Somewhere in the northwest, mysterious airport.

An Air Force jet transport plane lands slowly on the runway.

"Sky Bird Base, it's here."

A middle-aged man with a deep gaze and a resolute face looked at the earthy desert road outside the window.

"Captain, you've been to the Sky Bird Base before." With a suitcase in his hand, he walked down the ramp of the plane, and a handsome young man next to him said to the middle-aged man.

"Yes, I've been here three times, but in my dreams, I've been here countless times."

The young man was slightly stunned, and then said, "Captain, you will definitely be selected this time!" ”

The middle-aged man had a bitter smile on his face, he is 57 years old this year, and he has participated in all the opportunities that can be chosen, but three chances, each time he missed the opportunity at the last moment, this time, is it still possible?

The middle-aged man's name is Zhang Tiancong, who was one of the first astronauts trained in the late 90s of the last century during the implementation of the "Shenzhou Plan" by the Space Administration of Country H, and was one of the 14 astronauts who entered the pilot and astronaut brigade of Country H at the same time as Yang Tianwei, the first astronaut of Country H.

Twenty-one years have passed, the Shenzhou program has long ended, and it has entered the Wentian era when people are stationed on the space station, and the collective of astronauts in country H has developed to the third and fourth generations of astronauts, who are younger, more energetic, and have more opportunities to enter space.

Zhang Tiancong is the only active astronaut captain among the first batch of 14 astronauts in country H who still remains in the space training center of country H for training.

After more than 20 years of training, at the age of 57, there is no astronaut who has not yet entered space, and the reason for this situation is not because the country does not give Zhang Tiancong a chance, but because of three opportunities in the past 20 years, all because of one reason or another. They all flowed away in front of their eyes.

Zhang Tiancong clearly remembers that for the first time, although in the assessment, he trained hard and had excellent professionalism, but he still failed in the selection of Shenzhou VII, at that time, the aviation career of country H was still in its infancy, and there was only one chance to launch a spacecraft in two or three years on average. Because of age, most astronauts will have to choose to retire.

In the face of heavy pressure, Zhang Tiancong did not give up his dream of flying, and resolutely chose to stay in the astronaut brigade and became the training instructor of the second generation of astronauts.

After years of training. With his extraordinary perseverance and tenacity, Zhang Tiancong really got the second chance to fly and became a favorable competitor for the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft, and the superior leaders were moved by his persistent spirit. The new round of selection was successfully elected, but fate played a cruel joke on him, in the last few days before the flight, Zhang Tiancong suffered from a viral cold. Missed the opportunity to fly.

This failure dealt Zhang Tiancong a big blow, and many colleagues and comrades-in-arms persuaded him to change careers and leave the aerospace training center. started a new work and life, but Zhang Tiancong was not defeated by this failure, and still stayed in the aerospace training center and continued to serve as an instructor for training new astronauts.

Since 2016, there have been more than two or three manned spacecraft launch missions almost every year, and in 2018, because of the successful construction of the Tiangong-3 space station, there are as many as 9 astronauts stationed in Tiangong, and the rotation cycle is four to six months, that is to say, the astronauts of country H who will enter space in the future will be at least 20 or more per year.

It stands to reason that with so many opportunities to perform flying missions, as Zhang Tiancong, who has adhered to the dream of flying for 20 years and trained hard for it, it shouldn't be difficult to get a place in Feitian, right?

Of course, the space agency gave him a chance, and Zhang Tiancong will take Wentian-2 and become the second batch of astronauts stationed on the space station Tiangong-3.

However, in the last three days before the spacecraft was launched, fate once again played a big joke on Zhang Tiancong, during this day's training, Zhang Tiancong suddenly suffered a myocardial infarction and passed out in the training room, and the doctors in the hospital rescued him and said: "Because of the perennial high-intensity aerospace training, your heart is overly fatigued, and there is a small area of myocardial necrosis, and you are no longer suitable to be an astronaut." ”

Zhang Tiancong, who was lying on the hospital bed, slammed his head on the hospital bed frame as if he had been sentenced to death: "Why? Why is my heart not sick in a few days, but I am sick at this time today, even if I die in space, why is there a problem at this time? God, why do you keep targeting me?! ”

No matter how unwilling Zhang Tiancong was, he could only accept the cruel reality, lie in the hospital with peace of mind, and do cardiac rehabilitation.

……

Including Zhang Tiancong, there were a total of eighteen astronauts who stepped off the plane.

"Captain Zhang, please come with me."

The receptionist of the base came over in a battery car, beckoned Zhang Tiancong and others to get into the battery car, and pulled them to a building similar to a large hangar.

In the building, waiting for Zhang Tiancong and them are the main leaders and technical experts of the Tianniao base.

"Comrade Zhang Tiancong, I really didn't expect that I would be able to see you again!" The leader of the base is surnamed Wei, and he has been working in the Tianniao base for more than ten years, and this is the third time he has seen Zhang Tiancong, but he is extremely impressed and admired.

"Comrade Kangping, I didn't expect to have the opportunity to come here." Zhang Tiancong smiled bitterly, and the two shook hands.

Wei Kangping asked with concern: "Comrade Tiancong, last time I didn't see you flying on a spaceship on TV, I was very puzzled, and later I learned that you had a heart problem, it's a pity, how is it, is your heart better now?" ”

"It's much better, but at most it can only be guaranteed to be the same as ordinary people, I don't know if there will be problems after going to heaven?"

For his heart, Zhang Tiancong has no bottom, after all, he is old, almost sixty years old, even if he is as tenacious as steel, but his heart will tell him, he is really old, and he can no longer exercise vigorously.

"What kind of space mission is the country carrying out this time?"

Zhang Tiancong expressed the doubt in his heart.

The Sky Bird Base is a mysterious base built by the state, and it is also an important astronaut training base, and before every space launch mission carried out by country H, astronauts will be brought to this base for a period of simulated training, that is. The astronauts who came to this base are all astronauts who are about to go into space.

For Zhang Tiancong, he is very familiar with this place, but he also hates it, because he is the only person who has been to this base three times, but has never been in space.

To be honest, after knowing that he had a heart problem, Zhang Tiancong no longer had hope of entering space, but after being discharged from the hospital, he was just about to go through the procedures for leaving the space training center. Suddenly, he was summoned by the director of the space agency and told him that his country had a top-secret space program about to be executed, but the number of astronauts was not enough, and he hoped that he would stay and lead a group of astronauts to complete this mission.

"What is the mission?"

"You'll find out when you go to the Sky Bird Base."

"Just my heart...... The doctor said that he was no longer fit to fly in space. ”

"Don't worry, you only participate as an auxiliary staff, and we'll see if you can go into space when you can."

……

Wei Kangping smiled slightly, bought a pass and said, "As for what task, let our experts tell you." Chief Master He, please explain to Comrade Zhang Tiancong. ”

He Chun, who was standing next to Wei Kangping, walked out, "Comrade Zhang Tiancong, you come with me." Let's take a look at this guy first. ”

After He Chun brought Zhang Tiancong and 18 other astronauts to the aircraft parked in an open area, he ordered the ground crew to pull open the canvas covering the aircraft.

Brush!

A shiny spacecraft with the four Chinese characters of "Feitian-1" painted on its fuselage appeared in front of the astronauts.

"Aviation, space shuttles?" Zhang Tiancong took two steps back in surprise and looked at the behemoth in front of him in disbelief.

"Oh my God. I'm not dreaming, am I, the space shuttle? A female astronaut covered her mouth and said in shock.

"Country H also has a space shuttle, and the space shuttle is larger than that of the United States?"

"Flying One. Its name is Feitian-1. ”

"There are also two canvas-covered things over there, and they seem to be two identical planes."

"Everyone, be quiet, listen to me introduce to you," He Chun coughed lightly twice, and after the astronauts quieted down, he said: "This kind of space shuttle is a space shuttle developed by China on the basis of an aerospace aircraft and used to carry out space missions such as aerospace transportation and interstellar exploration. ”

"This space shuttle has a total length of 38.68 meters, a wingspan of 24.37 meters, and a height of 17.89 meters...... It can take off and land on the airport runway, with an empty weight of 61 tons and a maximum take-off weight of 180 tons, with a minimum crew of six people, a standard crew of 12 people, and a maximum of 18 people under special circumstances. The power system adopts nuclear power and plasma engines, with four groups of nuclear battery packs with a power generation of 20 MW, a maximum output of 80 MW, and four groups of eight-nozzle plasma engines in the tail, two groups under the main wing and two groups under the belly, which can realize vertical take-off and landing......"

After the astronauts heard He Chun's detailed introduction, they kept letting out exclamations, advanced, too advanced!

"The purpose of the space shuttle is to complete the manned mission to the moon, carry a large number of building materials, establish a small lunar base on the moon, and send astronauts to stay for a long time...... The purpose of the state sending your astronauts here is to familiarize themselves with the piloting and use of the space shuttle, and strive to complete this task within one month, land on the moon before September, and realize the manned lunar landing program! ”

Lunar program, lunar base.

Hearing these terms, these astronauts were all stunned, they didn't believe it one by one, country H, which only completed the construction of the Tiangong-3 space station last year, has not yet used the heat of the space station, and it will land on the moon this year, and a lunar base will be built on it?

"W-How is this possible?"

"When did the country have such advanced space technology?"

"Landing on the Moon, Landing on the Moon ......"

Zhang Tiancong looked at the huge space shuttle in front of him in a daze, and kept muttering: "Feitian One, Feitian One." ”

His heart pounded and beat faster, his blood accelerated, his face was red, and a voice was getting louder and louder, "I want to fly, I want to go to the moon!" "I want to fly, I want to go to the moon!"

…… (To be continued......)