Chapter 201: The Miracle in Space

Facts were indeed so.

When the construction of the "Deep Sea Dragon Palace" entered the tenth day, the foreign internet finally exploded.

At first, astronomy enthusiasts discovered a "strange thing" in near-earth orbit.

Four hundred kilometers below the original International Space Station, a large structure that was clearly newly built was expanding rapidly.

Then someone dug up an inconspicuous announcement on the official website of the Longguo Space Administration: "The 'Deep Sea Dragon Palace' space station construction project is advancing according to plan."

According to plan?

What kind of plan can build a space station in half a month?

NASA was the first to be unable to sit still.

Their expert team analyzed satellite images overnight, and the conclusion left everyone dumbfounded.

"Based on thermal imaging and orbital parameter extrapolation, the construction speed of Longguo's space station... is more than fifty times that of traditional methods." The NASA administrator's face was ashen in the internal meeting.

"And their energy signature shows that the thing might be powered by fusion."

"That's impossible!" Someone retorted.

"How can a fusion device be miniaturized to fit into a space station?"

"Then how do you explain this?" The administrator pulled up the data.

"For ten consecutive days, at least two rocket launches per day, all recoverable."

"The cost of each launch is estimated to be less than one-tenth of a traditional rocket, plus all-robot construction... how on earth did they do it?"

No one could answer.

The technical exchange request sent by the European Space Agency was politely declined.

The Mao Xiong side directly proposed an intention to cooperate, stating that they were willing to share some space exploration data.

Eagle Country was the most anxious, shouting about space militarization threats at the United Nations while urgently launching its own lunar outpost plan.

Then they found that the budget was simply not enough.

"We need at least thirty billion dollars to reach one-tenth of Longguo's current construction speed." The commander of the Eagle Country Space Force said at the hearing.

"And this does not include their... suspected infinite energy technology."

"What if we don't follow up?"

"Then in the next twenty years, near-earth orbit will be completely dominated by Longguo."

"Our satellites, our space station, all our space assets will have to look at their faces."

The hearing scene was dead silent.

On the thirteenth day, the main structure of the "Deep Sea Dragon Palace" was completed.

From the outside, it was already a behemoth sixty meters in diameter and one hundred and twenty meters long.

On the silver-white shell, the blue "Dragon Palace" characters and the dragon pattern emblem were particularly eye-catching.

Twelve docking interfaces were evenly distributed, and more modules could be expanded in the future.

Inside, the living cabin, experimental cabin, control center, and ecological circulation system were all in place.

Li Yang led five advance team members to conduct the first full-system pressure test.

"Life support system normal, oxygen circulation rate 98%, water circulation rate 95%."

"Energy system output stable, redundancy sufficient."

"Communication system normal, quantum link established."

"Defense array in place, that's right, we also installed a laser defense system, which Wang Hao insisted on adding, saying that space also needs city management."

The ground control hall laughed into a piece.

Wang Hao protested in the communication channel: "I call that being prepared for a rainy day! What if an unseeing satellite hits us?"

"Then you don't need to install twelve laser devices, do you?" Li Yang rarely complained.

"We look like a hedgehog floating in orbit now."

"What's wrong with a hedgehog? Safe!"

On the fourteenth day, the last batch of equipment arrived.

On the fifteenth day, 6:00 AM.

"Deep Sea Dragon Palace" space station, full-system test passed.

A green "Ready" sign jumped out on the screen.

The control hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause, cheers, and some people even cried.

This is a construction speed that those old aerospace people have never seen in their lives.

Feng Yan stood in the back row, looking at the complete body on the screen, and exhaled gently.

Fifteen days.

From a blueprint to a real space palace.

"Brother Feng." Wang Hao leaned over, his eyes shining.

"You say our next step... should we build a lunar base?"

"Already in design." Feng Yan said.

"But before that, let 'Dragon Palace' officially start. The first batch of resident astronauts will move in next week, including..."

He paused: "Including Zhao Gong."

"Zhao Gong?!" Wang Hao's eyes widened, "He is sixty-two years old!"

"That's why he should go." Feng Yan looked out the window, the horizon in the distance was already turning fish-belly white.

"Zhao Gong said, he has been a craftsman all his life, and his biggest regret is not having been to heaven."

"Now that we have the ability, of course we have to take him up to see."

Wang Hao was stunned for a few seconds, then nodded vigorously: "Should! Too should!"

The next morning at 9:00 AM, the Longguo Space Administration held a press conference.

No fanfare, no excessive publicity, just a three-minute video.

A complete display of the "Deep Sea Dragon Palace" space station, from the construction process to internal facilities, finally freezing on the porthole perspective: the blue earth rotating slowly below.

The video ended with a line: "'Deep Sea Dragon Palace' space station, built in fifteen days, can accommodate twelve people."

"Officially enabled from today, open to global scientists for cooperation applications."

This video spread across the world within an hour.

Foreign internet hot search No. 1: #Longguo Space Speed#

No. 2: #Deep Sea Dragon Palace#

No. 3: #We are still discussing the budget, they have already finished building#

NASA's Twitter account was silent for a whole day.

The European Space Agency sent a congratulatory message and once again proposed a cooperation request, this time with a much lower posture.

On the Eagle Country side, Congress held an emergency meeting overnight to discuss "how to deal with Longguo's space hegemony."

But after discussing it, apart from increasing the budget, there seemed to be no other way.

And the budget... where does it come from?

Late at night, the top floor of the Longyin Research Institute.

Feng Yan, Wang Hao, Chen Guang, Li Yang, Zhao Kaiyuan and others gathered together and opened a bottle of wine.

Not to celebrate, just tired and want to drink something.

"Fifteen days..." Wang Hao gulped down beer, "I still feel like I'm dreaming when I think about it; in the past, it took half a year to prepare for a rocket, now... like sending express delivery."

"The key is standardization and automation." Li Yang said.

"We designed all modules as units that can be quickly spliced, the ground production line runs 24 hours a day, space robot swarm operations..."

"Essentially, there is no difference from a factory assembly line, it's just that the assembly line is in space."

"Plus infinite energy." Zhao Kaiyuan added.

"Without energy constraints, many conservative designs can be discarded."

"For example, we dare to let mechanical arms work at the same time, dare to let welding power open to the maximum, dare to let the life support system run at full power... because electricity, it's enough."

Chen Guang pushed up his glasses: "According to 'Torch Dragon' monitoring, thirty-seven countries have submitted cooperation applications."

"After screening by priority, the first batch can accept eight international cooperation projects."

"Take it slow." Feng Yan raised his glass.

"Space is big, it can accommodate everyone, but the rules... have to be according to our Longguo's."

Everyone clinked glasses.

Outside the window, the night sky is clear.

If you look closely, you can see a slowly moving light spot in the southeast sky.

That is "Deep Sea Dragon Palace", the fastest-built space station in human history.

It is also the first space fortress built entirely by robots, powered by nuclear fusion, and possessing a complete defense system.

It floats there quietly, like a newborn star.

And below it, in a conference room on Earth, a debate about "how to catch up with Longguo's space pace" is going on until dawn.

The debate is fierce, but the conclusion is pale.

Because some gaps, once opened, can never be caught up.

Just like now, Wang Hao put down his wine glass, looked at the light spot, and suddenly said: "You say... when will we start building the lunar base?"

Li Yang thought for a while: "The module design has been completed, if everything goes well, the first batch of materials can be transported up next month."

"So fast?!"

"With 'Dragon Palace' as a transfer station, landing on the moon will be much easier." Li Yang explained.

"And we designed self-assembling lunar base modules, after landing, the robots will automatically unfold, splice..."

"Stop stop stop!" Wang Hao waved his hand.

"Brother Li, don't talk anymore, I'm going to be too excited to sleep again!"

Everyone laughed. ===== CHAPTER 202 =====