Rebirth 2009: Synthetic God

East Coast, Merritt Island, Florida, Kennedy Space Center.

Today is the launch day of the "Eye of Artemis".

This is a historic moment, at least for Ami.

As early as the end of the last century, President Bush proposed the "Return to the Moon Plan", requiring Americans to return to the moon they conquered around the year 2000.

The entire plan will include the development of a series of new space vehicles, launch vehicles and related hardware, which will cost a lot of money.

However, this project did not advance much in the end and was just a slogan.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the plan was proposed again during the George W. Bush era, and NASA renamed it the "Constellation Project" with the goal of allowing Americans to return to the moon in 2013 and reach Mars in 2016.

The entire plan will include the development of a series of new space vehicles, launch vehicles and related hardware, which will cost a lot of money.

More than ten years after the project was implemented, due to the inability to complete a series of equipment such as the Orion manned spacecraft and the Ares rocket, and after more than 20 rejections of the first launch, the "Constellation Project", which cost tens of billions of dollars, was suspended.

But soon, a few years later, NASA launched "Return to the Moon Plan 3.0" again, renamed "Project Artemis". The goal is to safely send astronauts to the moon and back before 2024, and establish the normalization of the moon. The residency mechanism paves the way for future manned landing missions on Mars.

Originally, NASA followed its own pace and carried out announcements step by step. Oh no, it was research and development. However, with the increasing pressure of China's aerospace industry and the astonishing rise of Tai Tiangong, the situation has been very different from before, and it has to be " Project Artemis" was split again and a subsidiary project "Eye of Artemis" was added:

An unmanned lunar exploration plan to show their strength.

This is why today is important.

In the past twenty years or a generation, this is the first and only time that the United States has actually launched a rocket to the moon.

If there is no postponement.

Although the ones sent up are not astronauts and mountain bikes, the unmanned probe is not simple either.

At this time, the Kennedy Space Center gathered aerospace talents from across the United States to escort the launch.

The rocket providing launch services is not the legendary "Space Launch System SLS (a rocket model)" developed specifically for the "Artemis Project" because the test time of this rocket has been postponed all the way to 2022.

Therefore, NASA adopted the most conservative "Cosmos series". This series of rockets has been launched more than 500 times and is the least prone to errors.

For this special era, NASA's biggest requirement for the "Eye of Artemis" is not to make mistakes.

The halo of U.S. aerospace has been shattered, but it is better to keep the debris in your pocket than flush it down the toilet.

Recently, the outside world has been spreading rumors that the unconventional new boss "Art", because he is dissatisfied with NASA for screwing up everything, is planning to sign a general T order to reorganize the entire aerospace field to face the competition from the global aerospace boom. I want to send a commissioner to investigate the funding issues of the past 20 years.

Therefore, this battle is also extremely important to NASA, and there must be no more problems.

In the slightly dim command center, Hansen stood upright among the crowd, staring at the screen in front of him.

The vertical assembly of "Atlas 5" has been completed and fuel injection has begun. There is still one hour left before the launch window.

Hansen looked at the rocket in a daze. Although the "Cosmic God Series" has been iterated five times, the logo and logo have not changed.

When he was a teenager, he decided to study aerospace because he watched a rocket launch in the Texas desert. He was the "God of the Universe".

Now that he is 75, there is some overlap in the images before him.

After a moment, he realized that there was indeed an overlap, and his vision began to blur, with double images and inexplicable light spots.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed his eyes a few times, and when he opened them again, the condition was gone.

Behind the back, a fat middle-aged man with natural curly hair suddenly said: "Hansen, do you think today will be postponed?"

At NASA, no matter what you send, delays are commonplace.

Many projects have been pushed for more than ten or twenty times in a row, only to be rejected in the end.

Hansen shook his head: "Probably not. All test results show normal."

The middle-aged natural volume said: "I thought you would expect a delay. After all, the new director has pressed too hard on this project. This is something everyone can see."

Hansen pinched his knuckles: "If a problem is found, I will be the first to stop it. No matter how tight the time is, delaying is better than failure. But there is no sign of this at the moment."

The middle-aged natural volume said: "What's the point of doing 'unmanned moon exploration' in our current era? Taichigo has already planned to build a factory there, and there may be 'Made in the moon' in the future."

"There are still their 'spaceships' floating in orbit. Allow me to use this word. I don't think there is any difference. But we can only send a small car up, and we can't even bring back the lunar soil."

Hansen's eyes were distracted again, but his tone was firm. He knew that he had to stabilize the confidence of others at this time.

"We always have to have a beginning. The path of science is one step at a time. It will not work if any step is missing."

"Maybe we are not advanced now, but without our actions, what would the latecomers do? Just like the opposite. They faced a very similar situation to us 20 years ago, an opponent that was so far away that they could hardly see clearly. But they didn't give up."

"If Chinese astronauts had completely given up on aerospace activities 20 years ago because they were too far away from us, they would not be able to overtake them now."

Zi Zi Juan smiled, acquiescing to this statement.

After a while, Hansen suddenly said: "So why are you wearing lipstick?"

Naturally, he coughed dryly: "You know the recent trend. The new director is more welcoming to L**T people, and since I announced my coming out, there have been many benefits in all aspects."

At the end, he added in a low voice: "But my orientation has not changed. I am just a homosexual who is biologically male and psychologically female, but happens to like women. You don't have to worry about Hansen."

Hansen pursed his lips, acquiescing to this statement.

Report after report sounded in the command center, which is the largest space launch center in the United States. Although this generation of astronauts are not so familiar with boundary-breaking scientific research missions, commercial satellites are usually launched, so everything is still in order.

One hour passed quickly, the fuel injection was completed, and the launch window was reached. Many high-level people came from behind the control room.

Some of them were wearing J-suits, some were wearing suits, and they also included several senators, powerful people, and even two WH advisers.

Clearly, no matter how regretful "Eye of Artemis" may be, it still stirs the hearts of Americans today.

After the end of the "Science and Technology Expo" opposite, this was the first response from the American science and technology field. Even if it is not loud, it cannot be half-sent in the throat.

Six o'clock in the morning, New York time.

Everything was ready, and a low voice came from the communication channel.

"All stations, this is launch control. We are go for launch."

On the red launch button, the protective cover is opened.

The commander exchanged glances with the person in charge, Hansen, and took a deep breath.

“Countdown commencingThreeTwoOne”

"Engine start!"

Following the commander's command, the operator pressed the red button.

At the Kennedy Space Center, a violent flame broke out on launch pad No. 3.

After a brief stagnation, the rocket began to rise rapidly!

"Lift off!"

At 6:02 New York time, the "Atlas-5" carrying the Eye of Artemis successfully ignited and left the launch pad.

However, for aerospace, this is just the beginning!

.17 seconds after takeoff!

"Cosmic God 5" starts its programmed turn and adjusts its direction.

.50 seconds after takeoff!

The Kennedy base can no longer capture the footage of "Cosmic God 5".

There is no artificial "mimic command system", and all they can rely on is a large number of sensors and telemetry data.

.140 seconds after takeoff!

The "Atlas 5" booster separated successfully and the first stage rocket was successfully ignited.

230 seconds after takeoff.

The speed of "Cosmic God 5" began to approach the first cosmic speed and also left the atmosphere.

However, God did not favor the United States, at least not the American astronauts.

Just when it's time to separate the fairing and expose the payload compartment to the track.

The command failed.

"Failed? What do you mean?!"

"I don't know! No feedback! The fairing won't open."

"Activate backup plan and try to delay opening."

".The invalid backup plan still fails."

The fairing of "Cosmos 5" is peeled off, that is, it is split from the middle. Generally speaking, it is completed by 22 explosive bolts. They need to be opened synchronously within a few milliseconds. However, if the main command fails, you can try another one. One way is to open them one by one in a directed way. Although it increases the risk, it is better than completely locking it.

But now, both solutions have failed.

For a moment, the command center panicked.

However, soon, a less rich, but extremely calm voice sounded.

"Execute command 134B!"

Hansen crossed his chest with one hand and held his chin with the other. His eyes were far calmer than his body.

The commander did not dare to ask what 134B was, and flipped through the manual like crazy. The Universe God had accumulated too much content since it was in service in the 1950s.

The commands they commonly use now are all four-digit numbers, the god's 134B!

Hansen directly pulled the commander and his seat back, and his skinny arms actually burst out with considerable strength, and then he started a series of operations on the computer.

After a while.

The sensor shows that the fairing is separated successfully.

This shocking reversal made everyone want to cheer, but they received another bad news almost at the same time.

Sensors indicate that the payload bay has been hit.

The roller coaster-like development of the situation left the command center completely silent, with the only sound being Hansen's heavy breathing.

"Hansen. How did you do it? What happened."

Hansen let out a trembling breath and said: "There is a detonating cord structure under the fairing of the Atlas series, which is used to disassemble the rocket on the ground when the launch fails completely."

". In extreme cases, it can be used as a means of discarding the fairing in an 'overhead' manner."

The so-called "overhead" is an old method that is different from the most common "peel-off" method.

If the "peel-off" method is like opening a "happy nut" and splitting the fairing in two.

Then the "overhead" method is like pulling out the pen cap, which is to take the fairing off from the top.

But this method has been eliminated by the mainstream, and naturally has its disadvantages, that is, it is difficult to control during high speed, and the fairing separation process is likely to damage the "payload".

Hansen looked at the feedback command of "payload compartment collision" and felt his heart bleeding. As a precision instrument, it is difficult to say whether this will cause any impact.

But after all, now is not the time to show hesitation. He quickly gathered his emotions, stood up straight again, and said loudly:

"Continue to report telemetry data, everyone, our work is not yet completed"

————

In another corner of the earth, Zhou Rui watched this launch through NASA's official website.

Of course, he certainly didn't know so many details. To be precise, the picture ended about three minutes after takeoff.

At least he didn't see any problems during the launch process.

About half an hour later, NASA announced that the launch was a complete success. However, at the press conference afterwards, Hansen Doyle, the "founder of the Apollo program" who had fought with him in the air, did not look very good.

Well. Whether in terms of mood or health. But this is not something he needs to worry about.

There is a thirteen-hour time difference between the two sides. At this time, it is already 11 o'clock in the evening in Shanghai. The four old comrades have gone back. Han Rongze and Li Huihua were taken back to Xupu's home by car, while Zhou Weigang and Yao Peili were next door.

Han Ziyin and Li Wenqian were taking a shower and locked the door.

Zhou Rui put down his mobile phone, stretched his waist, and silently opened the system. All three task bars were in an unfinished state.

"Entry task [Time management master], current progress (98/100)."

"Entry task [Eugenics], current progress (44/100)."

"Entry task [Crisis intuition], current progress (92/100)"

Let's talk about the first one first.

Good news, the progress bar moved.

Bad news, the progress bar didn't move completely.

More than ten days after returning from the Science and Technology Expo, he only achieved 1 point.

This was a risky move for him. He found that after moving to three places within 24 hours, such as the office of the Intelligent Building, Tong Xin's apartment, and Jiang Wan Hanlin's bedroom, the system finally recognized that this was also a "time management master" to some extent, and gave a point.

This fully shows that without a good physique, you really can't be a time management master.

I'm not tired, but I feel a little psychological pressure. Zhou Rui is very busy. He has to take care of this in addition to work, and he also has to take care of Ziyin and the others' emotions, so as not to make himself look like he's on drugs.

He was so impatient just after the green light was turned on. It has a bad impact.

So this can't be rushed. Find an opportunity to take action. There is no need to make a scene just to rush the progress.

As for the second task [Eugenics], it is also closely related to this. It is a new task that Zhou Rui got after obtaining [Explosive Power].

He has also figured out the acquisition mechanism.

There is only hard work, but no harvest. Give a little at a time. Whether it is active or passive.

I have brushed 44 points in ten days. It's needless to say what strength I have, right?

It has basically reached the average level of the Internet.

As for the last one [Crisis Intuition], this task was originally planned to be quickly brushed after returning to Shanghai, but there is really not enough time, so it is temporarily stopped at (92/100).

He just shot bullets and had no time to dodge bullets.

After checking the progress of the task, Zhou Rui said that he didn't like the feeling of progress but no completion.

While walking towards the bathroom, he took out the special lighter from his pocket.

The laughter and chat of Han Ziyin and Li Wenqian could still be vaguely heard inside. Obviously, they thought that they would be safe if they locked the door today.

With a light press of the lighter, a thin metal wire popped out. Zhou Rui only took one second to open this indoor door lock with no technical content.

Sorry, the door lock may be able to prevent thieves, but it can't prevent [Agents].

No one can stop me from brushing experience today!