I changed the world.

Like a meteor, the landing module scraped against the planet's atmosphere and fell into the atmosphere of Saturn II, plummeting towards the ground.

After about fifteen minutes, exhaust flames began to shoot out from the bottom of the landing module. At this time, the overload inside the landing module began to decrease significantly, and the feeling of being pressed tightly into the seats began to ease for all the crew members.

Under computer control, the landing module began to adjust its landing attitude and slow down its descent. At an altitude of about 100 meters above the ground, it gradually hovered there before slowly descending and finally landing on the ground...

Upon returning from the microgravity of the starship to the surface of a planet with gravity, no one could stand up immediately. They had to rest for a while to recover, even though the gravity level here was far lower than on Earth. There was nothing that could be done about it.

Humans are not naturally cosmic beings, and the technology of artificial gravity has not yet been mastered.

Fortunately, there are some specialized medications that can speed up this adaptation process...

....................................

About half an hour later, a large plume of white smoke billowed from one side of the landing module. Then, the hatch opened, and two armed Marines stepped out first. They looked around, and the sensors built into their helmets began to scan the surrounding environment.

Outside the capsule was complete darkness, with only the light from Planet 2 overhead. With the help of starlight and the lights from the landing module, they could see that the surrounding area was a cold, frozen wasteland, devoid of any life. The entire environment resembled a frozen polar region, except that there wasn't much snow on the ground; it was simply a cold environment. The Marines almost instantly saw the temperature readings displayed on their helmet screens rapidly decreasing.

They tried to walk outside, and the ambient temperature inside the helmet eventually settled at -86 degrees Celsius, a temperature far exceeding the lowest temperature on Earth.

Marine Andrews Lee looked around and then called his teammates over the intercom to let them know he was safe.

At this moment, Dr. James Wayne was inside the landing module, using the instruments inside to collect gas samples.

"This is incredible!"

When the results came out and were displayed on the screen on one side of the landing module, Dr. James Wayne was surprised and immediately synchronized the data with the team members, while also sending it to the starship located above the landing module.

Data shows that the atmospheric composition of Saturn II is extremely similar to that of Earth. On Earth, our home planet, the main components of the atmosphere are nitrogen, which accounts for 78% of the total volume, oxygen, which accounts for 21% of the total volume, and the remainder are argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other impurities.

On Satellite 2, preliminary analysis showed that the atmospheric composition consisted of 80% nitrogen, 18% oxygen, and the remainder carbon dioxide and other impurities. Presumably due to the extreme cold, no other exotic microorganisms were detected in the air.

This means that, as long as the temperature is suitable, the air quality here is actually suitable for human survival!

Of course, the atmospheric pressure here is different from Earth's, being relatively lower, about half that of Earth. The partial pressure of oxygen is also lower here. This means that if you breathe here, and disregarding temperature, the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli will be lower, reducing the amount of oxygen diffused into the blood vessels of the lungs. Consequently, the partial pressure and saturation of oxygen in arterial blood will also decrease, leading to insufficient oxygen supply to various organs and tissues.

In layman's terms, living here for an extended period of time can easily trigger altitude sickness.

To be precise, the air pressure environment here is more similar to that of extremely high-altitude regions on Earth.

This is undoubtedly a huge discovery, which means that in the future, humans may be able to establish colonies directly here!

After all, even regions prone to altitude sickness are far better than planetary environments lacking atmosphere or filled with toxic gases. Theoretically, given the right temperature, some Earth plants could even grow here.

This is also excellent news for the exploration team, as it means they have more time to spend outdoors, and the outside air can be breathed directly after being filtered.

Furthermore, tests have shown that the gravity level here is approximately 46% of that on Earth, which significantly enhances human mobility.

After some initial testing, the exploration team took out some spare parts from the landing module and, working together, assembled a simple multi-functional terrain vehicle. This lightweight vehicle is modular, has no outer shell, and features an open cabin, providing transportation for the exploration team.

Just as the exploration team prepared their vehicles and were about to leave the landing module's location and head towards areas where tritium might be abundant, communications on the starship were restored.

Consistent with the information previously gathered, after landing, communication between the ground and the spacecraft in orbit became intermittent, indicating some kind of unknown interference. Fortunately, even though it was intermittent, it was not completely cut off; it simply meant that real-time communication was impossible.

After confirming the exploration team's successful landing and submitting preliminary data on atmospheric composition, temperature, gravity, microbial conditions, and other information, the crew on the starship were greatly encouraged and were reminded to be careful once again.

In addition, the starship provided them with the latest satellite navigation charts, which marked their landing location and the possible tritium-rich areas on the electronic maps.

In addition, there is another area to be explored not far from the landing site, which is the area of ​​what appears to be the remains of an intelligent life structure.

When choosing their landing point this time, they took into account the previous monitoring results, because the two areas were originally very close together, so the ship hoped that they could complete both tasks at once.

After all, the discovery of traces of extraterrestrial intelligent life is incredibly tempting.

When they landed, they chose a plain not far from their target location, so the distance from there to the first target location was only about 15 kilometers.

They plan to first explore the tritium-rich area, and if all goes well, directly mine some ore before heading to the second ruins area to complete both tasks at once.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 1068 Discovery

The vehicle traveled across the vast ice field. Although Saturn II is a satellite, it also has day and night. However, unlike Earth, Saturn II's rotation time is about three days on Earth, or 72 hours. Therefore, one day on this planet is roughly equivalent to three days on Earth.

Correspondingly, it is conceivable that the temperature difference between day and night on this planet will be greater than on Earth, and the length of day and night will become longer.

The driver was Tang Xianzong, a native of Zhao Kingdom. He was a former Imperial soldier who joined the Earth Defense Force after retiring and later participated in this experiment. Dr. James Wayne sat in the co-pilot's seat.

Andrews Lee, a mixed-race man, was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle as a weapons operator. A rapid-fire machine gun was mounted on a weapon rack on the roof of the vehicle. Beside him sat engineer Mary Amber, the only female member of the exploration team.

Two lightweight alloy shields were added to both sides of the vehicle. After all, in this unfamiliar alien environment, especially with oxygen in the atmosphere, who knows what dangerous creatures might be on the planet? Necessary safety measures are always necessary.

The surroundings were shrouded in mist, as if covered by a thin layer of fog, making it difficult to see clearly beyond thirty or forty meters. Apart from the car headlights piercing through the fog to illuminate the road ahead, the largest light source here was the glow from the giant planet in the sky—Planet 2 of the Alpha system—reflecting the star's brilliance.

This light was even brighter than the moonlight on Earth.

As we drove forward, the soil was very thin, and the ground was mostly covered with stones of various sizes. Fortunately, the terrain was relatively flat, and the vehicle traveled at a fairly fast speed, although it was a bit bumpy.

The surrounding area was mostly barren, gray hills and plains, with little vegetation or animals in sight. Even so, everyone carefully observed their surroundings, while the vehicle's terrain radar continuously scanned the surrounding data to further refine the database.

“Stop the car,” Mary Amber suddenly said over the communication channel, and the car stopped.

A very slight friction sound emanated from Mary Amber's body. It was the sound of the electromagnetic motors of her space exoskeleton in operation. This exoskeleton technology, which is now widely used by the human world's law enforcement and space agencies, was originally obtained from the Pandya Ocean asteroid impact. However, although it has undergone decades of development and several generations of evolution, due to some unresolved technical difficulties, the synchronization rate of current human exoskeletons is still somewhat lacking, making them appear somewhat stiff and robotic in use.

However, as long as one doesn't nitpick too much, this is sufficient for use. Mary Amber had already turned on the headlamp, got out of the car, and walked towards a protruding rock to the side.

She walked quickly to the rock, crouched down, and carefully examined a pile of what looked like withered branches on the ground beside it. Mary Amber, besides being an engineer, also held a master's degree in planetary biology. In fact, this was the reality for many people on the experimental ship; space was limited, so to be on the safe side, crew members were selected as often as possible who possessed multiple skills.

At this moment, Dr. James Wayne also got out of the car, came to her side, and tentatively asked, "Is this a kind of creature?"

But then Mary Amber carefully reached out and picked up an object from the ground; it was a brown object less than five centimeters long.

Mary Amber observed it for a moment, then excitedly said over the comms, "This seems to be a kind of creature somewhat similar to moss on Earth..."

As she spoke, she carefully observed the creature and continued, "It has the initial differentiation of roots, stems, and leaves..."

"You mean, it's a plant?" Dr. James Wayne also became interested.

“I don’t know if it can be considered a plant; further analysis is needed. However, it is at least a form of convergent evolution…” Mary Amber took out a sealed bag, placed the sample in it, and carefully sealed it.

She knew that this unassuming creature was actually a major discovery made by humankind in the field of extraterrestrial life in outer space at the public level.

It should be noted that in previous explorations of planets within the solar system, apart from the discovery of some organic matter, no life has been found, not even microorganisms.

Aside from the alien remains that are said to be currently being studied in a secret lunar base, humanity has made very few discoveries about extraterrestrial life.

"A remarkable discovery!" Dr. James Wayne exclaimed, looking at the sealed bag in Mary Amber's hand with considerable envy. "I think this is enough for you to complete a doctoral dissertation of considerable importance. No university would refuse a discovery of this caliber."

With this discovery, Mary Amber could go back and complete her doctoral degree, and many universities would be willing to offer her teaching positions.

With their new discovery, the two returned to the car, and this important new finding seemed to have eased the tension that had been hanging over everyone.

"A great start! According to the customs of our Zhao people, this is a good omen," Tang Xianzong said with a smile to the others as he continued driving.

The group exchanged a few jokes, while simultaneously observing their surroundings with increasing caution. After all, they had carefully studied the information before coming here. This planet contained areas with what appeared to be the ruins of intelligent cities, and upon landing, both the atmospheric composition and gravity were suitable for carbon-based life forms. Furthermore, they had already discovered plant-like species, so... it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that more advanced life forms existed on this planet.

This means they could be attacked from the darkness!

Fortunately, the nights here are brighter than those on Earth. The planetary light allows them to see some of their surroundings through the fog even without headlights. Unfortunately, the fog prevents them from seeing very far.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 1069 Meteorite Crater

"Everyone needs to keep an eye on the battery level, the ambient temperature, and the exoskeleton's power reserves." Dr. James Wayne glanced at the data on his personal computer. According to the sensors on the exoskeleton, the ambient temperature was -87 degrees Celsius, one degree lower than the data he had observed earlier.

Everyone's exoskeleton has a temperature regulation function, which will adjust the body temperature to the most suitable temperature. Therefore, this low temperature, which is enough to freeze a person to death, is nothing to them. However, the body temperature regulation function will undoubtedly accelerate energy consumption, hence Dr. James Wayne's reminder.

With current human technology, the energy carried by humans is enough to keep them active in a normal wilderness environment for more than 24 hours. However, that is a normal wilderness environment. The energy consumption of a space-powered exoskeleton is much higher than that of an ordinary exoskeleton, especially in high-intensity wilderness environments. If the energy is used up and not replenished in time, it will lead to certain death.

Everyone had naturally received this training, and Dr. James Wayne was merely reminding them again.

Because of its lightweight and portable design, the multi-purpose vehicle that everyone was riding in was open-top. However, while this design saves space, it also has some drawbacks. For example, when driving, because of the constant wind and the surprisingly low temperature, it is easy for ice to accumulate on everyone's bodies. If they stop moving for a while, a thin layer of ice will easily form on their windward side.

This is actually a very dangerous situation, as it could potentially damage the materials and increase their weight.

“I saw this kind of fog when I was in the Xianbei Mountains.”

While driving, Tang Xianzong activated the ice-melting function on his body, using his peripheral vision to observe the thin ice on some parts of his exoskeleton melting and disappearing. Afterward, he turned off the ice-melting function and chatted idly in the communication channel.

"The winters there are really cold. Of course, they're not as cold as we are now, but back then there were no exoskeletons, and the temperature could generally drop below minus thirty degrees Celsius. Hunters there usually don't go out during the winter."

Andrews Lee, a mixed-race man born in Southeast Asia, had never actually seen anything too cold. He then asked with great interest, "I've heard that people there stay indoors during the winter."

“They call that hibernation,” Tang Xianzong said casually as he drove. “Back when we were stationed there, the weather… sometimes it was like this kind of wind…”

“It looks like mist, but it actually contains very fine snow dust. When it blows onto you, it seeps into the crevices and melts because of your body heat, and then it freezes again…” Tang Xianzong sighed. “If you’re not well-equipped, after being blown on for a while, your whole body will be frozen solid. Every winter, you can find some frozen deer, badgers, foxes and the like in the forest.”

Just as the people in the car were chatting casually, several sharp cries came from the distant fog, carrying far through the night sky.

Suddenly, all the talking stopped, and everyone except Tang Xianzong, who was driving the vehicle, turned their attention to the direction from which the sound came.

However, there was only fog there, and nothing was found.

The helmet has integrated night vision functionality, but it still can't see anything in the fog.

The vehicle jolted violently, nearly throwing everyone into the air, as the tires ran over a protruding rock. A screeching sound came from the bottom of the vehicle. Tang Xianzong quickly stopped the vehicle, got out, and checked it. Fortunately, there was only a scratch on the chassis, and no serious damage. So the group continued on their way.

The vehicle followed the map navigation forward. The further they went, the more broken the road became, with large and small stones scattered on the ground. After experiencing two impacts to the chassis, the group decided to get out of the car and continue. At this point, they were not far from their destination.

The group parked the all-terrain vehicle, took some necessary equipment, and continued forward. At this point, the electronic map showed that the destination was only about three kilometers away.

The gravity of 2V2 is only about half that of Earth, so moving forward here is not too difficult. In particular, although the magnetic field on the ground is somewhat abnormal, making it impossible to use wireless unmanned robots smoothly, using wired ones is not a big problem. The group carries wired drones, and although the visibility is not very good in the fog, they can still do some preliminary exploration work.

The drone was quickly launched by Andrews Lee. This type of unmanned aerial vehicle, which can fly up to 5 kilometers away, can still fly even in such an extremely harsh environment.

Soon, the initial exploration results came out: the target location ahead appeared to be a huge meteorite crater.

After retrieving the drone, the group continued on their way. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and the sharp cries from before did not seem to reappear.