The first update

In the scorching semi-desert region of Kazakhstan lies the largest military base in the history of the Soviet Union, with a length of 80 kilometers from north to south and 128 kilometers from east to west. In addition to dozens of launch pads, the base has 5 launch control centers, 9 ground tracking stations. It has witnessed many of the first space feats in the history of the Soviet Union, as well as made an indelible contribution to the development of ballistic missiles in the Soviet Union, Baiko-Nur is synonymous with Soviet cosmonautics, in the history of human progress.

This is Yanayev's first time in the Kazakh desert, and the military base hidden in the desert has carried too many joys and sorrows in the history of Soviet astronautics. From the N1 launch vehicle to the Buran spacecraft stored in a concrete warehouse, the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a witness to this Soviet era.

Outside the car window was a desert desert, where the scorching heat and scorching heat had wiped out almost all living things, leaving only the endless yellow sand and Soviet soldiers patrolling back and forth. Because this satellite launch symbolizes another step forward in the Soviet Union's space industry, it is impossible for Yanayev not to appear in the launch command center at such a critical moment. And because of Yanayev's appearance, the alert level of the entire Baiko-Nur was raised to the maximum, and everyone did not want to see the tragedy of the first commander of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces, Mitrofan Ivanovich Nederin, unfold at the Baiko-Nur Cosmodrome.

In a few hours, the countdown to the launch vehicle will take place to break the US GPS monopoly on satellite navigation.

Yanayev stared at the huge steel monster in the distance and muttered to himself, "I have done at least one thing that the Soviet space department is thankful for, organized the division of the member states, and forcibly turned the member states from autonomous states into autonomous oblasts, and became an integral part of the Soviets, otherwise Russia will need to lease Baikonur to the divided Kazakhstan for $100 million a year." ”

The convoy stopped at the entrance of the command center, the steps were covered with a solemn red carpet, and the positions on either side were filled with soldiers waiting for them. As the launch command center and the department visited by the top leaders of the Soviet Union, neither the 10th Directorate of the KGB nor the Soviet aviation department wanted anything to go wrong and something unexpected to happen here. And Plekhanov has always been a person who does not like to tolerate variables, and when Yanayev travels, he wants all the details to be perfect.

Yanayev got out of the car, and the eyes of the soldiers were focused on the leader of the country, who rarely showed his face, and his expression was very peaceful, like a kind leader, nodding and smiling at the soldiers on both sides. He was kind to everyone.

Is this really the supreme leader of the Soviets?

I guess this idea is in the minds of many people.

And to their surprise, when Yanayev got out of the car, he was holding a bouquet of white flowers.

Flower?

At this time, everyone's eyes were focused on the bouquet of white flowers in Yanayev's hand, logically speaking, a bouquet of flowers should not be held on such an occasion, but every action made by the country's leaders has a deep political significance. Therefore they did not dare to make judgments. It was only when he arrived at the gate of the Baiko-Nur command center that Yanayev handed the bouquet of flowers to the people around him, and then he entered the gate of the launch center with Rykoptev.

The head of the Soviet space department, Rykoputev, accompanied Yanayev and told him about the launch of the launch vehicle, and the entire command center was busy in an orderly manner, and the scientific researchers were glued to the screen, making final preparations, and the staff had been evacuated from the rocket launch rack and were ready to enter the final countdown state.

"The Proton launch vehicle is ready to enter the countdown, General Secretary Yanaev. Soon after the successful launch of our own vine system, the first Lotus satellite, it is expected that satellites will be launched in the next few years until the deployment of our satellite reconnaissance system is completed. ”

Since the construction of the Vine satellite system was related to the fate of the Soviet Red Navy, Smiryev also appeared in Baikonur to witness this historic moment.

"How many years will it take to be able to deploy? Our enemies will not leave us with much time. Smiryev accompanied Yanayev to visit the launch of the Lotus satellite.

As a soldier, he certainly hoped that the Soviet Red Navy would soon be able to establish its own satellite reconnaissance system to deal with the threat from the Western enemy, and he realized that if the Vine system was successfully established, the Soviet Red Navy would massively reduce the number of its own ships.

Even he had to admit that Yanayev was really far-sighted in every move.

"It's hard to say, this is the first satellite we launched, and new satellites will be launched only after observations and improvements, so everything will have to go through the final test and subsequent adjustments." However, the condition of the first Lotus moon is even more perfect than we expected, so I think it won't take long to finally complete the vine system. ”

"Hopefully it won't take long, Comrade Rykoptef." The construction of the vine system was a major task that Yanayev had to complete during his tenure, and like GLONASS's networking plan, he did not want to leave these hands and tails until the time of Putin's administration, as a paving the way and pioneer, Yanayev was willing to bear all the difficulties and dangers.

"We can't guarantee a time for completion, but we'll do our best to perfect the vine system." Rykoputev replied.

However, it is clear that Yanayev was not very satisfied with this answer to the best of his ability.

"After the first Lotus satellite is laid, please immediately prepare for the improvement of the second Peony satellite, and strive to complete the launch of the three satellites of the Vine System in 1997, and by the end of 1999, at least there will be a Vine System composed of eight satellites."

Yanayev said in a firm tone to Rykoputev's order, "This is an instruction from the political-political bureau, we are willing to provide sufficient financial support for the aviation industry sector, this is not a boring indicator issued by those bureaucrats, but about the fate and future of a country, Minister Rykoputev." ”

"Everything we are doing now is to make up for the mistakes we made in the mid-eighties. Make up for the mistake of Gore = Ba = Chof. It may seem unreasonable to you, but it is very necessary. ”

This is not the time for the brain drain of the nineties, and the Soviet Union's industrial strength is strong enough that Yanayev believes that the deployment of the vine system can be completed by 1999.

At that time, the Soviet Union will become the second country to complete the satellite reconnaissance system after the United States.

Yanayev turned his head to look at the Proton rocket on the screen ready to launch, and muttered, "This is for the future of the children, Comrade Rykopp. Do you know why after 1991 we banned almost all aviation projects, and only a few remained? It is for the development of our aviation industry in the future. ”

At this time, the Proton launch vehicle had just entered the countdown to launch, and everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on the big screen. Yanayev silently followed the sound of the countdown in his heart.

"Three"

All personnel have been evacuated from the launch site, and only the Lotus satellite is waiting on the launch pad for the launch vehicle to send it into the endless expanse of space.

"Two"

Rykoptev and Smiryev glued to the big screen, for fear of missing the rocket's feat at the moment of liftoff. After five years of silence, Baiko-Nur finally ushered in the most grand rocket launch scene. The N1 rocket, which slept in the "space grave", and the painstaking efforts of countless ancestors, finally ushered in a glorious era in the history of Soviet aviation after 1991.

"One"

The bottom of the rocket spewed out a dazzling fire, bright and dazzling, like a rising sun, flying into space.

The screen shows that all the data is normal, and the launch vehicle is heading towards the budget orbit to the far reaches of space, when the Lotus satellite will be in orbit to complete its mission.

The applause in the command post was thunderous, instantly breaking the silence that could be heard just now. Everyone was hugging and cheering, and the success of the Proton launch vehicle was like a shot in the arm, which greatly encouraged all those in the space industry who worked in Baikonur.

Yanayev's frown finally relaxed, and he smiled, laughing, laughing happily.

If at the beginning Khrushchev only wanted to use the launch of manned aerial vehicles to consolidate his political position in a hurry, then Yanayev really wanted to use the future of the Soviet Union. Abandon those aviation projects that have no meaning for the time being, and focus on the development of various satellite projects of the Soviet Union. In fact, Yanayev also envisaged connecting the Baiko-Nur launch center with the commercial part of aviation. It was also a way to inject new blood into the aging Soviet aviation sector.

Looking at everyone's tears, Yanayev suddenly remembered that there was a symbolic tombstone in the aviation cemetery of Baiko-Nur, on which such a passage was inscribed.

I still have the country I love behind me, how can it fall like this.

I would like to dedicate this to the ancestors who have done their best for the aerospace industry.

Thank you.

(I've been busy with some things lately, so the update is a bit wasted, and I don't dare to guarantee when it will start to return to the previous state, please forgive me.) (To be continued.) )