Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 363: Stunned Chinese Netizens
"Hello everyone, welcome to CBS's special, the Apollo moon landing in the 21st century. I'm your old friend, Cronkite!"

In late December, in the studio of CBS headquarters in Manhattan, New York, a young white man sat on the host's stage, passionately trying to awaken the dormant memories of the viewers in front of the television and lead them back to the first Apollo moon landing in 1969.

The host this time is also named Cronkite, but he looks much younger than Cronkite in the 60s.

“Well, I am not the Cronkite that everyone remembers. I am Walter Cronkite IV, the grandson of the presenter, Walter Cronkite Jr.”

The Cronkite in the 60s was Cronkite II, and the current one is Cronkite IV, who was born in 1988.

"As we all know, after overcoming numerous difficulties and obstacles, we, America, are finally returning to the moon today. Not through the Artemis program, not through Starship, not through Falcon 9, but through General Aerospace, a name familiar to the American people. General Aerospace will once again lead the American people back to the moon."

In this new era, in the 21st century, we still need to use tickets from the last century to travel to the moon. Will we succeed this time? What amazing adventures and interesting things will happen along the way?
The next week will be covered by CBS's special program, "The Apollo Moon Landing in the 21st Century."

CBS paid a high price for the exclusive broadcasting rights to the moon landing, handling everything from the live broadcast to the subsequent documentary.

They made a one-time payment of $5 million to General Aerospace.

Of course, CBS has already recouped its costs. They sold the subsequent documentary to Netflix for a record-breaking $300 million, the highest price ever paid for a documentary by Netflix in the past, which was only tens of millions of dollars, never exceeding $100 million.

This time, because it was an unprecedented moon landing operation, there were so many gimmicks that Netflix went all out and won the bid for $3 million in competition with HBO.

Then the advertising sponsors pooled together the remaining $2 million and there was still some left over.

This demonstrates America's business acumen.

In this respect, China lags far behind, which reflects the gap in the consumer market. America's strong purchasing power means that even if the company spends so much money on advertising, it can still make a profit.

Just like the difference in business operations between the CBA and the NBA.

Before the launch, the president personally attended a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he emphasized with a trembling voice, "This will be a victory for diversity, and white people, women, and minorities will all write history together."

In 2023, the presidential election will be held next year. The president originally did not want to come, but considering that John Morgan Jr. is very sensible, the three astronauts are a white male, a white female and a black female, which hits the effect that the White House wants to promote.

So, at the urging of the Morgan family, the president personally attended the press conference.

After exchanging a few polite words at the press conference, the president did not linger and needed to proceed to his next destination.

Of course, if this technology hadn't come from China, but rather if it had been developed by America herself, or even if she had simply replicated it, the president would still have stayed in Florida to watch the entire moon landing.

This is the difference between a biological son and a godson.

King Cronkite IV declared passionately on television: "Dear viewers, today we are witnessing history!"
The replica of the Saturn V by General Aerospace will carry three astronauts: Command Module Pilot Colonel John Smith, a white male and veteran Air Force pilot; Lunar Module Pilot Dr. Emily Johnson, a white female and astrophysicist; and Science Specialist Lieutenant Sarah Williams, a black female and geologist.

This diverse team symbolizes the inclusive spirit of this White House administration.

With the launch countdown in its final 24 hours, let's switch to the Kennedy Space Center.

Launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center houses the colossal Saturn V rocket, standing 110 meters tall, 10 meters in diameter, and weighing 2800 tons. Every time the engineers involved see this machine, they feel a surge of pride.

What's wrong with buying it? Can it be bought in other countries?

The command module "Fuxing" and the lunar module "Yingjun" have been docked on top, covered with a gold heat shield.

"Pay attention to system status polling! Including propulsion, electronics, and weather landing. Use the Telemetry system to transmit parameters, and be sure to confirm after the parameter transmission is completed!" Lin Ran, far away in Shanghai, transmitted the message to Commander Holly Reidings at the Kennedy Control Center via modern communication equipment, and then she relayed it to her.

Holly Reidings is the former NASA Chief Flight Officer, serving from 2018 to 2022. She stepped down last year and was brought in by John Morgan Jr. to serve as the field commander. She is the first woman to serve as NASA's Chief Flight Officer.

(Holly Reidings in the Blue Flight Control Room at America Johnson Space Center)
At least from a diversification perspective, it is of high quality.

If Lin Ran hadn't been the commander, directing the Apollo moon landing remotely, Holly definitely wouldn't have taken on this job.

After all, during her four years as NASA's chief flight officer, her proudest achievement was communication—communication with the flight control team and with the SpaceX team.

She was hailed by the editors of Space & Aviation magazine, which focuses on aerospace news, as "truly a bridge for NASA."

This gives you a general idea of ​​the value of this flight director position.

After Lin Ran finished speaking, Holly read it aloud to the team members present.

Six hours before launch, the astronauts put on their orange spacesuits in the isolation area.

John Smith patted Emily on the shoulder: "Emily, remember Aldrin and Armstrong? We're going to surpass them today."

In a sense, in this time and space, Aldrin also achieved the same, and in the public's mind, he and Armstrong were on par in terms of the moon landing.

So Aldrin often thought that sometimes, living longer really does have an advantage.

Emily Johnson, holding a tablet computer and checking the system, said, "Of course!"

Sarah Williams, with curly hair and dark skin, said with a smile, "Guys, I'm more concerned about our exploration this time."

According to General Aerospace, our lunar rover contains geological drills and spectrometers that can detect elements in the lunar soil and even underground.

Exploring the lunar south pole is crucial to our competition with China.

CBS's live broadcast switched to the astronauts entering the elevator and ascending to the top of the rocket.

Crown Prince Kronkett IV explained: "Viewers, do you see? The replica of the Saturn V retains the original design, but General Aerospace has added modern redundant systems, such as a digital flight control computer and GPS-assisted navigation."

The launch window is only two hours long to match the Earth-Moon orbit alignment.

Inside the control center, Reidings asked Lin Ran, "Professor, what should we do now?"

Lin Ran felt a little dazed, as if he were in Cape Calanavila, seemingly back sixty years ago. The title "professor" sounded familiar, but he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the female voice.

More than 50 years ago, when I was still at NASA, there wasn't much talk about diversity. We were all about the best getting promoted and the worst getting demoted.

Back then, there were no female engineers in the entire control center, although there were female engineers in the orbital calculation team.

"To verify the final ignition sequence before the moon landing, the engine was pre-cooled at T-10 minutes and ignited at T-6 seconds."

Now, pay close attention to whether the turbopump speed and combustion chamber pressure are normal!
Make sure all systems are on green.

Once refueling is complete, ensure that the temperature of the first-stage liquid oxygen remains stable at -183°C.

T-2 hours, the countdown begins. Lin Ran was completely at ease with these procedures, having performed them countless times.

The astronauts entered the command module. John sat in the left seat to take charge of navigation; Emily was in the middle to monitor the lunar module interface; and Sarah was on the right to process scientific data.

They fastened their seatbelts and activated their helmet communication systems.

“Kennedy Control Center, Fuxing in position,” John reported.

Reidings responded first: "Received."

Then she switched the communication channel and asked, "Professor, how about I put you on the same channel as the astronauts? Anyway, everyone knows you'll be involved in commanding this mission, so I'll hand over all command authority to you?"

Lin Ran took a deep breath, inwardly complaining, "Why is NASA so desperate?"

"Why don't you sync your data with me too?"

Actually, this is irony.

But after listening, Reidings breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, Professor, I'll synchronize the data dashboards as we tested beforehand. Remember to keep in mind that the communication latency is about 100 milliseconds during your command process. There's a dedicated latency display on the data dashboard."

Lin Ran, in Shanghai, thought to himself, "When I get back to the 1960s, I'm going to clean up all the slackers at NASA, whether they're male or female."

He officially took over management, glanced at the data on the huge screen, and said, "The weather is good, there is no wind, and the probability of launch is 95%. Make preparations for launch."

The CBS cameras switched between the studio and the live broadcast, and Reidings would occasionally move his mouth, but he didn't actually say a word, just to pretend that he was giving orders the whole time.

John Smith heard Lin Ran's voice. He recognized the voice; he had watched many live broadcasts and replays of China's moon landing, and the voice frequently appeared in them. Aldrin had also mentioned Lin Ran often during their training.

Therefore, he immediately calmed down, as if the voice had a magical power.

Ten minutes later, the control center tensed up.

Lin Ran ordered: "Ignition sequence initiated. First-stage engine pre-cooling."

The audience held their breath as CBS drones circled the rocket, capturing steam billowing from the exhaust pipes.

At T-6 seconds, the F-1 engine ignited, flames shot out, and thrust reached its peak instantly. Crown Prince Cronkite IV excitedly announced: "Countdown! 10, 9, 8... Ignition! Saturn V liftoff!"

This marks the first time in 51 years that the Saturn V has lifted off from Cape Calanaville!

The rocket slowly rose, its exhaust illuminating the night sky.

The astronauts experienced a 1.5G overload.

John's monitoring instruments: "Thrust normal, altitude 100 meters, speed 50 meters per second."

Sarah reported: "Scientific instruments are ready, with no abnormal vibrations."

Lin Ran commanded, "Monitor the vibration. The first stage of combustion will separate in 2 minutes and 30 seconds."

CBS broadcast the rocket's contrail live from multiple ground-based cameras, while satellite lenses tracked its ascent.

Crown Prince Kronkett IV said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this Saturn V has reignited the Apollo fire."

This time, the diversity team won the championship. John represented traditional strength, Emily symbolized the rise of women, and Sarah embodied equal opportunity.

While watching the live broadcast on TV, Musk thought to himself, "If I were Cronkite II, I'd be glad you're gone! Is diversity the point? The point is the moon landing, the Saturn V. You're always so concerned about diversity, are you crazy?"

Musk wasn't the only one thinking this way. Many rednecks in rural Midwestern America came expecting a glimpse of the golden age, only to be presented with a diverse rainbow? Unable to bear it any longer, they endured the president's senile remarks, only to be met with the host's idiotic comments, and then turned off the TV.

At 2 minutes and 42 seconds, the first stage separated, the second stage J-2 ignited, the thrust was reduced to 100 million kilograms, and the rocket accelerated to orbital speed.

John said, "Professor, separation went smoothly, entering the second stage of combustion." Only after he finished speaking did he realize, "Wait, why did I address him as 'Professor' so directly?" It seems I've been led astray by Dr. Aldrin.

Lin Ran said, "The Fuxing bullet train is currently on a normal trajectory."

At T+9 minutes, the third stage ignition will occur, entering the Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

Three hours after launch, the rocket entered the Earth-Moon transfer orbit at a speed of 11 km/s, with a journey of 380,000 kilometers, and is expected to arrive in three days.

The astronauts detached from their spacesuits and floated inside the command module.

CBS broadcast live via in-cabin camera, with King Cronkite IV commenting: "Look, the astronauts are eating freeze-dried food."

The command module has a volume of 13 cubic meters, enough for three people to move around in.

Lin Ran gave timely instructions: "Be prepared to make mid-course corrections and advance. Use the star tracker to lock onto Orion. The expected deviation is 0.05 degrees."

Lin Ran's commands were also heard by the engineering team at Kennedy Control Center, and they immediately erupted in excitement upon hearing them.

We thought you were just giving instructions on the process, but it turns out you're also giving instructions on the specific parameters.
Reidings relayed the team's confusion and dissatisfaction to Lin Ran: "Professor, regarding the specific parameters..."

Lin Ran interrupted, "We'll discuss the specific parameters later. Fuxing, please use the radiation detector to confirm whether the solar wind particle flow is normal. I didn't see this data on my data panel."

Sarah replied, "Professor, scientific scan initiated."

Lin Ran then asked, "Holly, what do you say?"

Reidings said, "Professor, what we mean is, should we be responsible for determining the specific operating parameters? I'll tell you the data our engineering team has calculated, and then you can..."

Lin Ran interrupted, "No need, I'll take full responsibility! Did I successfully land on the moon or did you guys?"

Lin Ran thought to himself, "All of you combined are zero. I don't know how many times you've been to the moon."

In the end, it was Reidings who persuaded the entire team to follow Lin Ran's command, as previously agreed.

This is not surprising; it's standard practice for Reidings to manage. In 2012, when she was the flight director, there was no "chief" title.

Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide encountered problems with the space station's carbon dioxide removal system, which is crucial for survival in space.

None of the repair methods suggested by the flight control team worked, and Williams and Akihiko Hoshide were unable to solve the problem.

Ultimately, Williams called Reidings via a private phone to ask if the astronaut could resolve the issue in his own way.

Reidings persuaded the team to let the astronauts solve the problem themselves.

Yes, this is Reidings' management style, it's the tradition. Since you want to come and you can take responsibility, then you can come.

It's no wonder that people think this makes communication and interaction easier. If a manager lacks their own principles and doesn't want to take responsibility, then they are bound to be easy to communicate with.

The argument on the ground lasted only a few minutes.

Sarah then replied, "Professor, our radiation detectors show that the solar wind particle flow is normal, with a dose of 0.01 mSv/hour."

Lin Ran said, "Okay, Fuxing, prepare to execute MCC-1."

The thruster pulse lasts for 10 seconds.

John pushed the joystick: "Propulsion complete, trajectory aligned for lunar gravity capture."

During a live broadcast on CBS Earth, an expert interview was inserted: "Lunar orbit insertion is key."

After the third stage separation, the SPS engines of the command module's service module will decelerate and enter lunar orbit at an altitude of 100 kilometers.

On the third day, it entered lunar orbit.

Lin Ran ordered: "Prepare for lunar module separation."

Emily and Sarah boarded the Falcon, which carried the unmanned lunar probe, while John remained in the command module to orbit.

CBS live broadcast split screen: on one side, John's monologue, "Guys, congratulations on your safe landing." On the other side, Emily's instructions: "Descent engine ignition, altitude 5000 meters, speed reduced to 0."

Emily reports: "Terrain radar locked."

The lunar surface is cratered, and a flat area has been selected as planned: the eastern side of Mare Tranquil, avoiding large rocks.

Sarah monitors: "30% fuel remaining, that's enough, deploy landing legs."

Lin Ran said, "Falcon, altitude 100 meters, prepare to activate manual control!"

Emily pulled the lever, the engine stopped, the falcon touched the ground, and the hydraulic system allowed it to land smoothly.

Inside the CBS studio, King Cronkite IV cheered, "Landed! The eagle has landed on the moon!"

History repeats itself: the Apollo moon landing was a success once again!

Although China has landed on the moon countless times, this moon landing still thrilled Cronkite, who raised his arms and shouted.

Many Americans who had initially refused to watch due to the issue of diversity have now obediently returned to their television sets.

The astronauts opened the door, and Sarah took her first step out: "That's one small step for Black women, one giant leap for mankind."

The rednecks couldn't take it anymore and angrily turned off the TV again.

They explored for two hours, installing the America flag and scientific instruments.

They also placed the lunar rover on the lunar surface for testing.

Besides the Americans, many people from other countries, including Chinese netizens, watched the live broadcast of America's moon landing.

Some sharp-eyed Chinese netizens noticed that there was a Xiaomi logo on the American lunar rover, and seriously doubted whether they were seeing things.

Is this Xiaomi?

Chinese netizens simply couldn't believe it.

YouTube live streams can be replayed at any time.

They rewound the progress bar back to the moment when the lunar rover first appeared, and repeatedly confirmed that the logo was indeed MI.

"Wait, how come the Xiaomi logo is on the American lunar rover? And Xiaomi is even advertising in America?"

The hashtag “Apollo Moon Landing Xiaomi” quickly climbed into the top ten trending topics on Weibo.

(End of this chapter)