Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 340 The Professor's Command Reappears
The aftershocks of the explosion echoed through the Odyssey, and the alarm lights inside the cabin flashed wildly, their red glow reflecting on the astronauts' faces.

Aldrin floated by the porthole, staring at the white mist billowing out of the service module—the last trace of precious oxygen left in the vacuum of space.

His heart was in his throat.

Lyndon Johnson was also in a similar predicament. Why did this happen now, right before I was about to leave office? Are you going to throw fireworks to send me off from the White House?
Even more critically, Buzz Aldrin, America's Honored Astronaut, was also on board.

Aldrin going to the moon again is not news, and most people are not interested in it. But if Aldrin were to die in space, that would be big news, and all the major media outlets would report on it extensively.

Lyndon Johnson felt like he was suffocating.

Aldrin, in space, took a deep breath without making a sound, pretending to be nonchalant, forcing himself to calm down.

Jack Swift's fingers flew across the DSKY keypad, trying to restart the system, while Jim Lovell gripped the dashboard, his face pale: "Oxygen tank number one is also dropping, Doctor, we only have half power left."

A faint smell of burning metal filled the air, and the temperature inside the cabin began to drop slowly as the cooling system was also affected.

The control center of Calanavila on Earth instantly transformed from calm to a battlefield.

The control room was spacious but dimly lit, with rows of control consoles under fluorescent lights, each screen flashing real-time data.

Flight Director Gene Kranz stood in the center, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He had never been so nervous, wondering to himself, "Is this some kind of mystical phenomenon? This happens the moment the professor is not around."

As Lin Ran entered the control center, the scene gradually became orderly. "Quiet! Everyone stay calm. It's a minor problem, a minor problem that can be easily solved."

Lin Ran walked over to the systems engineer and stared at the EECOM console. The screen showed the oxygen pressure curve plummeting: "Oxygen tank 2 is completely gone, oxygen pipe 1 is leaking, fuel cells 1 and 3 are about to fail, and the power problem means we can't continue our lunar mission this time."

"Gene, connect me to Odyssey," Lin Ran commanded. "Then drag a whiteboard over from behind me!"

“Yes, Professor,” Gene Kranz replied without hesitation.

"Baz, don't panic, it's a minor problem!"

I'm analyzing the problem and have now seen the telemetry data you've sent. I need to confirm some specific details with you.

When Lin Ran's voice came, not only Aldrin, but also Jack and Jim calmed down immediately.

As Aldrin answered, he glanced at the lingering white fog outside the porthole and thought to himself, "As expected of a professor, these are just minor issues."

"Okay, Professor, there was a loud bang, and then everything went haywire."

Gas is leaking now, and the entire spacecraft is losing its stability.

Lin Ran quickly drew a diagram of the spacecraft on the whiteboard: "Our only option now is to use the lunar module as a lifeboat. The lunar module has oxygen, electricity and thrusters."

Gene cautioned, "Professor, but it's designed for two people to use for two days, not three people for four days."

Lin Ran said, "So now you need to provide me with detailed data, including oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide, electricity and water. I need to calculate everything."

Within an hour of the malfunction, the control center confirmed the cause of the explosion: a short circuit inside oxygen tank No. 2 caused a fire, which led to the rupture of the outer shell.

Lin Ran arranged for Kranz to organize a simulation team to recreate the scene in another room using a backup console.

At the same time, he directed Aldrin to stabilize the ship: "Baz, shut off the valves of fuel cell 3, switch to main buses A and B to save power, and also turn off all unnecessary lights and heaters."

Aldrin executes: "Understood, Professor, turn off battery 3..."

"The bus voltage is currently stable at 28 volts," Aldrin reported after the operation was completed.

"Okay, also manually ignite the attitude control thrusters to correct the spacecraft's roll!" Lin Ran continued.

After following the instructions, Jack Lovell said, "Professor, posture recovery in progress."

The next crucial step is transferring the lunar lander to the Aquarius module.

The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Lyndon Johnson, standing next to Lin Ran, took a moment to ask, "Professor, how is it? Will the astronauts be able to return safely?"

Lin Ran said seriously, "Don't worry, leave it to me. The lunar module has an independent life support system: oxygen tanks, batteries, and water."

The only problem is the limited power supply, which can only last for 45 hours.

However, this can be resolved.

After calculating, Lin Ran realized that they couldn't turn around directly. He said, "Gene, we need to have them orbit the moon and return, instead of turning around directly. If we turn around directly, we won't have enough fuel."

He then commanded, "Baz, prepare to activate the lunar module."

"Have Jack enter Aquarius first to activate the main battery and environmental controls."

Jack unbuckled his seatbelt and floated into the tunnel: "Doctor, please tell the professor I'm in."

He opened the hatch and crawled into the cramped lunar module, which was about the size of a telephone booth, with walls covered with switches and pipes.

Jack pressed the circuit breaker: "Main battery online, oxygen pressure normal."

Aldrin replied, "Professor, everything is normal with Aquarius."

Lin Ran said, "Okay, now you and Jim will also move to Aquarius. Remember to bring first aid supplies and food."

Jim and Aldrin followed orders, the three of them huddled in the lunar module, the air cool but damp, with scattered tools floating on the floor.

While directing operations in space, Lin Ran also directed operations on the ground. He told Gene Crohn, "The next challenge is carbon dioxide accumulation. The lunar module's lithium hydroxyl tank can only handle the CO2 exhaled by two people. Three people will cause the concentration to soar to dangerous levels."

Just then, Aldrin reported: "The CO2 reading has risen to 15 mmHg."

Lin Ran replied, "Don't worry, Baz, I will provide you with a solution as soon as possible."

Kron suddenly tensed up; he couldn't think of any way to solve the problem.

But the professor did not disappoint him.

Lin Ran turned to Kron and said, "Gene, use whatever we have on the lunar module—tape, socks, plastic bags, whatever's on it—to make an adapter that will allow air to flow between the lunar module and the command module."

Seeing that Kron didn't understand, Lin Ran explained carefully: "The lunar module's filter canister is round, while the command module's spare filter canister is square. They cannot be directly adapted to the lunar module's ventilation system. We need a device to make it compatible so that the air from both modules can be used."

What you need to do now is immediately design a device according to this, then conduct experiments to ensure it works, to ensure that carbon dioxide can be filtered through this device, and finally we need to fax the drawings to them.”

Gene Crown understood, and he gave a thumbs up, saying, "Professor, you're truly exceptional."

This process was the pinnacle of the Apollo moon landing project's creativity and was later considered one of the most iconic moments in the Apollo missions.

(A simple device used to transfer carbon dioxide from the lunar module to the command module during Apollo 13)
Lin Ran added, "It's best to wrap the square can in a plastic bag, with a hose attached to the top of the bag, cardboard sheets on both sides of the can to prevent the plastic bag from collapsing, and multiple layers of tape to ensure a seal."

This ensures that the airflow path is from the lunar module's ventilation system intake, through a hose drawing air into the plastic bag, flowing through the LiOH tank in the command module, where carbon dioxide is absorbed, and then returning to the module through the other end. Remember to wrap the connection point between the hose and the vent with multiple layers of tape to prevent leaks, and the cardboard is used to keep the airflow path clear.

Lin Ran spoke and drew at the same time.

Gene Cronn nodded and said, "Yes, Professor. I will arrange for the engineers to act according to your instructions."

Lyndon Johnson observed Lin Ran's performance firsthand, watching as the atmosphere in the control center shifted from tense to calm.

After Gene Crown left, Lyndon Johnson remarked, "Professor, is there anything you can't do?"

Lin Ran smiled and said, "I wouldn't be president."

After the experiment, the ground control center faxed the drawings to the astronauts.

Upon seeing this, Aldrin breathed a sigh of relief; the biggest problem was solved.

"The professor wasn't lying to us! He really has a great idea!"

Jim, looking at the blueprints, joked as he wrapped plastic bags and cardboard with tape.

Aldrin said calmly, "Of course, always remember one thing: when in space, unconditionally trusting the professor is the guarantee of success. From the moment I heard that the professor wasn't in command of this mission, I had a bad feeling."

Upon hearing this, Jack inwardly scoffed, "Does the professor really think the oxygen tanks won't explode if he's personally directing them? We're astronauts sent into space by science, not by superstition."

But he wouldn't say it out loud; at NASA, no one dares to offend a professor.

Following instructions from the ground control center, they built a rudimentary device and completed the connection: "It really works, the carbon dioxide concentration has decreased."

Aldrin reported via radio.

Lin Ran remained calm and said, "Okay, Buzz is just one step. You can't let your guard down. The lunar module's battery can only provide 2000 Ah. You need to hold out until re-entry into the atmosphere. Now shut down all non-essential systems."

After a moment's thought, he gave more specific instructions: "Baz, turn off the heater, put the computer in standby mode, and use the radio only when necessary."

The temperature inside the cabin dropped to 3 degrees Celsius, and the astronauts shivered, no one in the mood to speak.

They took turns resting to conserve oxygen.

Jack gazed at the approaching moon through the porthole: "We're so close, yet we can't land. What bad luck."

Orbiting the moon was a turning point. Seventy hours after the malfunction, the spacecraft entered the moon's shadow, and communications were lost for 40 minutes.

The atmosphere in the control center was more tense than ever before.

The outside world has already received information that the live television broadcast was interrupted long ago, and insiders continue to leak information to the public.

Previously, nobody watched the live broadcast of the moon landing, but now news reports are full of coverage of this failed moon landing, and the viewership has skyrocketed.

Conspiracy theories have been circulating, claiming that the moon landing failed, the astronauts were killed, and the White House is suppressing information.

Reporters had already gathered outside Cape Calanavila, eager to see Lin Ran and Lyndon Johnson.

The atmosphere in the control center reached a freezing point, and no one dared to speak loudly.

Lyndon Johnson was silently praying for the astronauts.

Kranz paced nervously: "They'll come out."

Only Lin Ran was looking at the screen and doing calculations.

After reconnecting, Aldrin reported, "Professor, everything is normal."

Lin Ran said, "Okay, Baz, in order to return to orbit, you are now preparing for PC+2 burn-in, and will propulse two hours after the moon's closest point."

I've already calculated the specific operating procedures for you. Taking into account the moon's gravity and the spacecraft's weight changes, the burn-in time is 142 seconds, with Delta-V at 2.3 fps.

There were no computers, no portable calculators, and even the calculation team was not used. At this critical moment, Lin Ran could only do mental calculations.

No one present found this situation strange or abnormal.

Is it strange that IBM can't out-calculate the professor?

NASA engineers often joke in private that IBM is the Deep Blue Giant, and the professor is Ymir.

Jack operates the LM's descent propulsion system (DPS): "Ignition... Engine stable."

The combustion was successful, sending them hurtling towards Earth.

Due to the lack of power, navigation also became a problem, and the explosion caused it to deviate from its course.

Fortunately, there was Aldrin, who could manually align the platform using a sextant: "using the sun and the earth as references."

The ground-based forest fire control system is responsible for calculating and correcting the burning process, making three small adjustments to ensure they enter the reentry orbit: too steep an angle will burn them out, and too shallow an angle will cause them to bounce back.

In the final stage of the return journey, 143 hours after the malfunction, the spacecraft approached Earth.

They discarded the service module, and the astronauts took commemorative photos standing at the porthole.

Then the command module separated: "Goodbye, Aquarius. You saved us."

The three squeezed back into the "Odyssey" and activated the remaining batteries.

Lin Ran's final instruction: "Number 13, enter reentry posture, blackout period of 3 minutes, radio silence."

Atmospheric reentry was like a fireball falling.

The outside temperature reached 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, and ionized gas blocked communication.

The control room was completely silent.

After the darkness dissipated, Aldrin's voice rang out: "Professor, we are still alive!"

The parachute deployed, and the command module splashed down in the South Pacific Ocean, just 3 miles from the recovery ship "Iwo Jima".

The helicopter lifted three people up, and under Lin Ran's leadership, all the engineers in the control center applauded.

Lyndon Johnson also breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, Aldrin was not dead.

(End of this chapter)