as 1000 million tons, and it can be sold for at least 500 billion yuan in simple calculations!"

Immediately, someone next to him calculated the number with a brain turn, 500 billion yuan, just an asteroid, a relatively common asteroid!
"My God! It seems that the asteroid belt is full of gold. Any asteroid is worth tens of billions of RMB. Asteroids like this with iron as the main element account for 15% of the total. It’s easy to find out!”

Zhanfei was drooling and exclaimed quickly!

The other people on the spaceship were all shocked when they heard the number. At first, they didn’t realize how much the value of this asteroid with a diameter of less than 100 meters could be. I don't know how many such asteroids have been encountered along the way.

"The entire asteroid belt is full of gold!"

Luo Xiaoyao also couldn't help but let out a long sigh, thinking constantly in his mind, with the rapid development of the space industry and technology, more and more steel and so on are needed in space, and they are completely transported from the ground to space Obviously it is not possible, and mining asteroids from asteroid belts will inevitably become the mainstream, and perhaps my own opportunities will come in the future.

Such thoughts flashed in his mind, and soon, Luo Xiaoyao regained his composure.

"Attention all, the spaceship changes direction, we are going to capture the asteroid."

The distance of more than 2000 kilometers seems very far, but for a spacecraft flying in the starry sky, it does not take a few minutes to reach the vicinity of this asteroid.

The back of the huge butt on the Dumbo spaceship opened slowly, and two small spaceships roared out, each carrying a long rope.

Naturally, this kind of rope is not an ordinary rope. It is all made of carbon fiber materials. A single hair-thin carbon fiber can hang things weighing several tons.Carbon fiber material is a new type of fiber material with high strength and high modulus fibers containing more than 95% carbon.It is a microcrystalline graphite material obtained by stacking organic fibers such as flake graphite microcrystals along the axial direction of the fiber, and undergoing carbonization and graphitization.

Carbon fiber is "soft on the outside and rigid on the inside", and its weight is lighter than metal aluminum, but its strength is higher than that of steel, and it has the characteristics of corrosion resistance and high modulus.More importantly, it not only has the inherent intrinsic characteristics of carbon materials, but also has the softness and processability of textile fibers. It is a new generation of reinforcing fibers.

Before departure, Fuyun Group has worked out a detailed method of mining asteroids. First, use this high-strength carbon fiber rope to weave a net on it with a small spaceship, and then use the spaceship to transport the asteroid Get out of the original running track.

Finally, rely on the gravitational force of the solar system to calculate the position, let the asteroid re-form a new orbit passing the earth, and when the asteroid is about to reach the earth, drag the asteroid again, and then rely on the gravity of the earth to capture the asteroid. Form an orbit around the earth and become a satellite of the earth. In this way, even if the capture of the asteroid is completed, the rest can be handed over to the solar farm to smelt the asteroid by reflecting solar light.

Two small spacecraft slowly flew to the position of the asteroid. These two spacecraft will be responsible for weaving nets for the asteroid and wrapping the asteroid with carbon fiber ropes.

"Huh! Huh!"

A steel fork was launched from each spaceship, and the steel fork plunged deeply into the asteroid by inertia, and a long carbon fiber rope was dragged behind the steel fork, and then the two spaceships began to wrap around the asteroid continuously, one by one. Circles, circles, and dozens of circles soon.

Then the two spaceships began to fly around each other, entangled the two ropes together again, and slowly flew into the Dumbo spaceship.

Inside the Dumbo spaceship, the mechanical arm began to wrap the rope at the back of the small spaceship and fix it on the pillar of the spaceship. At this time, the rope connected the Dumbo spaceship and the asteroid, but the rope was not tightened, so the mutual It doesn't make much difference at all.

All of this seems very simple, but it is actually full of risks. It is definitely not so easy and simple. Among other things, you must know that the spacecraft and the asteroid are constantly moving at a very fast speed. Therefore, first of all, the speed and direction of the two must be adjusted to be consistent, so as to achieve a state of mutual rest.

Then using a small spacecraft to entangle the asteroid is also full of risks. Asteroids generally have an autobiography in addition to their revolution. If you are not careful, it may cause major accidents such as the asteroid dragging the small spacecraft and colliding with it.

Also, when two small spaceships are intertwined with each other to weave ropes, you also need to pay attention to it. It requires very superb flying skills, and the requirements for the performance of the spaceship are also very high.

You must know that this place is in the void of the universe, not on the earth. There is no air here, no east, west, north, up, down, left, or right, etc. It is not easy to change the direction at will.

Although the risk is high, the technological equipment on Dumbo is the most advanced, and it is the crystallization of technology at the peak of Fuyun Group. In addition, the crew on the spaceship are all carefully selected, and everyone has their own. The rich experience in space is why all this can be done smoothly.

"The rope is fixed!"

"Start the engine!"

After Luo Xiaoyao's order was issued, everyone became nervous. Although according to theoretical calculations, Dumbo can drag this asteroid weighing nearly 1000 million tons, but this is only a theory The data on the website, what will happen when the operation is actually performed, everyone is still quite panic, because this is related to everyone's worth and life.

PS: It's too cold, hands and feet are cold!
(End of this chapter)