A big country of aerospace with black technology

In September, Xichang launch site.

The vegetation is still like spring.

Today is the day of the first phase of the Beidou double star launch, as the first domestic satellite navigation system to be built.

Beidou navigation is the third global navigation system to be established in the world after the GPS global satellite positioning system and the GLONASS global navigation satellite system.

The first phase of the Beidou project is not planned to build a global navigation system.

Its coverage is only the core area of ​​my country's land, about 70°-140° east longitude and 5°-55° north latitude.

Its positioning accuracy is 100 meters (1σ) horizontally, and 20 meters after the calibration station is set up (similar to the differential state). Working frequency: 2491.75mhz. The number of users that the system can accommodate is 540,000 per hour.

It consists of two satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the equator, and an on-orbit backup satellite for emergency situations.

Numerous related system workers attach great importance to this rocket launch mission.

Zhang Xingyang personally sits in the rocket launch control center, and strives for no problems in this rocket launch mission.

As the chief engineer of the Beidou navigation system, Chen Zhongyan also appeared in the control center.

This half-haired old man has almost devoted most of his life to the satellite business.

Facing the soon-to-be-built first satellite navigation system in China, Chen Zhongyan was not as happy as Pang Ran imagined, but frowned.

"Old Chen, we are 99% sure of this rocket launch, and we will definitely be able to push the navigation satellite to the transfer orbit!"

Seeing Chen Zhongyan frowning tightly, Zhang Xingyang comforted him a little and made his own promise.

In fact, the Hongyan rocket's current launch success rate is still good, and because of the special design.

Even if one or two engines in the rocket propulsion system fails, it will not be impossible to propel the satellite into the transfer orbit.

So Zhang Xingyang dared to make such a guarantee with Chen Zhongyan.

"I'm not worrying about rockets, I'm worrying about satellites!"

However, Chen Zhongyan's answer was somewhat beyond Zhang Xingyang's expectation.

So he asked with some incomprehension: "What's wrong with the satellite, didn't it go through several inspections before loading?"

Because it is the first time to build a satellite navigation system in China, the preparations in all aspects are still very sufficient.

Various tests on the ground have been carried out for several months, and a lot of time has been tested on the high-altitude simulation platform.

So, logically speaking, there should be no problem.

Chen Zhongyan glanced at Zhang Xingyang, and knew that he had answered his meaning wrongly:

"I'm not talking about the problem of the satellite itself, but the problem of the entire Beidou navigation system!"

The first phase of Beidou navigation system construction is actually relatively limited in various aspects of technology at this time, so many of them have not been able to reach the level of GPS or GLONASS.

"Compared with GPS and GLONASS, the Beidou system we are currently building is still too crude!"

Chen Zhongyan said this somewhat heart-wrenching reality with a sigh.

At this time, the GPS global positioning system is very powerful.

It claims that 6-9 satellites can provide positioning services at any time anywhere in the world at the same time. In fact, when the conditions are the best, 11 satellites can provide navigation services at the same time.

This also leads to the fact that when using GPS, whether it is positioning response time or positioning accuracy, a large part of the wall is required.

"There are only two satellites in the Beidou system that are actually working, which is incomparable to the 22 satellites of others!"

As an old man over half a hundred years old, Chen Zhongyan naturally knows that the road needs to be taken step by step, and the food needs to be eaten bite by bite.

But seeing the country's backwardness in this aspect, it is hard not to feel ashamed for this old man who has almost dedicated his entire life to the satellite business.

"Old Chen, we are just starting now, and we will have more than 30 navigation and positioning satellites in the future."

Zhang Xingyang stood aside, although his face looked very young compared to Chen Zhongyan, but his words seemed to see through everything.

"The ancients said: 'If you don't accumulate a few steps, you can't reach a thousand miles.'. At present, we are in this process!"

At this time, Chen Zhongyan also eased from his original negative attitude.

After smiling, he said, "Xing Yang, I made you laugh."

"I'm an old man, and I need you, a young man, to comfort me."

"Old Chen, everyone is for the development of the country, nothing."

"The rocket launch is about to start, I'll go back first."

Zhang Xingyang looked at the time on his watch and said to Chen Zhongyan.

The rocket added to the launch has also completed the filling of liquid oxygen kerosene fuel at this time.

All personnel have evacuated the launch site.

With the passage of time every minute and every second, the time for the rocket launch window is coming soon.

"ignition!"

Under Zhang Xingyang's order, the rocket completed its own ignition.

Tens of thousands of high-temperature and high-pressure gas are sprayed out from the tail nozzle thicker than a human being, turning into hundreds of thousands of tons of propulsion.

The rocket with a self-weight of more than 600 tons broke away from the gravity of the mother earth.

"The separation of the first stage rocket is completed!"

The first stage was disconnected from the rocket's second stage by an exploding bolt after working for less than three minutes.

"Secondary rocket separated successfully!"

With the passage of time, soon the second stage of the rocket also failed.

This time the rocket used a first-hand Hongyan rocket, and the target orbit was SSTO orbit.

Accompanied by the first-stage rocket, it flew back to the launch site and successfully completed the recovery work.

The fairing has entered the SSTO orbit with two Beidou satellites.

Because the orbital altitude of the Xichang launch site is not very high, although the engine needs to be turned off for a period of time to glide after entering space, but because it can rely on the rotation of the earth, the actual fuel consumption is not too much.

"The Beidou-1 star has been successfully released!"

In the hall, Chen Zhongyan's heart was hanging in his throat, and he relaxed a little.

The successful release of No. 1 star basically means that the launch mission is half successful.

"Hurry up and start contacting No. 1 star for a test!"

Before the No. 2 satellite was successfully released, Chen Zhongyan began to call on his subordinates to test whether the function of the satellite was normal.

"Beidou 2 star released successfully!"

At this time, the satellite staff in the lobby who could only watch during the rocket launch began to be completely busy.

As for the rocket launchers like Zhang Xingyang, they were freed from the busy work just now.

The engineers who started to look at the Beidou satellites carried out one test after another for the Beidou satellites.