Chapter 172: Mars Life_1

The wind on Mars is strong, which is closely related to the significant temperature difference between day and night on the planet.

Since the Martian carbon dioxide atmosphere can't retain heat well, the temperature on Mars can reach over 20 degrees Celsius during the day but drops to below minus 70 degrees Celsius at night.

Moreover, Mars's thin atmosphere doesn't block harmful radiation like ultraviolet rays, making it a planet with high levels of radiation.

To tackle the harsh Martian environment, three base modules were sent to Mars before the spaceship launch.

The base modules are generally hemispherical in shape, looking like a huge, stubby cylinder with a large steamed bun of the same diameter on top.

Connecting the three base modules creates an activity area covering thousands of square meters.

Before settling in, it's necessary to deploy a vast array of solar panels to generate the energy required to create a small, habitable environment for the astronauts.

These steps may seem simple, but they are much more difficult in a Martian suit, and it took five people more than ten hours to move into humanity's nest on Mars.

After resting for a day, they began building the greenhouse for crops.

The seeds and water had been delivered earlier, and even though increasing evidence suggests that liquid water exists on Mars, it's most likely underground, and no one knows exactly where.

Therefore, the liquid water used on Mars still has to be supplied from Earth.

It took the five-person team almost half a month to finish constructing the greenhouse.

The greenhouse mostly contained vegetables and fruits, which they were eager to enjoy after three months of eating space food.

After settling on Mars, the five astronauts sent a video back to Earth.

Since there's still a signal delay between Mars and Earth, video chatting is virtually impossible, so they had to send recorded videos to transmit visual data to Earth.

In the video, Mi Jingtiao introduced the base where they were living.

He showed every part from the bedrooms, to the lounge, then to the activity room, as well as a small gym and laboratory.

Theodore explained the greenhouse they built on Mars and mentioned that these were semi-permanent structures that could still be used for future Mars missions.

Bishkov taught everyone some knowledge that's different from Earth, such as the fact that gravity here is only 40% that of Earth's.

To better illustrate, he effortlessly lifted a solar energy device weighing over a hundred kilograms.

Rolf joyrided in the Mars rover to let everyone experience the solemn landscape of Mars.

While driving, he said, "The Mars rover has six wheels, much faster than the Moon rovers of old.

"There are no traffic lights here, no traffic police to give tickets, and you don't even need a driver's license to cruise around here.

"But for safety's sake, I still advise everyone to get a Mars driver's license, hahaha!"

You Haoming was in charge of introducing their Martian suits, which was initially Bole's job, but now You Haoming had to do it in his stead.

In space, the spacesuits are incredibly bulky, with just the portable life support system weighing over 20 kilograms, which isn't much in the weightless space or the low gravity of the Moon, but on Mars, which has a significant amount of gravity, it's definitely a burden.

The science team from Moon City developed a special Martian suit for the astronauts, which was very thoughtful of them.

Because the conditions on Mars are much safer compared to space and the Moon, some of the complicated structures of the spacesuits can be simplified.

This makes the Martian suits lighter and more flexible, with a total weight of only 20 kilograms. With the 0.4 gravity of Mars, it's like wearing a thick set of clothes.

Lastly, You Haoming said, "This is Mars Village, there are no countries here, no politics.

"I think anyone who steps foot on Mars will undergo a fundamental psychological change, we now have two planets, and are no longer just frogs at the bottom of a well on Earth!

"From this moment on, humanity is no longer Earthlings, but citizens of the Solar System.

"In the future, we'll become citizens of the Milky Way, and even citizens of the universe!"

...

The weather grew warmer, and it was Jiang Yu's favorite season again, when he enjoyed wearing trench coats.

The car slowly drove into the New Nuclear Energy Research Base. Although the experiment had ended, there seemed to be even more people coming and going from the base.

There were six such nuclear test bases around the world, but only this one had achieved significant results.

As it was an international collaborative project, other nuclear test bases could come to learn or seek enlightenment, and preparations for the next phase of application experiments had already begun.

Jiang Yu straightened his trench coat's collar as he got out of the car. The appearance of the Wallfacer attracted quite a bit of attention.

But it was just attention; after all, they came here with their own purposes and did not have the time to admire the Wallfacer's elegance.

Jiang Yu strode to the dormitory building and knocked on Yang Dong's door. Most of the items in the room had been packed away, especially the books that had filled the room, which were now in several boxes.

On the desk by the window, there was still a cup of hot coffee and an open book.

Clearly, Yang Dong had been reading by the window while waiting.

Jiang Yu said with a smile, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

It had been about a month since the fusion experiment ended, and the video sent back from Mars immediately sparked a nationwide wave of enthusiasm for space exploration.

With that, the second goal of the "Plan Zero" was essentially achieved, and Jiang Yu had then come to the research base to pick up Yang Dong.

As Yang Dong made coffee for Jiang Yu, she said with a smile, "It's okay; you have your work too."

Jiang Yu took a sip of coffee. "Have you decided where to go for our honeymoon?"

Yang Dong shook her head. "I plan to go into hibernation right after we get married."

Jiang Yu took her hand. "Marriage is not a procedure, not a mathematical symbol, but more like an attitude towards life."

He laughed. "It's not a task that you must complete in your life. After all, not getting married doesn't prevent two people from loving each other.

"Getting married means that you are willing to mutually protect another person, who is not related by blood, in your next life, and it opens up another way of enjoying life."

Yang Dong smiled and shook her head. "Then where do you think we should go for our honeymoon?"

"You'll listen to my arrangements after we're married," Jiang Yu said. "I'll give you a surprise when the time comes."

As he spoke, he finished the last sip of coffee. "Alright, it's time to set off."

Jiang Yu took Yang Dong to his villa. After a brief rest, they went to the civil affairs office to get their marriage certificate.

They had discussed over the phone beforehand and agreed not to have a wedding ceremony. Still, they were going to host a meal for everyone in Qi Family Village first.

Then they'd return to Jiang Yu's hometown to celebrate with relatives and friends, letting everyone share in their happiness.

In Qi Family Village, Auntie Da Feng repeatedly wiped away tears of joy as she watched Jiang Yu and Yang Dong hand-in-hand, moving between the tables to toast the guests.

In Jiang Yu's hometown, quite a few important figures came to offer congratulations, which made the Jiang family feel honored.

After the feast, Jiang Yu and Yang Dong stayed at home for a while to enjoy some much-coveted family happiness, fulfilling a bit of their parents' expectations.