Space Odyssey from Abandoned Mining Space Station

Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Planting Chamber

When it comes to the equipment in the planting chamber, Chen Ming had only glanced at it the first time he boarded the ship.

Because Chen Ming was looking for food at the time, he found the planting chamber empty and didn’t pay much attention to it afterward.

Thus, Chen Ming is unclear about the specific functions and workings of the equipment in these planting chambers.

So Chen Ming’s thoughts returned to the previous question, how to use the planting chamber.

This way, when they land on the planet later, they can plan more quickly and accurately.

Chen Ming clicked on the panel to open the ”Planting Chamber” section.

The 3D imaging of the entire planting chamber suddenly appeared in front of him.

Chen Ming was amazed by the extremely detailed depiction, and then looked at the panel that appeared alongside the 3D imaging.

”Planting Chamber”

”Space: 5*5*5”

”Fixed Equipment: Hydroponics Tank (Stopped), Nutrient Liquid Extraction Device (Stopped)”

”Removable Equipment: Solar Lamp (Stopped), Advanced Plant Analyzer (Stopped), Agricultural Machinery Components (Stopped)”

”Items: 500ml Crop Nutrient Liquid *2”

Chen Ming thought for a moment and got up to head to the planting chamber.

Some things can be hard to understand just by looking at the panel; it’s better to see them with one’s own eyes.

This time, when Chen Ming entered the planting chamber he specifically looked at the overall layout, which was identical to the 3D imaging shown on the panel.

Though when Chen Ming entered the chamber, his own figure did not appear on the imaging.

However, this wasn’t an important matter.

Chen Ming looked around the entire chamber, focusing on the equipment that took up the largest area in the chamber, occupying nearly half of the space.

Simultaneously, he clicked on the name of this piece of equipment on the panel, ”Hydroponics Tank.”

”Hydroponics Tank”

”Planted: None”

”Remaining Planting Space: 100%”

”Nutrient Liquid Reserve: 0ml”

”Current Maintained Environment: None”

The exterior of the hydroponics tank appeared simple, merely a device used to isolate the crop’s growing environment from the surrounding environment.

According to the panel, and the introduction of all functions found by Chen Ming in the ”Ship Operation Manual” on the ship computer, one can see that the hydroponics tank has the basic function needed to maintain the growth environment for crops.

Despite its large size, its functionality is quite simple.

Although it does have a special feature, which is the ability for soil-free cultivation using nutrient liquid.

The efficiency of planting and the utilization rate per unit planting area, as well as the utilization rate of spacecraft space are extremely high.

For this functionality, it needs to be used in conjunction with its paired equipment ”Nutrient Liquid Extraction Device.”

Next to the hydroponics tank is the nutrient liquid extraction device, which, overall, looks a lot like a juicer.

The top layer has an opening where various items can be filled in.

The middle layer is a transparent container filled with various precise, complex devices.

The lower layer is a small storage area, where the two cans of 500ml nutrient liquid displayed on the panel are placed.

Chen Ming randomly clicked on its panel.

”Nutrient Liquid Extraction Device”

”Raw Material: Empty”

”Product: None”

”Internal Storage: 500ml Crop Nutrient Liquid *2”

The three lines of content just correspond to the three parts.

By this time, Chen Ming also understood the meaning of ”Items” on the chamber panel, which seemingly refers to all items within the room that do not belong to the equipment.

As long as it is placed in this chamber, it will be detected by the panel.

These two cans of nutrient liquid should also be thirty years old, uncertain if expired.

Chen Ming assumed it shouldn’t be expired, otherwise its name might not be nutrient liquid, but water or some other suspension-like substance.

Then there is the raw material for this nutrient liquid extraction device, which Chen Ming also saw in the ship operation manual.

Anything that possesses crop-producing nutrients can serve as raw material.

Such as the corpse of a bug and its eggs in the refrigerated compartment.

However, when Chen Ming saw the optional range of raw materials, soil was the first thing that came to mind.

Even though he does not have it temporarily on hand, it’s quite obvious that on the planet below, soil is absolutely the most abundant thing.

Chen Ming’s choice of crops for planting will also be selected from the planet, so extracting nutrient liquid using the soil from the planet is all the more appropriate.

Chen Ming got a rough understanding of the two fixed devices.

As for the other three removable devices.

The solar lamp can be used to provide sunlight for crops growing in the hydroponics tank.

Agricultural machinery components are an auxiliary device installed on the hydroponics tank, tending to the internal crops according to its internal program settings, saving a lot of effort.

As for the advanced plant analyzer.

The data chip in the analyzer records most plants ever discovered by humans, enabling Chen Ming to discern if various plants found on the planet are edible.

Even if new plants not recorded in the database are discovered, the analyzer can still analyze samples to determine whether they contain toxins and whether they are safe for human consumption.

This tool’s functionality determines whether Chen Ming will survive in the future.

Chen Ming understood the planting process in the planting chamber, making planning afterward quite simple.

Land on the planet, find food, conduct analysis, obtain plenty of seeds and food, then take off, leaving here, and returning to the Human World.

It looks simple, but actually, not even the first step has started; it’s just planning right now.

Before officially starting the first step, landing on the planet, Chen Ming needs to first repair the damaged landing module of the ship.

Then a very realistic problem again faced Chen Ming.

The materials on the ship are insufficient.

So Chen Ming chose to continue into the work chamber.

This ship named Iron Ore No. is a mining ship.

The ship’s location is in an asteroid belt filled with mineral resources.

How could he let the issue of materials strangle him?

Upon entering the work chamber, Chen Ming also opened the panel in the work chamber.

”Work Chamber”

”Space: 5*5*5”

”Fixed Equipment: Asteroid Scanning Detector (Stopped), Ship Furnace (Stopped)”

”Removable Equipment: Type II Mining Laser Emitter (Stopped), Asteroid Traction Equipment (Stopped)”

”Items: None”

The functions of these equipment on the panel are evident from their names; Chen Ming doesn’t need to research them too deeply.

He only needs to start using them according to the usage process stored in the ship computer’s database for the whole set of equipment.

The entire process of scanning, traction, mining, and smelting can be operated through the computer automatically.

It’s just when Chen Ming attempted to activate the asteroid scanning detector, he encountered a problem.

The number of asteroids nearby the Mining Space Station is very few.

Either cleared out many years ago during space station construction or mined out when the space station was operational.

To find asteroids containing materials needed for repairing the landing module in abundant quantities, Chen Ming must move away from the space station to further locations.

But Chen Ming doesn’t want to lose the coordinate position of the space station.

Thus, he must wait for the ship to orbit the planet below for a day, confirming the planet’s rotation and orbit trajectory, and fixing the relative position of the space station close to him before leaving.

The rotation period of the planet below Chen Ming remembers seems similar to Earth.

He can afford to wait a day.

Moreover, it’s not that the spacecraft can do nothing meanwhile during this period near the Mining Space Station.

There are still asteroids near the space station, just less in number and scattered distribution.

Without experience with mining equipment, now is the perfect chance to familiarize oneself with the equipment.

Attempting to collect minerals from nearby asteroids with less value.