Landing on the Moon was only the first step.
For the researchers who sent astronauts to the Moon, what really mattered was what happened after they landed on the Moon.
Nie Yan loaded some of the supplies from the lunar module onto the lunar rover. She was sitting in the driver's seat, and she started the engine. Liu Zhengwen, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, drove toward the crater closest to the landing site.
Liu Zhengwen looked at the craters in the distance and looked back at the blue planet. He couldn't help but speak emotionally.
"The Moon is really desolate."
"Yeah."
The two didn't talk much along the way.
The lunar rover stopped next to a crater. After Liu Zhengwen got off the rover, he looked around and saw a pole made of unknown material standing in the open space near the crater.
"That's …"
"It's probably an American flagpole. Apparently, they used nylon to weave their flag. Most of these flags have been damaged by cosmic rays, so the pole is probably the only thing left … Turn on the action recorder."
Liu Zhengwen had a look of realization on his face.
He obviously knew the damage caused by cosmic rays on nylon materials that had not been specially treated. After all, he was the most educated among the three astronauts. I'm afraid that not only the nylon material was eroded, but even the pole has probably become brittle under the irradiation of the solar wind.
"It's already turned on, I turned it on when I left the lunar module."
Nie Yan took out a flag from the lunar rover and nodded.
"Really? That's good. "
Liu Zhengwen looked at Nie Yan, who was slowly walking toward the center of the crater with the flagpole on her shoulder.
"Then what about us?"
"We obviously learned from their mistakes. As long as we don't get hit by meteorites, we can keep this flag here for a hundred years."
He waved the bright red flag, then forcefully inserted it into the barren lunar soil, and unfolded the triangular frame used to fix it.
Nie Yan looked at the blood-like flag and smirked. She raised her arm and wiped the Moon dust off her mask. "This is the first step … Sooner or later, we will plant it all over the Moon."
Although it was a very ordinary sentence, for some reason, Liu Zhengwen, who was standing nearby, felt his blood boil and his heart surge when he heard it.
He recalled the vision he had for the future when he chose this major …
He recalled the oath he made when he signed up for the astronaut selection …
"The moon is too small."
Nie Yan looked back at Liu Zhengwen and raised her eyebrows.
"Oh?"
Liu Zhengwen looked at the blue planet in the sky, smiled, and continued.
"Just the Moon is boring. Sooner or later, we will plant this flag in the world beyond the Kuiper Belt."
Nie Han smiled and walked toward the lunar rover.
"Alright, let's stop chatting and get to work."
They were not tourists.
Planting the flag on this piece of land was only the first step.
Apart from that, there were still many things waiting for them to do.
…
Time on the Moon was precious.
The food, fresh water, and oxygen reserves in the lunar module were only enough for the two astronauts to stay on the surface of the Moon for 48 hours. Each extravehicular activity only lasted 4-6 hours. Other than the time they had to return to the lunar module to resupply, eat, drink, and defecate, they didn't have a lot of time to carry out their mission.
After planting the flag, the two got on the rover and drove along the edge of the crater for a while. They stopped in a relatively flat area near the ridge.
According to computer analysis, the probability of this area being visited by a meteorite was relatively small.
Even though it was a statistical probability, it still had some reference value.
After the lunar rover stopped, Liu Zhengwen did what he had done countless times during training. He took out the infrared beacon from the rover and placed it on the flat ground. He then returned to the lunar rover and left the area.
Soon, after 127 minutes of orbit, a black square object separated from Skyglow. It slowly landed on the surface of the Moon under the pull of the Moon's gravity, stirring up a cloud of dust.
After the Moon dust drifted away, the lunar rover returned to the area.
After Liu Zhengwen got out of the rover, he took out a special data cable from his spacesuit and connected it to the device.
Soon after, a progress bar appeared on the screen connected to his arm.
After the progress bar was completed, a simple control interface appeared in front of him.
"This is the lunar scientific research team. The plant growth unit has been successfully deployed, and the device is running normally."
After a brief static sound, Nie Yun's voice came from the communication channel.
"Check the condition of the specimen."
"Roger that."
The entire space plant growth unit occupied a total area of 15 square meters. It looked quite spacious after it was unfolded.
The core components were divided into two parts. Most of them were planting cabins, which were used to cultivate potatoes, carrots, and other crops that were easy to grow. A small part was a breeding cabin, which was located in the corner of the plant growth unit. There were ten white mice inside.
Six of the mice were divided into two groups, one male and one female. The remaining four "single mice" had been sterilized and lived in single rooms separated by metal fences.
As long as there was a power outage, the gas circulation system could continue to work. As for fresh water and food, it was enough for them to survive for a year. If the creature was confirmed to be dead, the entire device would activate the freezing device and freeze the dead specimen to prevent it from rotting.
As for longer periods of time …
Actually, that wasn't necessary.
This space plant growth unit was only an experimental model. It was used to test whether crops could be grown on the surface of the Moon. This was to achieve self-sufficiency in the space colony, as well as the health effects of living in a low-gravity environment for a long time.
As long as one of these mice could survive for more than three months, the entire experiment wouldn't be considered a failure.
After Liu Zhengwen started the diagnostic program of the plant growth unit, the first thing he did was to check the health of the mice.
Perhaps it was because they couldn't adapt to the gravitational environment of outer space, the mice were quite dispirited. Fortunately, they were still alive and could respond to some movements in the outside world.
Liu Zhengwen wasn't sure if they could survive, but he still prayed for these little lives that were dedicated to science.
After confirming that the specimens were in good condition, he checked the operation of the plant growth unit one last time. He then pulled out the data connected to his arm and reported the situation to Nie Yun, who was far away on Skyglow.
"This is the lunar scientific research team. All specimens in the plant growth unit are alive. The air pressure, temperature, and carbon and oxygen balance are all at standard levels. There are no abnormalities found."
"Good job! Get ready to start the next mission. "
"Roger that."
After the deployment of the space plant growth unit, it was time to collect lunar soil.
The lunar soil and lunar meteorite specimens kept by the Chinese Academy of Sciences were collected by remotely operated probes. This was the first time that a lunar soil sample was collected by an astronaut was seen in China.
Liu Zhengwen, who was holding a sampling shovel in his hand, looked at the gray Moon soil all over the mountains and fields. His eyes lit up.
He used to work at the Lunar and Planetary Science Research Center, so he knew how valuable these things were.
No, that wasn't accurate. The value of these things couldn't be measured by money.
If it weren't for the limited weight he could carry, he would have dug up the entire area.
"Hurry up, time is limited." Nie Yan put a handful of powdered lunar dust into a special sample bag. She then looked at the locator on her arm and said, "The next sampling point is on a crater two kilometers away. We have to hurry."
Liu Zhengwen snapped back to reality and used the hook lock on his waist to secure himself. He then swung the iron bar at the crater.
"Roger that!"
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