Chapter 1272 Witness China’s Speed
"Academician Chang..."
Zhao Fuyuan took his eyes back from the map:
"This... was also something you had planned in advance?"
Kuaizhou-1 is certainly not a missile. In fact, even the prototype Dongfeng 31 cannot target Guam.
However, it still makes people feel secretly happy to take advantage of such an opportunity where no one dares to force Lai Lai to let the US military in Guam experience the pleasure of having their hair washed by a rocket.
Anyway, the height of the rocket at this time has far exceeded the upper limit of airspace in the general definition (100km). Besides, it has not really crossed the top of your territorial sea node. There is no way to say anything.
"If you calculate it in advance, it won't be..."
Chang Haonan pulled a piece of paper and wiped the sweat from his palms:
"I was just thinking that most people have never seen this scene with their own eyes, so I give them a chance to appreciate it..."
Zhou Pingjian next to him almost burst into laughter:
"Then you are quite a nice person..."
"..."
As the flight altitude further increases, the moisture content in the surrounding environment decreases rapidly, and there is no longer any basis for producing any visible wake.
Therefore, the beautiful jellyfish cloud actually lasts only a short time and then disappears without a trace.
While speaking, the rocket had already flown to the center of the second measurement and control area.
"Yangtze River No. 5 reported that the secondary engine was shut down and speed increment control adjustments began!"
Compared with the first-stage rocket, which is entirely designed to increase speed and altitude, the core-secondary stage also needs to start energy management and reduce the orbit entry error while continuing to propel the rocket body.
However, the combustion conditions of solid rockets cannot be completely stable theoretically. Therefore, the work of verifying and adjusting orbit accuracy can only be carried out in the last two gliding stages.
On the computer screen, several sets of parameters that had remained stable before began to jump rapidly, and the target flight trajectory returned by Yuanwang 5 also experienced several consecutive almost undetectable deviations.
At this height, optical equipment can no longer observe too many details. Only a camera fixed on the three-stage rocket inside the fairing can still capture an almost completely dark picture.
But even without background reference, it can still be seen that the attitude of the rocket is changing.
In fact, according to Chang Haonan's design, Kuaizhou-1 will perform two rounds of trajectory calibration during the entire orbit entry process to ensure that the most ideal accuracy is achieved during the first orbit entry, without the need for subsequent adjustments by the satellite itself.
However, because the Yuanwang series of survey ships were not designed to perform such a mission, detailed comparative data between the power segment flight trajectory and the ideal trajectory cannot yet be provided.
The energy management effect of the entire flight can only be evaluated through the final orbital parameters.
"Throw the fairing!"
As the command fell, a scorching white light split from the center of the originally dim camera screen, exposing the body of the Fishing Boat No. 1 satellite to the space environment.
About ten seconds later, the second and third-stage rockets separated, and the third-stage rocket ignited almost simultaneously. The flight attitude of the star-rocket assembly slowly changed from diagonally upward to horizontally.
On the computer screen, the numbers representing the altitude of the satellite began to change slowly.
401.20.
401.21.
401.22.
……
Compared with a liquid engine that can be shut down once, a solid three-stage rocket must directly push the satellite into a preset orbit in a relatively short operation.
If we make an analogy, it means that when reversing the vehicle into the warehouse, it is required to enter the warehouse at a certain speed, and a certain speed must be maintained.
The error will naturally be larger.
The past orbit entry algorithm was equivalent to the first version of automatic parking, that is, rigidly remembering "turn the steering wheel x times in xx seconds, open the accelerator to x degrees", and then repeat the operation.
The new orbit entry algorithm tested on Kuaizhou-1 is equivalent to an intelligent driving system with full sensors and computing power. It can calculate the most appropriate operation in real time based on the actual situation on site to achieve precise parking in complex situations. ……
Finally, after a few long minutes.
That number slowly jumped to 401.28km.
The three-stage rocket still retains a certain residual thrust at this time, but the satellite at this time no longer needs this excess energy.
"Stars and arrows separate!"
At the moment when the satellite was unlocked, the altitude data jumped for the last time and finally stayed at the position of 401.30km.
At this moment, Chang Haonan clearly heard the sound of breathing coming and going all around.
401.30km is exactly the height of space debris No. 40396 expected two hours later.
It is also the target orbit altitude for this launch.
"Yangtze-4 report, the target is confirmed to be in orbit, the orbit altitude is 401.30km, the error is less than 0.01km..."
Before he finished speaking, bursts of applause and cheers rang out from both sides of the radio conversation at the same time...
……
Compared with the excitement on the Chinese side, the situation on the other side of the Pacific is not so optimistic.
After losing consciousness due to the sudden fire, Chief Griffin lay in the hospital for two days.
As a result, after regaining consciousness and completing the physical examination, the first news I heard was that China was live broadcasting the implementation of the "Space Fishing Ship" project to the world.
Fortunately, he was somewhat mentally prepared and did not faint again.
Instead, Meyer was asked to quickly turn on the TV in the ward.
For this live broadcast, China obviously spared no expense.
In addition to the Chinese reporters who interviewed on the spot, there were even simultaneous interpretations in English during the broadcast, for fear that overseas audiences would not understand. "I am now at the temporary rocket launch site in the northeastern part of Qiong Province. Just now, Commander-in-Chief Zhou Pingjian, who is in charge of this launch mission, has confirmed to us that the mission satellite has been successfully put into orbit. About 10 minutes later, the on-board camera will will be launched, and audiences around the world will see the scene of Fishing Boat 1 capturing space junk for the first time..."
Obviously, this can be said to be the most exciting live broadcast in human history.
At a distance of 400km from the ground, capture a "flying fish" that can fly nearly 8 kilometers per second.
Griffin was still a little confused at this time. He looked at the overgrown background behind the reporter and frowned slightly:
"Is this a space launch site?"
"Uh...yeah."
Meyer nodded:
"About half an hour ago, they used a launch vehicle here to launch a... something that was probably a rocket, and the whole process was broadcast live."
This statement made Griffin's expression even more confused:
"What does it mean to be a rocket?"
Before Meyer could organize his words, the picture on the TV screen flashed and he began to review the wonderful scenes of the entire launch process as usual.
The first act is naturally from countdown to launch.
Then the question no longer needs to be answered.
Griffin saw with his own eyes that the rocket called Kuaizhou-1 was ejected from the tube, then ignited and climbed, and then adjusted its trajectory...
For a moment, he began to wonder if he was still in a coma.
It wasn't until the entire review process came to an end, and the iconic music representing the success of the launch mission sounded, that I finally woke up from a dream.
"The Chinese people definitely didn't just decide to launch this launch two days ago... I'm afraid they have already decided on the current launch window from the beginning, and the previous actions are all a cover-up to confuse us..."
Griffin's mind suddenly became clearer. As he spoke, he struggled to get out of bed:
"Hurry and get your coat, I have to go back to NASA as quickly as possible..."
"The Chinese estimate that they will launch a formal capture operation within the next two to three days, and some response must be given before then..."
Judging from the current situation, it is completely impossible to stop China's actions.
The only thing left to do is to restore as much influence as possible on public opinion.
For example, disclosing detailed information about fragment No. 40396 on the official website, or announcing that China is allowed to share NASA's global measurement and control network during the entire capture process, etc.
Regardless of whether these actions are really useful, they can at least give the outside world a feeling of "China and I are working together to solve the crisis."
Rather than reacting like a paralyzed person.
He roughly went through it in his mind. If the efficiency was high enough, these actions would only take 6-8 hours to complete.
It should be in time!
However, until Griffin took off the coat of his hospital gown, Meyer next to him still didn't make any move.
"Bring me my coat...didn't you hear me?"
Griffin frowned, with a hint of annoyance in his tone.
"But..."
Meyer's movements were extremely stiff, as if his hands and feet were not in control:
"But according to China's previous notice, they will..."
Having said this, he raised his hand and looked at the time:
"The capture process will begin in about 15 minutes, and the entire task is expected to be completed within two hours..."
"..."
Griffin's movements also stopped, and his face looked like he had seen a ghost:
"The mission started 15 minutes after launch?"
"Although I think it's very exaggerated, that's what they wrote in the first trailer of the show."
Meyer's voice was hoarse.
Just when the two looked at each other and no one knew what to say, the host's voice came again from the TV:
"The Yuchuan-1 satellite has obtained a signal connection with the ground, and all mission loads have entered normal operation. Let us immediately switch the signal back to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, and they will provide the first-hand image data captured by the satellite camera... …”
The words fell and the music stopped.
The TV screen flickered for a while, and finally a blurry and slightly overexposed video screen appeared.
It is easy to see from the arcing aqua planet on the left that this was taken by a satellite operating in low-Earth orbit.
Griffin suppressed the fear in his heart and quickly came to the TV to see if he could find any flaws in it.
At the same time, he muttered in a low voice:
"If it is a scene simulated in a studio, there will inevitably be flaws in the lighting characteristics..."
However, it’s better not to look too closely.
The light and shadow effects presented in the entire picture are not only flawless, but even in the middle of the lens, an object can be vaguely seen rotating at high speed.
Since it faces away from the sun, there is no reflection.
But it is still not difficult to identify, it is a solar panel of the UARS satellite!
(End of chapter)