The first day (9) at Kunlun Station is like a turtle shell
The battery is fully charged, and this electricity primarily provides energy for the life support system during the night. After sunset, the solar panels are no longer useful, so Tang Yue must put them away
Tang Yue walked step by step through the airlock chamber, then opened the exit of Kunlun Station. At the moment the door opened, the airlock chamber connected with the Martian atmosphere outside, and the red warning light above lit up as the air pressure rapidly decreased
The airlock chamber is six meters long and nearly three meters in diameter, with a safe-like hatch at each end. Tang Yue bent down and entered the airlock chamber, turned around to close the hatch behind him, and confirmed that the hatch was securely locked.
Tang Yue held a brush in his hand and began to clean the dust and sand off the solar panels. After cleaning them thoroughly, he moved them back to the garage
Through the glass observation window on the hatch, he could clearly see the old cat inside
The area of the crew cabin is pitifully small, and it is not a rigid structure. In the words of Captain Wang, one would worry that even a fart could break through the walls. These six cabins are inflatable and designed modularly, allowing for replacement. When they were initially transported, they were all flattened and packed in boxes.
Once the sun sets, the surface temperature of Mars can drop to minus eighty degrees Celsius, and at times it can even fall to minus one hundred degrees Celsius. Such low temperatures can significantly reduce the lifespan of solar panels
The old cat came over to help Tang Yue zip up the zipper, and then fastened the massive life support system. The life support system resembled a suitcase, and this box integrated all the functions necessary to keep Tang Yue alive. As soon as he left Kunlun Station, Tang Yue would have to carry this turtle shell wherever he went.
How much supplies are you planning to send to Miss Mai Dong?" asked the old cat, "so I can make a plan
Due to the thin atmosphere, the winds on Mars are generally not as strong as those on Earth; however, they can still lift dust. This fine dust settles on the surface of the solar panels and may infiltrate the gaps in the circuit boards, obstructing the heat dissipation openings, which can lead to short circuits or open circuits. Therefore, Tang Yue has to clean them every day
Send half of it
Once he donned the extravehicular suit, Tang Yue felt as if he were isolated from the world. On one hand, this was due to the excellent soundproofing of the helmet; as Tang Yue buried his head into the visor, the surrounding noise immediately faded away. On the other hand, the extravehicular suit was so thick that Tang Yue felt he had not merely put on a suit, but rather had entered a room.
The primary source of electricity at Kunlun Station is a solar panel array, which consists of more than forty solar panels with a total power output of up to 9,000 watts. When fully deployed, it occupies an area equivalent to half of a standard 400-meter playground. Every morning, Tang Yue needs to manually unfold them one by one, and by nightfall, before the sun sets, he must retract them all back indoors. When fully deployed, it occupies an area equivalent to half of a standard 400-meter playground. Every morning, Tang Yue needs to manually unfold them one by one, and by nightfall, before the sun sets, he must retract them all back indoors
Wearing the bright armor and stepping out of the cabin gives a feeling of going out to battle Martians
Tang Yue paused his work and contemplated for a moment
The core module is the primary activity area for Tang Yue; it serves as the hall, kitchen, storage room, gym, conference room, laboratory, and main control room of Kunlun Station, encompassing the vast majority of the station's functions
I have exited the cabin and feel well
Tang Yue was kneeling on the ground. Due to the semi-rigid nature of the extravehicular suit, bending at the waist was a challenge as the upper body could not flex. All tools inside the Kunlun station are designed with long handles to help astronauts avoid bending over as much as possible
"Are you going to collect the solar panels?" asked the old cat
Tang Yue took a deep breath, and the magnificent and grand Martian desert unfolded before his eyes. The sun was already setting in the west, and the sky was gradually darkening. Not far away was the garage for the Mars rover, and a bit further stood the towering Eagle spacecraft, with its pristine lander rising above the sandy ground, its smooth and gentle curves starkly contrasting with the surrounding rough and wild desert, making it particularly conspicuous
The atmospheric pressure on Mars is less than one percent of that on Earth. If he were to be exposed directly without wearing a spacesuit, Tang Yue would not survive for even one minute
The second part of Kunlun Station is the garage, which has an even simpler structure than the main station. It is essentially a container where the Mars rover is usually parked.
The old cat patted Tang Yue's mask and also raised its thumb on its paw
Tang Yue does not like this outfit; wearing the bright armor, he cannot even bend down at the waist
Tang Yue unzipped the zipper behind the extravehicular suit and then bent down to climb inside. The extravehicular spacesuit is a very heavy item, weighing sixty kilograms. However, the gravity on Mars is only forty percent of that on Earth, which means that wearing something that weighs sixty kilograms is equivalent to carrying only twenty-four kilograms on Earth
Pay attention to safety. The old cat nodded.
The status of the Mingguang armor is normal, and its airtightness is intact. Tang Yue communicated with Old Cat through the headset and gave a thumbs up
The core module is radially connected to seven small cabins, six of which are crew cabins, while the remaining one is an airlock chamber
Tang Yue first checked the charging status of the battery
Hmm? I am listening
The airlock chamber is a horizontally positioned cylindrical chamber, one end connected to the core module, while the other end serves as the exit to the Kunlun Station
Tang Yue took down the extravehicular suit hanging on the wall, "Yes, it will be dark soon, we need to stow away the solar panels"
Solar panels do not have spares; if one is damaged, there is one less. Therefore, Tang Yue must take good care of them
Tang Yue nodded, then turned around and struggled to open the hatch of the airlock chamber
Tang Yue pushed up the filter mask and held a long-handled brush, meticulously cleaning the solar panels
The open space in front of Kunlun Station is occupied by a solar panel array. The intensity of sunlight on Mars is less than half that on Earth, which means that larger and more numerous solar panels must be used on Mars to meet the needs of Kunlun Station
The green indicator light on the inside of the mask is illuminated, indicating that the life support system is activated and the spacesuit is functioning normally
From the perspective of Earthlings, the Kunlun Station is undoubtedly a structurally simple desert shelter. The entire Kunlun Station consists of two parts: the first is the main station, which serves as the living and operational area for the scientific research team. The core of the main station is a low, round turtle shell, constructed with an aluminum alloy truss structure, and its outer shell is made of high-strength engineering plastic, deeply embedded in the Martian soil. It has a diameter of approximately 15 meters and, from the outside, resembles a flattened white yurt.
"How is the situation?" asked the old cat
The "Mingguang Armor" is a colloquial term used by research teams to refer to the extravehicular activity suit, as this outfit is indeed a cumbersome and massive piece of equipment. It features a semi-rigid structure, with the entire upper body of the suit being a hard shell. The helmet and shoulders are fixed together, and the joints of the limbs are connected by alloy bearings and steel rings, making it resemble ancient armor.
"Tang Yue." The voice of the old cat came through the headphones
"Good luck!" The voice of the old cat came through the headphones. Tang Yue raised his head and saw the old cat standing in the hall, waving his hand.