224: Chapter 224 Flying without an engine: A dead man drifting in deep space!

Countdown to the arrival of the sentry ship, 49th day.

Pangu Laboratory, Level B2, morning.

After Su Che sent the White Emperor's manufacturing tolerance table to Zhou Dehai last night, he returned to the Mingdi Interceptor's main frame to finish aligning the last few interfaces, working until now.

Academician Zhang Weide finished running the fourth and final full-machine structural verification of the Mingdi Interceptor on the supercomputer terminal; all operating condition margins were above 25%.

Academician Sun Qiwen's second round of thermal management verification reports was finalized.

Wen Bo's stealth configuration, including the serrated lip design, was finalized.

Academician Qian Zhenhua's deep space standalone penetration communication scheme was finalized.

Zhao Mingyuan's AI unit weight redistribution was written into the configuration document.

All five lines were green.

Su Che packaged the complete technical package for the Mingdi Interceptor's core and pushed it into the encrypted vault.

Deep in his mind, the blue-white panel popped up.

[Ding! Main R&D task "Build the fastest blade for the Solar System!" completed!]

[Full system verification for the Solar System version of the Mingdi Interceptor space-to-air interceptor core passed!]

[Deep space sub-light speed maneuvering architecture meets standards, full-domain stealth reconnaissance configuration RCS omnidirectional suppression, cross-orbit precision interception reserved interfaces ready, deep space situational awareness AI weight configuration optimized! Twelve-ton assassin, skeleton formed!]

[Task reward: 1,200,000 skill points!]

1.2 million.

Before the panel closed, a second message popped up immediately.

[Ding! Detected that the Mingdi Interceptor core is finalized, subsystem R&D sequence opened! Second subsystem task triggered!]

[Task Name: Teach the Assassin to Drift Like a Corpse!]

[Task Content: The Mingdi Interceptor is the fastest blade in the Solar System, but the fastest blade cannot keep its foot on the gas!]

[In deep space interception missions, the Mingdi Interceptor needs to shut down all propulsion before approaching the target, relying on inertia to drift into range, achieving zero thermal radiation, zero propulsion signals, and zero detectable features throughout the process!]

[Develop deep space unpowered gliding technology, inertial attitude stabilization technology, and cross-orbit glide trajectory optimization technology to let the Mingdi Interceptor drift through deep space like a dead rock, then strike with a fatal blow!]

[Task reward: 600,000 skill points, unlock redemption permissions for deep space unpowered gliding technology, inertial attitude stabilization technology, and cross-orbit glide trajectory optimization technology. Redemption cost: 300,000.]

[Current host main skill point balance is sufficient. Redeem?]

600,000.

Su Che went over the task content.

Inertial gliding, simply put, is turning off the engine in deep space and drifting forward based on the speed and direction already accumulated.

It sounds simple, but it is actually the most precise link in the entire Mingdi Interceptor combat system.

Once the engine is off, the propulsion signal is gone, and the infrared radiation drops below background noise; in enemy detectors, the Mingdi Interceptor is just an ordinary piece of space debris.

But the problem arises.

How to correct the trajectory without power? How to maintain attitude stability? How to drift precisely into range while powered down?

If these three problems cannot be solved, the Mingdi Interceptor is just a lump of iron drifting into the void.

"Redeem."

[Ding! Consumed 300,000 main skill points, core technology unlocked!]

[System prompt: Supporting auxiliary technologies have not been redeemed, including: glide trajectory planning algorithm, inertial control module design, deep space environment adaptation scheme. Total redemption cost: 50,000.]

[Current host main skill point balance is sufficient. Redeem?]

"Redeem all."

[Ding! Consumed 50,000 main skill points.]

Three sets of technical frameworks flooded in.

Su Che digested them for about six minutes, stringing together the technical logic of the entire inertial gliding system in his mind.

The core idea was more ingenious than he had imagined.

After the Mingdi Interceptor shuts down its main engine, it is not completely without means of attitude control.

The fuselage has a built-in set of cold gas micro-thrusters, using high-pressure nitrogen as the working fluid. The thrust is only in the tens of Newtons, but it is enough for angle fine-tuning in the zero-drag environment of deep space.

The benefit of cold gas propulsion is that there is no thermal signal; the temperature of the ejected nitrogen is close to the ambient temperature, making it completely invisible to infrared detectors.

The trajectory planning algorithm is even more interesting.

It is not a simple straight-line glide, but calculates the gravitational fields of all massive celestial bodies in the Solar System, using the gravity of planets and the sun to make slingshot-style trajectory bends, adjusting the flight path without turning on the engine.

It is equivalent to "borrowing strength" in the Solar System, using Jupiter's gravity to make a turn and the Sun's gravity to gain speed.

Su Che walked to the public big screen and refreshed the work distribution table.

"Academician Zhang Weide, installation position and structural load of the cold gas micro-thrusters."

"Academician Sun Qiwen, gas cylinder capacity and endurance time for the cold gas thrusters; calculate the maximum gliding distance for the Mingdi Interceptor from shutdown to entering range."

"Zhao Mingyuan, docking of the trajectory planning algorithm with the main god ai, and the real-time correction logic for the gravitational field slingshot trajectory."

Three lines.

Academician Zhang Weide reopened the structure diagram of the Mingdi Interceptor in front of the supercomputer terminal to find the installation positions.

"Where should the cold gas thrusters be installed?"

Su Che pointed to four positions on the blueprint. One set each above and below the nose, and one set each above and below the tail, four sets with eight nozzles, covering two degrees of freedom: pitch and yaw.

"What about roll?"

"The Mingdi Interceptor does not need to roll during the gliding phase; keeping the current roll angle is fine. If rolling is necessary, achieve it using differential thrust from the side nozzles. The response is a bit slow, but it's sufficient."

Academician Zhang Weide drew four sets of bases on the installation positions and ran a quick stress evaluation.

"The bases are embedded under the skin and connected to the main beam with four titanium alloy bolts. The nozzles are designed as flush, concealed types with the skin; when not in use, they are covered by plates, blending into the stealth surface."

"Opening time for the nozzle cover plates?"

"Spring pre-tensioned, fully open 60 milliseconds after release."

"60 milliseconds, the Mingdi Interceptor travels 43 kilometers at a speed of 720 kilometers per second."

Zhao Mingyuan reported a number from his workstation. "The cover plates must be opened before shutting down and gliding; you can't wait until you need to correct it to open them."

Su Che added this constraint to the glide startup process: two seconds before shutdown, all cover plates are pre-opened.

Academician Sun Qiwen walked over from the U-shaped array area carrying his thermos, the edge of the "Goji Berry and Red Date" label on the thermos already curling up.

"I calculated two plans for the gas cylinder capacity."

He slapped a draft paper on the table.

"Plan one: four independent small gas cylinders distributed next to the four sets of thrusters, 0.8 liters per cylinder, a total capacity of 3.2 liters of high-pressure nitrogen."

"The advantage is short pipelines and fast response; the disadvantage is small capacity, limited total impulse. The maximum gliding correction capability is about 30 million kilometers."

"Plan two: one centralized large gas cylinder installed in the midsection of the fuselage, 5-liter capacity, distributed to the four sets of thrusters through pipelines."

"The advantage is large capacity, maximum gliding correction capability exceeds 50 million kilometers. The disadvantage is long pipelines; the pipeline from the gas cylinder to the nose thrusters is nearly eight meters long. The pressure drop of nitrogen flowing through an eight-meter pipeline cannot be ignored."

Su Che glanced at the two numbers.

"30 million kilometers and 50 million kilometers, what is the typical interception mission distance for the Mingdi Interceptor?"

"Calculated based on the Luan Niao Mothership being in Earth orbit and the target being in Mars orbit, the closest distance is 55 million kilometers." Zhao Mingyuan answered from his workstation without looking up.

"Plan one is not enough."

"Plan two, how to solve the pressure drop problem?"

Academician Sun Qiwen flipped the draft paper to the back, where a schematic diagram of the pipeline was drawn.

"Increase the inner diameter of the pipeline from 6 millimeters to 8 millimeters, reducing the pressure drop by 40%. Then add a primary booster valve at the gas cylinder outlet to ensure the working pressure of the terminal thrusters is not lower than 95% of the design value."

"Weight of the booster valve?"

"300 grams."

"Add it."

Academician Zhang Weide left installation space for the midsection gas cylinder on the structure diagram, right on the central axis of the fuselage between the two engines.

"Putting the gas cylinder on the central axis will not affect the center of gravity of the entire machine."

Su Che confirmed the progress of the three lines, and everyone continued to refine their parts.

...

Countdown to the arrival of the sentry ship, 47th day.

Level B2, morning.

Zhao Mingyuan finished writing the first version of the trajectory planning algorithm code.

The core of the algorithm is a real-time multi-body gravitational field solver, plugging in the gravitational fields of the Sun, the eight planets, major satellites, and the asteroid belt.

Using the position and velocity at the moment the Mingdi Interceptor shuts down as initial conditions, it deduces the future gliding trajectory in real-time.

He ran a set of test scenarios on the main god ai's deduction layer.

The Mingdi Interceptor departs from Earth orbit, uses Jupiter's gravity to make a slingshot orbit change after shutting down, and turns toward the target near Mars orbit.

The trajectory draws an elegant curve on the public big screen, thrown out from the direction of Earth, making a turn in Jupiter's gravitational field, and precisely tangentially hitting Mars orbit.

"Zero power throughout, how much is the error?" Su Che stood in front of the big screen.

"The position deviation when reaching the target's predetermined position is 87 kilometers."

"87 kilometers, within the effective range of the Mingdi Interceptor's sniper cannon."

"But this is an ideal situation."

Zhao Mingyuan pushed his chair forward half a step.

"In the actual deep space environment, the solar wind's radiation pressure will exert a continuous, tiny thrust on the Mingdi Interceptor. The direction changes with the solar activity cycle and is unpredictable. After gliding 50 million kilometers, the accumulated trajectory deviation might reach several hundred kilometers."

"Correct with cold gas thrusters."

"Yes, but every correction by the cold gas thrusters will change the angular momentum of the Mingdi Interceptor. If there are too many corrections, the cold gas reserve will not be enough to complete the journey."

Su Che called up the solar wind radiation pressure data onto the screen.

"The magnitude of the radiation pressure is at the micronewton level, and the acceleration produced on the 12-ton Mingdi Interceptor is 10 to the power of negative 8 meters per second squared. Gliding for five days, the accumulated velocity change is about 0.04 meters per second."

"0.04 meters per second, the displacement deviation over five days..."

"About 8.6 kilometers." Academician Zhang Weide finished pressing the calculator at the supercomputer terminal.

Zhao Mingyuan turned to look at him.

"8.6 kilometers, not several hundred kilometers?"

"The 'several hundred kilometers' you mentioned is superimposed by the input error of the Jupiter gravitational field parameters, not a problem of solar wind. The accuracy of the gravitational field parameters depends on the data update frequency of the space-based quantum star map navigation."

Zhao Mingyuan flipped through the previous code comments.

"The star map navigation data is updated every 30 seconds. The position error of the Jupiter gravitational field parameters is within plus or minus two kilometers. Transmitted to the Mingdi Interceptor terminal trajectory, the accumulated deviation over 50 million kilometers..."

He quickly wrote three lines of numbers on the inside of his work uniform sleeve.

"110 kilometers. Adding the 8.6 from solar wind, the total deviation is about 120 kilometers."

"How much nitrogen is needed for the cold gas thrusters to correct a 120-kilometer deviation?"

Academician Sun Qiwen had already finished calculating, unscrewing and then screwing the lid of his thermos.

"About 0.4 liters, 8% of the 5-liter gas cylinder capacity, which is enough."

Su Che locked this set of data into the simulation parameter table.

Zhao Mingyuan added a layer of adaptive correction to the gravitational field error compensation module in the algorithm.

Every time after the cold gas thrusters spray, the algorithm corrects the gravitational field parameters in reverse according to the actual trajectory deviation, becoming more accurate with each correction.

Afternoon.

The simulation verification of the full set of inertial gliding technology finished the last set of extreme scenarios.

The Mingdi Interceptor glided near the rings of Saturn, in a dense area of ice fragments and micro-meteoroids, where the cold gas thrusters were forced to perform high-frequency corrections to avoid collisions.

The nitrogen consumption was within 67% of the 5-liter gas cylinder, the attitude stability was maintained above the design index throughout, and the gliding trajectory deviation finally converged to within 40 kilometers.

Su Che sealed the complete verification report.

Deep in his mind, the blue-white panel lit up.

[Ding! Main R&D task "Teach the Assassin to Drift Like a Corpse!" completed!]

[Full system verification for high-order inertial gliding technology passed!]

[Maximum range of deep space unpowered gliding exceeds 50 million kilometers, cold gas micro-thruster attitude correction response meets standards, cross-orbit slingshot glide trajectory deviation converged within range!]

[The Mingdi Interceptor is more dangerous with the engine off than with it on!]

[Task reward: 600,000 skill points!]

Su Che closed the panel.

On the public big screen, the blueprint of the Mingdi Interceptor rotated quietly.

The cover plates of the four sets of concealed cold gas nozzles on the side of the fuselage blended with the stealth skin, leaving no trace.

Liu Huaqiang came out of the communication area, his notebook flipped to the page for the Mingdi Interceptor.

In the inertial gliding column, he drew a checkmark with a pencil.

In the empty column next to it, he had already written three words in advance.

Orbital Airdrop.