Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 267 Is This Human?
Didn't they use the Magpie Bridge?

Sun Jiadong was already very old and no longer the best Russian translator in the entire Fifth Academy in another timeline. After Dean Qian received the White Horse materials sent by Pokrovsky, he immediately called out Sun Jiadong's name and asked him to take charge of the translation.

He was already ninety-two years old at this time, only slightly younger than Aldrin.

But on this big day for the entire Chinese aerospace industry, he still came to the scene.

Sitting next to him is Wu Weiren, the chief engineer of China's lunar landing program.

“We discussed this with Lin Ran and the others, but they felt the whole process would take too long and require a complete overhaul of the communication system, so they didn’t adopt the Queqiao satellite relay communication solution,” Wu Weiren said with a sigh.

How come it's so easy?

In December 2018, China's space program launched the Chang'e-12 probe, embarking on humanity's first exploration of the far side of the moon.

Prior to this, they launched a relay satellite named Queqiao in advance so that communication could remain uninterrupted when Chang'e-4 changed its orbit and entered lunar orbit.

The Magpie Bridge orbits at the Earth-Moon L2 point, providing communication relays to distant locations.

"It seems Lin Ran's team has plenty of confidence. If they have the ability, then that's confidence," Sun Jiadong concluded.

With the bigwigs speaking, at least within China's aerospace evaluation system, Lin Ran is confident rather than arrogant.

In fact, Lin Ran was well aware that using the Magpie Bridge would be ideal.

The problem is that there are only two Saturn V rockets. If we want to use the Magpie Bridge rocket, we need to build several more lunar landers and conduct unmanned tests, which means we need at least three Saturn V rockets.

Both the cost and time would increase dramatically, making it very easy to miss the lunar landing window this Christmas.

It'll have to be delayed until next year again.

At the same time, although the coverage of the Magpie Bridge is wide, it does not mean that communication can be maintained during the LOI burning process, because the entire LOI process is a high-speed movement, and the connection may be lost briefly in some locations.

The spacecraft's communication system also needs to be modified.

Of course, the most important reason is that Lin Ran has 100% confidence in himself.

He operated the entire moon landing process more than once.

As Pony applauded, he whispered to Zhang Chaoyang, who was visiting with him and who had long aspired to be a physics teacher after achieving financial freedom at a young age, "Lin Sheng is right. Landing on the moon is indeed as simple as eating and drinking for him."

Zhang Chaoyang's face still showed shock, and he spoke quickly: "No, this is a bit too perverted."

Pony, do you know why the LOI (Land of Instability) was considered the most critical maneuver during the moon landing? It wasn't just because communication could be lost, but also because the precision requirements were extremely high.

From the perspective of orbital calculations, LOI needs to accurately calculate the spacecraft's trajectory to determine the required deceleration amount and burn-in timing.

This involves complex orbital mechanics problems, especially the three-body problem, which involves the mutual gravitational forces between the Earth, the Moon, and the spacecraft. The calculations are complex and the components are very susceptible to disturbances.

The spacecraft departs from Earth and is initially dominated by Earth's gravity. As it approaches the Moon, it is gradually captured by the Moon's gravity, forming a classic three-body dynamic system.

The solution to the three-body problem is nonlinear and chaotic, requiring numerical simulation and approximation methods. You can only obtain a rough approximate solution, not an exact one.

The Apollo moon landing relied on the astronauts' improvisation skills.

China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe relied on the Queqiao relay satellite to ensure smooth communication, while ground-based real-time calculations ensured the accuracy of the entire navigation system.

Before the LOI of Apollo 11 burned up, the ground team determined the spacecraft's position using radar and Doppler measurements, keeping the error within 5 kilometers and the velocity error within 1 meter per second.

Our Chang'e-4 lunar probe relies on a more advanced deep-space network to improve accuracy, but the calculations still need to take into account the tiny perturbations of the sun and planets.

What's even more bizarre is that the Moon's gravitational field is non-uniform, with regions of concentrated mass on the lunar surface, such as Mare Imbrium and the JH region, where gravitational anomalies can reach plus or minus 0.1 milligal, disturbing the spacecraft's orbit.

Lin Sheng's orbital maneuver did not rely on the deep space network built by China's aerospace industry. Either the ground-based calculation accuracy was extremely high, or the two astronauts who went up were as skilled as Armstrong and Aldrin.

If it's the latter, then it would be a real shame that the two of them failed to be selected as astronauts in the past.

Even Lin Sheng's idea to invite Aldrin to be their training mentor was a stroke of genius.

After Zhang Chaoyang finished speaking at a very fast pace, Pony was left with the impression that this thing was difficult, but there was really no need to compete with a physics PhD from MIT in terms of professionalism.

He might tinker with telescopes at most, but he's a ruthless guy who can manually calculate orbital formulas.

Among the many internet giants, Zhang Chaoyang is definitely the one with the highest academic qualifications, and his academic qualifications are also very impressive.

“Pony, transfer your shares in Apollo Technology to me,” Zhang Chaoyang said after a moment.

Pony looked completely bewildered. Dude, do you think I'm short of money? Your net worth is probably less than a fraction of mine.

"No, Charles, it's the only company in the 21st century to have achieved manned spaceflight to near-lunar orbit. NASA has been talking about it for so many years, but NASA still hasn't been able to send astronauts to near-lunar orbit, and their timeframe is a year."

You want to buy shares in a company like this from me? Aren't you underestimating me a bit too much?

"With my love for the universe, is this a matter of money?!" Pony said indignantly.

Zhang Chaoyang quickly said, "Mr. Ma, my brother Ma, I only need a little bit. Just leave me one or two percentage points."

Pony shook his head: "The shares I hold will be given to Lin Sheng after the moon landing is completed. These shares are just temporarily held by me."

Only then did Zhang Chaoyang learn the truth.

Such verbal promises are unknown to anyone other than the person making them.

So, the hottest discussion on the internet recently about Apollo Technology's lunar orbiting mission, besides the event itself, is that Tencent has such good foresight in investing in such a promising company.

On the fifth day, which is the third day after successfully entering lunar orbit, today's test will be the most crucial part of the experiment: the simulated landing and docking of the lunar lander.

It can be said that, apart from the fact that no one went down, everything else is exactly the same as the next moon landing.

The simulated landing of the lunar lander is intended to verify its descent, hovering, and ascent capabilities, paving the way for the next manned lunar landing.

The atmosphere inside the Wenchang Space Command and Control Center was tense yet orderly.

In the center of the circular control room, a large screen displays the spacecraft's real-time trajectory in lunar orbit.

The propellant pressure, velocity, and altitude data were telling the engineers present about the current progress.

Li Rui had never imagined that one day he would be able to participate in a project like the lunar landing.

Although everyone here started with a master's degree from a top-tier university (985 Project), there aren't many resources per capita in China, but there are a lot of people.

The "Double 985" designation sounds impressive, but across the country, such talents are as numerous as fish in a river.

Those who ultimately make it into the lunar landing project and stand in the lunar landing control center are the elite of the elite; a double 9 is just the threshold.

But right now, at this moment, they are one step ahead of NASA and China's space program.

At this point, nobody wants to fail, nobody wants their area of ​​responsibility to go wrong.

Through past cooperation, everyone understands that they should do their own job well, and if problems arise, they should consult the professor. The man standing in the very center of the circular command room can solve all problems.

"Lunar module separation countdown: 5 minutes. All systems self-check." Lin Ran's voice was clear and steady; only his breathing could be heard in the control room.

Track officer Xiao Liu reports: "The track parameters are stable, altitude 100 kilometers, speed 1.6 kilometers per second."

Unlike a traditional lunar landing, Qian Fei and Zhao Jianguo did not need to enter the lunar module.

They were in the command module, controlling the landing and return of the lunar module via a remote control system.

They will enter the lunar module next time.

The lunar module is located below the service module and is connected to the command module via a narrow passage.

"Wenchang, Lunar Lander, lunar module in position, requesting separation," Qian Fei reported via communicator.

"Received, separation process initiated," Lin Ran replied.

The lunar module separated from the command module, and the screen displayed that the separation was successful.

Qian Fei took a deep breath: "Begin simulated landing."

"Are you ready? This is our big test."

The lunar module had a cramped interior, with the instrument panel and control levers taking up most of the space.

Next to the seat is a touchscreen that displays propellant level, engine status, and the coordinates of the planned landing site.

The lunar lander began a simulated descent from lunar orbit, with the goal of simulating the landing process on the lunar surface.

Zhao Jianguo stared intently at the altitude data: "Descent engine ignition, altitude 90 kilometers... 80 kilometers..."

Qian Fei was completely focused at this moment, fine-tuning the control lever to control the thrust of the propeller.

The lunar module descended slowly, gradually slowing down.

"Altitude 50 kilometers, speed 0.5 kilometers per second," Zhao Jianguo reported.

"Prepare to hover," Qian Fei said in a deep voice.

At the predetermined altitude, which is 10 kilometers above the simulated lunar surface, Qian Fei operated the lunar lander to hover, simulating the selection of a landing site on the moon. Staring at the terrain map on the screen, he muttered to himself, "This place is flat and suitable for landing."

"Hovering is stable, and propellant consumption is normal," Zhao Jianguo confirmed.

Then, Qian Fei pulled up the control stick, and the lunar module began to rise, simulating takeoff from the lunar surface.

"Ascent engine ignited, altitude 15 kilometers... 20 kilometers..." Zhao Jianguo read out the data.

Qian Fei gripped the control stick tightly, his gaze resolute: "Prepare to dock with the command module."

Inside the command module, in addition to real-time control via a remote control system, they can also monitor the lunar lander's trajectory, adjust the command module's attitude, and dock.

"The lunar module is 50 meters away... 20 meters away..." Zhao Jianguo reported.

Qian Fei made minor adjustments to the thrusters, and the lunar module slowly approached the command module.

With a soft click, the docking was successful.

"Dock complete!" Qian Fei breathed a sigh of relief, patted Zhao Jianguo on the shoulder, and grinned, "Old Zhao, next time it'll be us going to the moon."

Zhao Jianguo's face showed a hint of longing: "I can't wait. When I go back to see my daughter after the moon landing is completed, I must tell her about our stories in space."

CCTV is broadcasting live at this moment: the live broadcast scene switches to the simulated landing of the lunar lander, and the commentator excitedly says: "China's space program has successfully completed the simulated landing of the lunar lander. This is a historic moment!"

Apollo Technology is also part of China's aerospace industry, no problem.

Originally, "Huaguo Aviation" specifically referred to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, but now, in official contexts, "Huaguo Aerospace" encompasses far more than just this one corporation.

The hashtag #LunarLandingModuleTest# on Weibo has garnered over 50 billion views.

"I thought we wouldn't be able to land on the moon until 2030, but I never expected such a big surprise."

"How did I, a mathematics professor, become the chief designer of the moon landing project?"

"Whether the American moon landing was made by Hollywood or not is no longer important. What's important is that we're going there soon."

"To be honest, if I were an American, I would never accuse China of copying my Saturn V. It's like taking an exam. It's like you used to get 140, but now you only get 30. You go around yelling that your deskmate copied you, and then you ask your deskmate how much they got. 140. Is there anything more embarrassing than that?"

“I’m going to send my son to study math. It’s true that if you master math, physics, and chemistry, you can go anywhere in the world without fear. Math is indeed the king of sciences. No matter how you cross over, it doesn’t seem out of place. From Simmons to Edward Witten, and to the early giants in the computer field, many of them came from mathematics. This is just another proof of that.”

Edward Witten was a mathematician, but he is considered a leading figure in string theory and quantum field theory because of his creation of M-theory.

Simons was also a mathematician and a partner of Shiing-Shen Chern. He later went to Wall Street to found Renaissance Technologies, one of the earliest quantitative trading funds, and is known as the father of quantitative trading.

"I'm already looking forward to planting the national flag on the moon."

In Washington, the acting administrator of NASA convened his team to watch the live broadcast.

He frowned and said, "Their mastery of F-1 thrust is far beyond expectations!" The few remaining executives raised their voices: "We need to accelerate Project Artemis."

Eight days after launch, the Luna Strike spacecraft prepared to return to Earth from lunar orbit.

On the screens at the Wenchang Control Center, the spacecraft's real-time trajectory and the operational status of the service module engines are clearly displayed, with orbital parameters constantly being updated in numbers and curves.

"TEI ignition countdown 10 minutes, all systems enter final self-test," Lin Ran commanded.

TEI refers to Earth Transfer Orbit, which involves changing orbit from near-lunar orbit to a return orbit to Earth.

Apollo Technologies' team had already calculated the precise combustion parameters required for this TEI through complex mathematical models and simulation experiments: 100 tons of thrust, 5 minutes of combustion time, and 8 tons of propellant consumption.

This data was uploaded to the spacecraft in advance to ensure everything went smoothly.

The orbital officer quickly reported: "Orbital altitude 300 km, speed 1.6 km/s, parameters normal."

Lin Ran turned to Li Rui, the navigation officer beside him, and said, "The ignition angle this time must be accurate to 0.01 degrees. Any deviation could cause the spacecraft to deviate from its orbit."

Li Rui responded, "Don't worry, Professor, we verified it three times."

Inside the spacecraft, Commander Qian Fei gripped the control lever tightly, staring at the countdown timer on the instrument panel.

Zhao Jianguo was checking the engine status and navigation data.

"Wenchang Control Center, the lunar probe is in position and requesting ignition command," Qian Fei reported via communicator.

"Ignition command confirmed, to be executed immediately." Lin Ran's voice carried an unquestionable authority.

With the countdown at zero, Qian Fei decisively pressed the ignition button.

The service module's main engines roared to life, spewing out scorching flames as the spacecraft began to accelerate away from the moon's gravity.

"Thrust is stable, speed 2.0 km/s... 2.5 km/s..." Zhao Jianguo stared intently at the screen.

Qian Fei checked the track in real time: "The angular deviation is 0.005 degrees, which is completely within the safe range!"

Lin Ran said softly, "Perfect."

Five minutes later, the engine shut off precisely on time.

The spacecraft successfully entered Earth transfer orbit.

Qian Fei breathed a sigh of relief and reported to the control center: "TEI ignition successful, spacecraft is returning to Earth."

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the control center, but it quickly subsided after Lin Ran pressed his hands down.

He quickly ordered: "Enter return data monitoring and prepare for reentry."

During the return journey, the astronauts began processing mission data and checking the spacecraft's status.

The Apollo technology team on Earth received real-time data on temperature, pressure, and speed transmitted back by the spacecraft via satellite communication to ensure everything was normal.

"The spacecraft's attitude is stable, and the propellant reserves are as expected," Qian Fei reported while taking notes.

Lin Ran stared at the data curve and silently calculated: "At the current speed, it is expected to enter the re-entry orbit in 48 hours. We must prepare a separation plan in advance."

Meanwhile, the control center specially arranged a heartwarming moment.

Zhao Jianguo spoke with his family via video call, and his wife's gentle smile appeared on the screen: "We are proud of you, come back safe and sound!"

Zhao Jianguo responded with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll be home soon."

Qian Fei patted him on the shoulder: "With the support of our family, we will be even more motivated. Look how happy Lao Zhao is."

Upon hearing this conversation, Lin Ran smiled slightly, but quickly returned to his intense calculations.

On the tenth day, as the spacecraft approached Earth's atmosphere, Lin Ran issued a crucial command: "Prepare to separate the command module from the service module."

Inside the spacecraft, Qian Fei quickly operated the buttons, and the command module and service module separated smoothly.

The screen displayed that separation was successful, and he immediately reported: "Separation complete, command module is operating independently."

Inside the control center, Lin Ran stared at the video feed transmitted back by the spaceship. After confirming that the separation angle and speed were correct, he muttered to himself, "The first step is a success. The real test is about to begin."

The command module plunged into the atmosphere, and the heat shield emitted a blazing red light under the high temperature friction, causing the temperature inside the module to rise rapidly.

“Reentry normal, altitude 100 km… 80 km…” Qian Fei’s voice trembled slightly.

Apollo Technologies uses ground-based radar and spacecraft sensors to monitor reentry angle and speed in real time.

Lin Ran quickly calculated the spacecraft's deceleration curve, ensuring that the angle remained between 5.5 and 7.5 degrees and the speed was controlled within 11 kilometers per second.

"The spacecraft's attitude has deviated by 0.02 degrees. Adjust immediately!" Lin Ran decisively ordered.

Qian Fei quickly operated the spacecraft's attitude control system, with Zhao Jianguo assisting in corrections, and the spacecraft's attitude quickly returned to stability.

"Altitude 50 kilometers, deceleration normal." Qian Fei breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Ran stared intently at the screen, silently calculating in his mind: "The parachute should open in 5 minutes."

The spacecraft passed through the densest part of the atmosphere, the parachutes deployed as planned, the spacecraft's speed decreased sharply, and it began to descend slowly.

The Apollo technology team used the BeiDou satellite system and radar to track the spacecraft's position in real time, ensuring that the splashdown point was located in the predetermined area of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

“500 meters high… 200 meters… 50 meters…” Qian Fei’s voice gradually became steady.

The spacecraft eventually splashed into the sea, creating a spray of water. The recovery ship quickly approached, the hatch opened, and Qian Fei was the first to stick his head out, waving and smiling at the camera.

Inside the control center, cheers were deafening.

Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief and solemnly announced: "The Lunar Mission is a complete success!"

Inside the observation room, Sun Jiadong, being older, had gone back to rest early. Wu Weiren glanced at his colleague beside him and noticed that his colleague was also looking at him. They could both hear the voices from the control center in real time, and the two looked at each other in bewilderment.

"No, is the Fields Medal really that impressive? Old Wu, shouldn't we invite a Fields Medal winner to give us some guidance?"

Wu Weiren was somewhat dazed. He wondered if he was dreaming: "The calculation of reentry angle and velocity doesn't rely on a computer, but on the human brain? This is a human being!"

(End of this chapter)