Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 185 The True Master of Micro-Management (4.6K)

"Oh!"

"Good job!"

"that is really good!"

When the photos were broadcast around the world via television signals, the audience and reporters in the studio also saw them.

Everyone was cheering, clapping, and praying that Gagarin could return to Earth.

Seeing the people at this moment, even the conservative people in the Southern states, who were genuinely happy for Gagarin's successful arrival on the moon, and considering it a great victory for all mankind.

“That’s amazing!” Helens whispered to Jenny beside her in the White House press briefing room.

Because the crowd here consisted mostly of reporters, the cheers and discussions were much quieter than outside.

Besides, this is the White House after all, so it's not appropriate for people to shout or yell.

Even so, the sounds of discussion could still be heard through the room into the hallway outside.

Jenny was also clapping softly. Hearing Helens's words, she turned to her and said, "Yes, the only suspense now is whether Gagarin can return to Earth safely."

Helens asked, "Jenny, when will our fuel tank be able to land on the moon?"

Jenny said, "The professor told me that before."

Before Jenny could finish speaking, the reporters nearby gathered around after hearing her.

Everyone gathered around Jenny, hoping to get the latest news from her.

"Okay, okay, it's not a secret. You'll find out sooner or later."

Our lunar lander is now waiting in lunar orbit.

We'll wait for the Soviet Union to provide the specific landing site, and then we'll perform a maneuver to lower our orbit to an altitude of only 15 kilometers above the lunar surface.

This operation is called descent orbit insertion.

The reporters listened intently. "And then, Miss Hearst, stop keeping us in suspense."

Jenny continued, "This maneuver will last about 12 minutes."

Then came the powered descent, with the lunar module using its descent engines to descend to the lunar surface.

During the braking phase, the engines decelerate to control the descent speed, and then during the approach phase, the lunar module's attitude is adjusted to ensure a soft landing.

I estimate that NASA received the news of Gagarin's successful moon landing earlier than us, not later.

The Soviet Union would definitely provide NASA with data and photos first to help NASA determine the landing site.

So it's possible that our lunar lander is already in its descent phase.

Upon hearing this, the reporters exclaimed in surprise, then clasped their hands together in a prayerful gesture: "Pray for NASA, pray for the professor, you must succeed!"

Just as Jenny had guessed, the photos and landing site parameters had already been sent to NASA.

The moment the photo was transmitted to the Redstone base control center, the tense atmosphere suddenly erupted, and cheers broke out.

After the cheers subsided, Lin Ran shouted, "The Soviet Union has completed its mission; now it's our turn to complete ours!"

Lin Ran stood at the central control console, taking a telex slip from a technician. It contained the latest data transmitted from Soviet Russia.

Lin Ran quickly glanced at the data, his voice low: "The Soviet lander successfully landed at mission time T+76 hours ago, with coordinates of 0.67408 degrees north latitude and 23.47297 degrees east longitude, within 100 meters of the target distance."

Photos confirm the lander is intact!

"Wow!" Another cheer erupted in the control center.

"Professor, what do you think we should do now?"

"Professor, please give your instructions quickly."

Lin Ran nodded: "John, bring up the ephemeris!"

"John, adjust the yaw angle of the lunar injection, 0.1 degrees to the right!"

"John, have them check the fuel levels in the propulsion system!"

"Okay, there is still 12% fuel remaining. Adjusting by 0.1 degrees requires an increase of about 5 meters per second in delta-v, which is more than enough according to the calculation of the fuel parameter model."

Notify Cape Canaveral to update the landing plan, update the TLI parameters, descent orbit insertion time after 10 minutes and 30 seconds, burn for 5 minutes and 20 seconds, yaw angle 0.1 degrees.

Make them confirm as soon as possible!

Lin Ran completely dropped the pretense.

Forget IBM computers and computer cluster computing; I'll give you the answer directly!
A fake micromanagement mastermind, based in Nanjing, directs the deployment of machine gun positions in a battle thousands of miles away, and interferes with the choices of frontline soldiers by sending death telegrams personally signed by him.

Then Lin Ran is a true master of micro-management, precisely controlling the landing of the lunar module 32 kilometers away from Earth while in Huntsville.

Lacking the skill for micro-management is simply harmful, but if you have that skill, micro-management is precise command and perfect mission completion.

In other words, Lin Ran has already established unparalleled prestige within NASA.

Inside, there's Lyndon Johnson; outside, there's John Morgan.

So much so that NASA engineers jokingly say that joining NASA inevitably involves three things: eating, sleeping, and professors.

When Lin Ran's command reached Cape Canaveral, they were only slightly surprised that IBM's new computer cluster was computing too fast, and didn't think much of it.

On the lunar surface at that moment, Gagarin was wearing a heavy spacesuit with a life support system.

After planting the flag and taking photos to send back to Earth, he still had a lot of work to do.

It's not like you can just stand on the lunar surface and wait for America's fuel tank.

His first task was to check the lunar module's power and oxygen supply to ensure safety.

Then you need to set up scientific instruments, such as seismographs, laser reflectors, and solar wind collectors, to collect data.

The last and most arduous task was to clear the landing area to ensure there were no obstructions, making it easier to push America's fuel tank back to the side of the return capsule.

It was nothing like what the people on Earth thought at the time: lying on the surface of the moon, looking up at the sky, doing nothing and just waiting for America's fuel tank to arrive.

In addition, Gagarin also needed to coordinate with the Russian Federal Space Agency and NASA's control center via communication channels:
"All systems are functioning normally; we are awaiting the descent of 'Eagle'."

America's lunar module was called "Eagle," or more accurately, Eagle-1.

"Okay, Comrade Gagarin, we have received news from NASA that their lunar module is expected to land in 30 minutes. Please wait patiently, keep an eye on the timer, and let us know if you have any questions."

Gagarin didn't have a moment to spare until five minutes before Earth gave him the feedback time.

A mix of nervousness and excitement gradually enveloped him.

He was in the lunar module, gazing out the window at the horizon, lost in thought.

What if America's lunar module can't land?

He checked the timer, stepped out of the lunar module, looked around, and saw that America's lunar module would begin its descent to his southwest.

Gagarin's anxiety finally subsided.

"Report to Moscow: The eagle has appeared in my field of vision as scheduled, at an estimated distance of 1500 meters. All indicators of the spacesuit are normal and it can support the round trip."

Gagarin saw a point of light in the distance, the engines of the American lunar lander spewed out, and 12 minutes later it landed, kicking up lunar dust about 1 kilometer away from him.

After the dust settled, he saw the lunar module bearing the Stars and Stripes in his line of sight.

A wave of relief and joy washed over him, and America had fulfilled their promise. Gagarin thought to himself, "As expected of the professor, 32 kilometers of precise target practice—just as he said, they did it on their first try."

Although from a military perspective, this technology would mean an improvement in the launch accuracy of the America missile, Gagarin wasn't thinking about that at the moment.

Political tensions on Earth are a concern for people on Earth, a concern for the White House and the Kremlin. This is the Moon, a symbol of cooperation.

Gagarin smiled and activated the communicator, saying, "'Eagle' has successfully arrived on the moon. Current environmental parameters are: gravity 1.625 m/s, temperature greater than 100°C in sunlight, temperature -100°C in shadow, no atmosphere, and clear starry sky."

"Comrade Gagarin, prepare for the mission!"

"Roger that!"

Inside the CBS news studio, the atmosphere was incredibly tense.

The tension here is not due to the possibility of a failed moon landing, but because the live broadcast is about to begin. After America's lunar module successfully lands on the moon, it will be transmitted to televisions around the world.

Every backstage staff member was on high alert, fearing that their own mistake would cause things to fall apart.

NASA and the Soviet Union's moon landings didn't falter, but if our own live TV broadcasts malfunction, not only will CBS fire us, but we'll be too embarrassed to stay.

The studio was brightly lit, with a huge map of the moon as the backdrop, marking the landing site in the Sea of ​​Tranquility.

Cronkite sat behind the anchor desk, now dressed in a gray striped suit, a much more relaxed look than her outfit from three days ago.

His eyes shone with excitement; he couldn't wait to share the good news with the viewers in front of their televisions.

On one side of the studio, Fred Hoyle, an astronomer and science writer from England, had a stack of technical charts at hand, ready to explain them to the audience at any time.

Cronkite adjusted his posture, looked directly at the camera, and spoke in a deep, powerful voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is CBS News, and I am Walter Cronkite."

I have some exciting news to share: tonight, we witnessed an unprecedented moment in the history of space exploration.

America's fuel module 'Eagle' has successfully landed on the moon in the Sea of ​​Tranquility, just 1500 meters from astronaut Yuri Gagarin's lunar module, according to NASA data.

The mission successfully achieved its intended objectives. This was the first joint US-Soviet lunar landing mission, symbolizing a breakthrough in human cooperation during the Cold War, and bringing us only one step away from final success!
Next, we'll bring you live footage of the lunar surface. We'll also be turning our attention to our colleagues at the Redstone Base in Huntsville, where we've invited a professor for an exclusive interview!

The television broadcast switched to the control center of the Redstone base. From the television camera, it could be seen that the engineers in the control center were standing in the middle, chatting in twos and threes.

Only a few people are still watching the data on their screens.

"Professor Lin, congratulations on successfully completing the mission!" the reporter congratulated first, then asked, "I have a question: is NASA's mission now completely complete?"

Lin Ran nodded and said, "That's right, our mission has been completed."

The lunar module has successfully landed near Gagarin's landing site.

The rest depends on whether the Soviets can return to Earth successfully.

And during the fuel transfer process, it was entirely up to Gagarin to operate the equipment.

I believe he must have undergone countless simulations beforehand, and I have great confidence that Gagarin will successfully complete the mission.

The reporter then asked, "We've always known that the whole process would be broadcast live, and I'm sure people watching on TV are already eagerly waiting."

Professor, could you give us a preview of the upcoming live stream content?

Lin Ran explained, "No problem, we have embedded cameras in the entire fuel transfer system, but the content it broadcasts may be limited."

Contrary to popular belief, the entire process was broadcast live; its perspective was fixed.

People may only be able to see a very limited amount of content.

However, I believe this will be a very interesting experience.

The reporter then asked, "Okay, whatever the footage is, I think everyone will be very interested as long as it comes from the moon."

"Professor, I'd like to ask you another question: what challenges remain?"

Lin Ran said, "Gagarin needed to leave his lunar module and walk about 1200 meters to reach 'Eagle'."

Because the moon's gravity is only one-sixth that of Earth, and its terrain is full of lunar dust and craters, he had to move very carefully. The subsequent transport of the fuel tank back to the lunar module also required caution.

The entire process places high demands on Gagarin.

However, after the fuel transfer is completed, its return to Earth will require it to enter a near-lunar orbit and then return to Earth via an Earth-Moon orbit.

In short, there are still some challenges ahead, but I believe Gagarin can overcome them.

The reporter said, "Okay, thank you, Professor, for accepting our interview. It's clear that you have great confidence in the final stages of this moon landing!"
Let's turn the camera to the studio!

Cronkite: "Welcome back. As you can see, the professor is very confident."

The first joint US-Soviet lunar landing mission symbolized a breakthrough in human cooperation during the Cold War.

He paused for a moment, well aware that the global audience was holding their breath, and the Cold War backdrop made this collaboration all the more complex.

Cronkite continued, "We will broadcast Gagarin's operation live via audio, as he walks to the U.S. fuel tank to complete the fuel transfer and prepare for his return to Earth."

Cronkite turned to Hoyle: "To my side is Professor Hoyle, the renowned English astronomer. I believe our viewers are already quite familiar with Professor Hoyle after the past three days of live broadcasts."

Professor Hoyle, could you explain the specifics to the audience, and interpret what you just said in the interview?

You have to add your name, but a professor doesn't. A professor is a professor, Jenny thought to herself when she saw this.

Hoyle leaned forward slightly and explained in a passionate voice:
"Of course, Cronkite."

Landing the fuel tank is a crucial step, as it's the most difficult part of the entire process.

After all, the Soviet Union and America launched from different locations and at different times, but ultimately landed in almost the same spot on the moon.

This is extremely difficult, considering that the Earth is a full 32 kilometers away from the Moon.

It's like trying to hit the bullseye from 500 meters away.

The most difficult step has now been completed. The lunar module is only 1200 meters away from Gagarin. Given the moon's gravity, Gagarin could have easily made the round trip even while wearing a spacesuit.

I expect the round trip to take about 10 to 15 minutes, but considering that the fuel system also needs to be disassembled and moved, this time may be extended to 30 minutes.

However, the entire subsequent process depended on Gagarin's operations and the assistance of the Soviet space agency in bringing the lunar module back to Earth.

NASA's mission is complete, and only then did the professor have time for our interview.

Cronkite nodded. "That sounds like a challenge. Professor Hoyle, what is the specific procedure for fuel transfer?"

Hoyle pointed to the charts on the table: "According to the data provided to us by NASA, the 'Eagle' was equipped with a fuel transfer system compatible with the Soviet lunar lander."

Gagarin will connect a special hose to pump fuel from the Eagle to his lunar module. This requires precise operation to ensure a tight seal and prevent leaks.

The entire process was internally estimated by NASA to take 30 to 45 minutes.

The studio screen switched to a lunar map, showing the locations of the two modules.

Cronkite listened through his headset and raised his hand to signal: "We've received an update from Huntsville Control Center. Let's hear it."

There is slight background noise in the audio.
"The video system is activated, the signal is being relayed, and the ground signal processing center is decoding; prepare for live broadcast."

Cronkite smiled, his tone excited: "Dear viewers, we are about to witness together the first-ever live television broadcast brought from the moon in human history!"

A few minutes later, the audio started playing again, and the control room technician adjusted the volume.

Cronkite raised his hand: "We have received a signal from the moon."

This is a sound from the moon.

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(End of this chapter)