The rise of nanometers

"Countdown..."

"...3...2...1...launch."

In the open launch tower, a fire flashed from the bottom of the Chang 11 carrier rocket, and a stream of light red flames rushed from the engine nozzle toward the cooling pool on the ground.

In an instant, a stream of white water vapor, coupled with the dust on the ground, spread in all directions.

The Chang 11 carrier rocket soared up from the smoke and dust.

The guns and cannons in the viewing area flashed dense flashlights. They captured every moment of the launch vehicle's ascent, as if they wanted to find out the secrets inside.

A moment later, a loud noise like thunder rang in everyone's ears.

The flight trajectory of the Chang 11 launch vehicle brought out a long trajectory cloud. Unlike ordinary multi-stage liquid launch vehicles, the Chang 11 did not experience core-stage separation, but sprinted upwards indomitably.

Tens of seconds later, the launch vehicle's flight trajectory began to tilt. This was to facilitate the entry into orbit and coordinate with the rotation angle of the Blue Star.

Command center.

"Report, the flight altitude exceeded 50,000 meters above sea level..."

"Report, the Peking Monitoring Station has locked the Chang 11 flight trajectory..."

"Report, the Beidou satellite system has begun to lock..."

In the lounge, Zhang Mingliu held his head in his hands, as if waiting for the final notification. As long as the satellite did not enter orbit for one second, he would not be able to relax.

Huang Xiuyuan didn't know how to persuade him, so he could only quietly watch the continuous reports from the command center with Academician Zhang Peicai, Academician Wang Kan and others.

The sharp-eyed Huang Xiuyuan saw the monitoring track in the distance and discovered that the launch vehicle was about to break through the Karman line.

After about 8 seconds.

"Report, flight altitude exceeded 100,000 meters..."

"Report, after passing through the black zone, communications returned to normal."

"Report, all indicators of the launch vehicle are normal..."

Zhang Peicai on the side breathed a sigh of relief: "After crossing the Karman Line, the danger has dropped, and the next step is to maneuver around the track."

Although solid fuel cannot be stopped, it can still be achieved with rougher control, and the engine's power quickly drops a lot.

The ground command center constantly adjusts the flight trajectory to allow the launch vehicle to approach the predetermined orbital altitude in a large elliptical orbit.

Thousands of miles away on the other side of the ocean.

United States, Houston Space Base.

Staff from the United States Space Agency (NASA) are keeping a close eye on the northwest region of China through satellite monitoring systems.

Director Robert was in the monitoring center, quietly watching the monitoring data.

Michelle, the technical executive on the side, had an increasingly complicated expression. As a technician, it is naturally a joyful thing to see the progress of human aerospace industry, but what promotes the progress of aerospace industry today is not what he thinks. The proud country of the United States, while the country of China has always been excluded by them.

Many technicians feel roughly the same as Michelle.

"Oh my God!"

"They actually broke through low-Earth orbit."

Ignoring the fuss of the monitors, Michelle seemed to have expected it. After all, China has tested ultra-long-distance strategic missiles before. With this new type of solid fuel, it is basically not difficult for the launch vehicle to achieve single-stage entry into orbit.

Robert, who has always been silent, seems to be older with his pale hair. NASA's lack of support in recent years has made him feel depressed and exhausted.

After 1991, NASA was basically in a state of isolation and failure, which also resulted in their scientific research funding declining year by year.

Recently, NASA has been forced to prepare a plan to retire the space shuttle.

Suddenly Michelle turned around: "Robert, maybe this is a good thing."

"..." Robert nodded with a complicated expression. Having come from the Cold War era, he naturally knew what Michelle meant.

Without external pressure, those congressional bosses and capital giants would not feel the danger, and naturally would not invest heavily in the aerospace industry.

Now the rise of China's aerospace power will force the United States to increase investment in this area.

The only thing that worries Robert is the talent dilemma within NASA. Due to budget reductions in recent years, they have been cut off from many projects and laboratories.

Talent is something that cannot be recovered in a short while.

Many of the comrades around him are old people left over from the Cold War, and many of them are gray-haired.

Huaguo Aerospace, which has the advantage of being a latecomer, actually got a trump card and suddenly caught up with NASA's launch vehicle level.

Robert ordered seriously: "Michelle, we need to take action. You lead the team to evaluate the specific situation of the Chang-11 launch vehicle. I need a threatening report to wake up those arrogant men. "

"OK." Michelle nodded, and he actually felt like his blood was boiling, just like when he fought against the Lucians.

For NASA, this is not a good thing for them.

…

outer space.

When the Chang 11 launch vehicle reaches the predetermined mid-orbit area, the core first stage and the core second stage separate instantly.

The staff of the ground command center, according to the predetermined plan, the core level one control team still controls the core level one, and the core level two control team, which has been prepared for a long time, immediately takes over the control of the core level two.

There is still 9.6% of the fuel left in the core first stage. The staff controls the core first stage to re-correct the flight orbit and circle back to low-Earth orbit, preparing to re-enter the atmosphere.

The reason why the first stage of the core is to be returned to the atmosphere is, firstly, to reduce space debris, and secondly, to verify the technology of spacecraft returning to the atmosphere, so that unmanned spacecraft can return to the ground in the future.

After the staff controlling the core level 2 confirmed that the orbit was accurate, the core level 2 and core level 3 were officially separated.

After the core level 3 discarded the fairing, it was time to implement the No. 12 satellite. The core level 3 control team quickly took over, then unfolded the solar panels and adjusted the flight trajectory again.

The original core-level control team started the hydrogen-oxygen engine of the core-level and flew in a large elliptical orbit toward the moon, preparing to use the gravitational slingshot of Blue Star to enter the lunar orbit.

The core-level Sentinel 1 satellite weighs only about 1.3 tons, and the fuel of the hydrogen-oxygen engine is about 2.4 tons, which is more than enough to fly to the moon.

It was originally thought that China's space mission was over, but soon the aerospace departments of various countries, as long as they had the ability to observe and monitor outer space, discovered something that made them vomit blood.

After dropping Shijian 12, there was actually another spacecraft that continued to orbit farther.

Moreover, the first stage of the core did not stop running. Instead, after multiple maneuvers and orbit changes, it once again approached low-Earth orbit.

Especially Michelle, who was writing a report, rushed to the monitoring center again after listening to the monitoring personnel's report.

The scene before him stunned him.

The Chang 11 launch vehicle is divided into three parts. In addition to the Shijian 12 satellite that is in orbit, the core first stage is returning to low-Earth orbit, while the other part of the spacecraft is heading for a higher orbit.

Michelle patted her forehead: "It seems I don't need to exaggerate."

Subsequently, the China Space Administration announced that the Shijian-12 satellite was successfully launched. At the same time, due to excess fuel, the original second-stage part of the core will conduct an exploratory lunar exploration.

Although it is said to be an "unexpected" use of waste, many discerning people know that it was well prepared and deliberately made excuses.

Otherwise, how did the detection equipment and scientific instruments on the second level of the core get up?

The aerospace departments of various countries feel as if a lemon has been squeezed into their hearts, so sour that their mass walls are about to separate.