August 27th.

Wenchang Satellite Launch Center.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the sky was clear, under the scorching sun, and a huge carrier rocket was set up on the launch stand.

This is the Long March 5B launch vehicle, and according to the original history, this launch will be postponed to 2016, mainly due to the immaturity of the technology.

However, after Huang Mingzhe's butterfly wings were fanned, the launch of Fat Five was advanced, and due to the participation and funding of the Thinking Club, Fat Five became even more powerful.

At this time, the payload of the Fat Five in low earth orbit reached 32.2 tons, and the payload in synchronous orbit reached 17.3 tons, which was very much higher than the original design.

The Materials Research Institute of the Thinking Society, which is known as the world's strongest materials research institute, is not a dry meal.

After the completion of the Houyi Project, the relationship between the Thinking Society and the Academy of Sciences was very delicate, both cooperative and competitive.

As early as 2013, the two sides cooperated in depth on materials, and Fat Five as an ice arrow, the requirements for materials are very high.

After all, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen need to be stored at low temperature and high pressure, and the rocket engine burns at high temperatures, coupled with the fierce friction during the launch process, the materials are not up to standard.

However, the real reason for the two sides to come together is the industrial design software and industrial operating system of the Thinking Society, whether it is the simulation space or the finite element analysis, these are the shortcomings in China.

Li Guoqing, the commander-in-chief of Fat Five, is in the hall of the launch center, although this rocket is most of the funds from the Thinking Society, but if the launch fails, he will also have a dull face.

"Have you checked it?"

"The fuel tank has been tested for the last time and everything is fine."

"Where's the fairing?"

"Testing is underway."

"Be careful."

Li Guoqing arranged in an orderly manner, but the various departments seemed a little chaotic, which may have something to do with age, the average age of the R&D personnel of the Fat Five Project is only more than 30, which is very rare.

Huang Mingzhe was also at the scene, looking at the somewhat chaotic scene, he frowned, and hurriedly walked to Li Guoqing's side: "Commander Li postponed the launch time and arranged it until two o'clock in the afternoon. ”

......Li Guoqing, who was so busy that his feet didn't touch the ground, was stunned: "Chief Engineer Huang, the time has ......"

"Look at the situation."

Li Guoqing calmed down and took a look, and he really found a lot of problems, many departments seemed chaotic, and there was a feeling of headless flies.

Sure enough, he was too young and lacked effective running-in, so Li Guoqing, who was awakened, immediately postponed the launch time and asked everyone to calm down.

Looking at the staff and researchers who had calmed down, Huang Mingzhe was relieved, after all, this time the Launch Thinking Society had invested a lot of money, not only the investment of Fat Five itself, but also the things carried by Fat Five this time, which was also a very huge investment.

If it fails, it will not only be tens of billions of dollars, but will also delay the development of the mirror project.

That's why Huang Mingzhe reminded Li Guoqing that the other party was a fan of the authorities and was too busy to notice.

The Fat Five, which was originally scheduled to launch at 12 o'clock at noon, was postponed for two hours, and the researchers and staff who had calmed down finally reorganized the launch work.

At lunch, everyone was silently eating the lunch box, obviously reflecting on the immaturity before the reflection.

Huang Mingzhe, Li Guoqing and others gnawed on the lunch box together.

"Chief Engineer Huang, don't dislike our food." Li Guoqing joked while eating.

"When I am usually in a company or a research institute, it is very simple." Huang Mingzhe replied with a smile.

Chen Yao, the chief engineer of the fat fifth on the side, picked up a cup of tea: "Chief Engineer Huang, I will toast you with tea instead of wine." ”

"You're welcome."

The two drank a cup of tea and chatted while eating, mainly discussing future cooperation and the direction of future development of launch vehicles.

Chen Yao had to admire the young man in front of him, and thought to himself that the scientists who lived in the same era as Huang Mingzhe were really sad.

"Chief Engineer Huang is not optimistic about launch vehicles?"

Huang Mingzhe nodded: "The launch vehicle is just an expedient measure, and if human beings want to colonize outer space, they must have a more convenient and powerful bridge between heaven and earth." ”

"Stumped, Chief Engineer Huang wants to develop a space elevator?" Li Guoqing asked thoughtfully.

"Haha." Huang Mingzhe smiled but did not speak.

In fact, he has always had a more peculiar idea, but now the conditions are not yet mature, and nuclear fusion has not yet come out, and it is difficult for a clever woman to complete that idea.

After lunch.

The intense work continued, but this time Li Guoqing paid great attention to the team's actions, so as not to be as busy as before.

August 27, 2014, 2 p.m. sharp.

At various observation points in the distance of the launch site, domestic and foreign media have adjusted their cameras and telescopes, and there are many aerospace enthusiasts who are also observing Fat Wu nearby.

A lot of people are whispering.

A white man in sunglasses mocked in that Texan-flavored English: "I hope it's not a big firework, and if the technology doesn't work, don't launch such a big rocket." ”

"Haha, maybe Don Quixote can defeat the windmills." Another BBC reporter lifted his glasses and smiled.

The vast majority of the reporters in the audience could understand English, and the Western reporters either sneered or laughed.

Suddenly, the female reporter of Yangcheng Daily stood up and said loudly: "Anyone who is unwilling to look at the strengths of others always sees at a glance that others are inferior to themselves, and I will give you this sentence." ”

"Haha......"

"I estimate that the launch is more likely to fail."

"Be sure to take pictures of this brilliant fireworks later."

"......" Those Western reporters are still doing their own thing and laughing, and they are very loud, if it weren't for the police around, and many people who eat melons can't understand English, these guys would definitely be thrown rotten eggs.

"Here we go." An astronaut who had been staring at the launch site shouted.

Suddenly everyone fell silent, picked up cameras and binoculars and looked at the slowly opening launch rack in the distance.

10…… 9…… 3…… 1…… 0

The ignition, the surging blue tail flame, instantly evaporated the pool at the bottom, and countless white water vapors tumbled at the bottom.

After launching, the final launch pad was opened, and then the Long March 5B carrier rocket soared up to 90,000 miles, propelled by a huge rocket engine, and rushed out of the atmosphere at an oblique angle.

In the command hall of the launch center, everyone was nervously controlling the rocket at this time, and the launch vehicle was the most dangerous stage in the atmospheric stage, and they did not dare to slack off.

……

Looking at Fat Wu who disappeared from sight, a group of reporters hurriedly turned on the live broadcast of national news.

Chinese reporters hope that everything will go well, while those Western reporters pray for the failure of the launch and are ready to see the Chinese joke.

Inside the live news room.

At this time, on the satellite monitoring map, Fat Five was rapidly approaching the Kármán line.

"Report, the core level separation is successful."

"Report, the rocket successfully broke through the Kármán line."

Li Guoqing calmly ordered: "Prepare to correct the flight trajectory." ”

"Roger."

After breaking through the Kármán line, the launch vehicle succeeded in getting further away, but they still did not dare to take it lightly.

As long as the rocket does not reach the predetermined orbit for a second, the launch cannot be said to be successful.