"Five, four, three, two, one - launch!" the host shouted passionately, bright flames burst out from under the butt of the space shuttle on the screen, and then turned into a rapid stream of flames, standing steadily on the launch pad
The space shuttle in front slowly took off, then became faster and faster, and in the blink of an eye it turned into a sharp arrow piercing the sky.
There were hundreds of millions of viewers watching the launch through live broadcast. They all stared at the aircraft soaring into the sky on the screen, with expressions of worry or anticipation.
Flying into the sky is only the first step of launch. There are no precedents for a space shuttle to disintegrate or explode in the air after launch. Only when it flies into space can the launch be considered successful.
Thirty seconds later, the space shuttle broke the sound barrier. Two minutes later, the flames under the solid rocket booster disappeared and successfully separated from the main body.
Then the space shuttle gradually changed from a vertical ascent to a horizontal flight eastward. Eight minutes later, the main engine stalled, the outer tank separated from the main body of the space shuttle, and Houston announced that the launch was successful.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world who followed the launch progress were jubilant.
However, the space shuttle was only initially successfully launched. More than 40 minutes later, the space shuttle started its thrusters under remote control from the ground, began to correct its orbit, and finally stabilized the space shuttle in a near-circular orbit 400 kilometers above sea level.
The launch and orbit change of the space shuttle went through extremely rigorous calculations. After the orbit was stabilized, its position happened to be not far below the International Space Station. After a period of position adjustment, the space shuttle slowly approached the International Space Station like a bird returning to its nest.
The International Space Station stretched out its slender manipulator in time, firmly grasped the approaching space shuttle, and fixed the space shuttle underneath the space station.
The space station issued a command to open the hatch, and the cargo bay cover of the space shuttle opened to both sides. The astronauts and engineers who had settled at the space station a few days in advance collectively poured out of the airlock and slowly floated toward the space shuttle while dragging safety ropes.
It wasn't until they successfully arrived at the space shuttle that everyone cut off the safety rope and entered the cabin to take over control of the space shuttle.
Then the manipulator on the space station sent the reactor that was in place in advance to the space shuttle. The personnel on the space shuttle immediately began to fix the reactor and connect the wiring and control systems.
After the reactor installation was completed, the space shuttle closed the outer hatch, and the space station handed the electromagnetic railgun to the space shuttle, and the crew on board fixed it on the back of the space shuttle using a spacewalk.
In order to reduce weight, all unnecessary burdens have been removed from the electromagnetic gun. Apart from the main body, there are only two long guide rails laid flat on the back of the aircraft, extending almost from the tail to the nose.
This electromagnetic gun was not originally this long, but it was temporarily strengthened in order to increase its firing power.
Fortunately, there are no interferences such as gravity in space. Engineers only need to consider the bearing capacity of the orbit itself and do not have to study the impact of gravity on ballistics.
The installed reactor and electromagnetic gun immediately began testing. The news that the reactor was operating normally was sent to the earth. The heads of state breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. The news that the electromagnetic gun was operating normally was sent back to the ground, and heartbreaking cheers sounded from heaven to earth at the same time.
Finally, the space station installed the experimental electromagnetic thruster from Tiangong to the space shuttle. At this point, the four-day assembly project was successfully completed.
Although it was only made up of a space shuttle, a nuclear reactor and an electromagnetic rail gun, although the modified space shuttle was extremely crude, it was still the first practical space battleship in human history. The original name of the space shuttle immediately came to be
It became history and was renamed Earth.
The Yankees originally planned to name this simple battleship the United States, but encountered unanimous opposition from all the allies and had to compromise and name it after the more distinctive symbol of the earth.
Successful assembly means that the plan has been half successful. After the engineering personnel evacuated, only two astronauts from the United States were left to operate the space shuttle - this was one of the minimum conditions proposed by the United States. In exchange, the United States completely gave up several other space shuttles.
Control of the aircraft.
The Earth then detached from the space station, docked with dozens of orbiting spacecraft, received ammunition and supplies from the spacecraft, and successively fixed various functional modules on the surface of the Earth.
At the same time, another space shuttle was launched and docked with the Tiangong. The technical personnel originally stationed at the International Space Station also took the spacecraft to leave the space station, changed orbit and docked with the Tiangong, using equipment provided by China and Russia.
After a comprehensive modification, the space shuttle was named Humanity and was operated by an astronaut from each side of China and Russia.
At this time, there is still one and a half months before the swarm of asteroids will fly towards the earth. The asteroid swarm is still 1.5 billion kilometers away from the earth and is flying towards the earth from the direction of the sun.
The Earth, which was the first to complete the modification, set off immediately, facing the direction of the asteroid swarm, and set sail with indomitable determination.
A few days later, the Humanity set sail.
The remaining two space shuttles were not originally planned to be launched, but after the Earth and Humanity were refitted, there was a lot of supplies left in orbit. After the five major countries came together to study, Britain and France cooperated in depth to purchase a nuclear submarine from China.
The reactor in active use also purchased electromagnetic guns from the United States and provided certain compensation for the launch of the space shuttle.
As for whether the reactor was dismantled from the submarine, no one knows - China is a regional power with strength and foundation, and it is unlikely that it cannot even produce a reactor. Does it matter where it comes from?
A few days later, the third space shuttle successfully took off. The control rights of this modified space shuttle were owned by Britain and France, and it was eventually named Victory.
However, China only has two electromagnetic thrusters, and the traditional propulsion method consumes too much fuel. Without power, the Victory cannot sail far and can only stay in high-altitude orbit to serve as the last barrier for mankind.
Russia is striving hard to own the fourth space shuttle. Although Russia has not said so clearly, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Even if it is difficult to independently modify a space shuttle, it will outsource some equipment or even exchange technology with China.
Equipment is a good choice.
After arduous negotiations, Russia and the United States reached an agreement to sell the last space shuttle to Russia.
However, although the space shuttle was successfully launched, there was a problem during the orbit change and it fell helplessly into the atmosphere.
Afterwards, Russia openly and covertly accused the United States of deliberately damaging the space shuttle, but the United States argued that it was not the case. Neither side could provide convincing evidence and did not have the time to carefully review the launch data. The cooperation between the two sides ultimately came to nothing.
The two countries were already deeply conflicted, and their relationship, which had tended to ease due to cooperation in fighting asteroid swarms, has become tense again, casting a heavy shadow on international cooperation.
