Chapter 1240: Earth Synchronous Spaceport

Star Dream II, over thirty meters in diameter, has three cargo holds, a crew cabin, a core cabin, and an ecological cabin.

One of the three cargo holds has a huge round hatch that opens from the front, another is a retractable hatch in the middle like those on a starship, and the third, at the rear, is a lift‑up hatch like that of a space shuttle.

These three cargo bays can meet all cargo needs.

The crew cabin, core cabin, and ecological cabin are linked together, situated between the forward and middle cargo bays.

Several cabins are modular and can be freely combined.

One core cabin can be paired with two crew cabins, five ecological cabins, and eight cargo bays.

It can also be as simple as just a single core cabin.

While Na Zhou and Lu Na were watching Star Dream II via video.

The people aboard Star Dream II were busy working.

They gathered in the cargo bay, frantically assembling modules one after another.

They were assembling the basic modules of the geosynchronous orbit spaceport.

The modules are hexagonal structures, 17 meters in diameter, and their length can be extended by linking them together like Star Dream II.

Not all modules come from Lanxing; Star Dream II also has a long factory module that processes raw materials from the Yueqiu and Lanxing, turning them into the modules' basic frames via D Printing Technology.

Once the frames passed inspection, the personnel on Star Dream II completed the assembly of the basic modules on top of them.

When a module is fully assembled, it can fly to geosynchronous orbit, its lift‑up hatch opens, the module is pushed out, and then it docks with other modules on the spaceport using its own docking mechanism.

These modules cluster together, overlapping like scales, longer inside and shorter outside, resembling floating, top‑shaped mini‑islands in space, full of sci‑fi feel.

Construction of the spaceport is not fast, because space industry capacity is still too limited.

Star Dream II took three years to build.

Naturally, the lunar factory is now beginning auxiliary production, but because the Yueqiu's mineral refining capacity is insufficient and it also has its own projects, its help is limited.

Not far from the spaceport lies a massive solar power plant.

The plant transmits electricity to the spaceport via laser.

Farther out, there is another solar power plant built as a backup, and also to support the construction of the next space elevator.

This effectively solves the problem of the solar power plants failing when the spaceport enters Earth's shadow.

Construction in space is proceeding full steam ahead.

On the ground, meanwhile, an enhanced, official space elevator cable was installed on a huge base using experimental cables.

This further boosts the space elevator's transport capacity.

The construction speed of the space elevator has also entered the fast lane.

Because of the space elevator's construction, the Jiapen region (Jiapen) has become increasingly bustling, with countless people coming each day to gaze at the distant massive mountain built of concrete.

And on the summit hangs the descending immortal's rope.

As time passed, the immortal's ropes grew more numerous, and the construction of the space elevator neared its end.

And the spaceport is also nearing completion.

Astronomy enthusiasts can now clearly see, through their telescopes, a sci‑fi‑filled sky city of overlapping, top‑shaped modules floating in space.

When the protective magnetic field begins operating, people on Lanxing can even see faint glimmers on the spaceport through a telescope.

The spaceport currently cannot deploy full‑scale magnetic shielding; only localized magnetic protection at specific points, combined with Lanxing's series of radiation‑protection technologies, can ensure long‑term human survival inside the spaceport.

The exterior of the spaceport largely consists of radiation‑shielded modules.

For example, radiation‑shielded biological cabins, water tanks, plasma chambers, electromagnetic chambers, and super‑material experiment chambers……

These chambers together protect the safety of human habitation inside the spaceport.

To be frank, this place is really not suitable for humans to stay.

Therefore, humanity's main goal remains within low Earth orbit, under 500 kilometers altitude.

With the completion of the geosynchronous spaceport, construction began on a 100‑kilometer and a 500‑kilometer space elevator platform.

Star Dream II no longer transports cargo to geosynchronous orbit.

Instead, it began joining the construction of the near‑Earth space city.

Especially the building of the space dock.

After use of the space elevator in building the spaceport, Star Dream II is battered and urgently needs repair in the space dock; otherwise it will end up like Star Dream I, a fixed tourist attraction.

With the space elevator's construction finished, the year has become 37.

Na Zhou and Lu Na have finally saved enough money for a trip.

They drove their RV all the way to Jiapen.

Jiapen's city proper is small, but its RV camp is huge, conservatively able to hold hundreds of thousands of RVs.

There is also an airship home, a residence for those who like to live in the sky.

Na Zhou can't afford it, because an airship costs tens of millions.

He is still far short.

They did not go straight up the mountain, but went to a nearby building and took the elevator down.

Lu Na found it strange: they were going to ride the space elevator, so why head underground?

Na Zhou, who had looked up the guide, explained.

"We need an initial boost when taking the elevator; otherwise, relying solely on the elevator's acceleration would take too long."

"Our destination is the superconducting acceleration tunnel, where we will board the elevator."

"We will first enter, assume a curled position, and then, during the acceleration phase, gradually straighten to a seated posture."

"Upon reaching the mountaintop, we will be accelerated to high speed, then race up the cable all the way to space."

"We have chosen the 500‑kilometer platform, so we will disembark the elevator there."

"By then we will still need to board a spacecraft, continue accelerating, and enter the space hotel."

Next is our one-week space life.

If we go to the geosynchronous orbit spaceport, we need to change into super anti-radiation suits.

Because the higher we go, the greater the radiation.

Then we won't take that risk.

Luna thought Nazhou was right; coming here for space tourism was fine, and there was no need to take risks.

Of course there's also lunar tourism, but they didn't want to—it's too expensive, tens of millions, nearly a hundred million.

In this lifetime, they don't know if they can earn that much money.

As the two went deeper, tension began to rise.

The two tightly held hands.

They were about to begin their own space dream.

A wonderful life will also start from now.

Luna tilted her head to look at Nazhou, feeling truly happy; surely it was because she did good deeds in her past life to have today's blessings.