The Huaxia Military Commission attached great importance to Zhang Beihai's future reinforcement plan, but after research, it was found that the conditions were not yet ripe at this time, so this future reinforcement plan could only be shelved for the time being.

At the same time, the Huaxia Space Force decided to send a group of outstanding members of the Space Force to the sky on an aerospace plane, where to experience the combat environment of the future Space Force and do some experiments.

And Zhang Beihai, as an outstanding political cadre in the Chinese Space Force, was naturally selected by this batch of candidates, and before he boarded the plane, Chang Weisi found him and talked with him.

……

Standing in the vast shadows cast by the "High Frontier" aerospace aircraft, looking up at its huge fuselage, Cao Beihai couldn't help but think of the "Wide-area Silence" aircraft carrier, which had long been dismantled.

He even imagined: Is there really a few steel plates of the "Wide Area Silence" on the casing of the "High Frontier"? After more than 30 re-entry from space flights, the burning of the re-entry left a burning color on the wide belly of the "High Frontier", which really looks like the "Wide Area Silence" under construction, and the two have almost the same sense of vicissitudes, except that the two cylindrical boosters hanging under the wings look very new.

It is similar to the practice in Europe when repairing ancient buildings: the repaired parts are painted in a new color that contrasts with the original building, to remind the visitor that the part is a modern addition. Indeed, if these two boosters are removed, the "High Frontier" looks like an old large transport aircraft.

The aerospace plane is actually very new, one of the few breakthroughs in space technology in the past five years, and it may also be the last generation of chemically powered spacecraft.

The concept of the aerospace plane has been put forward in the last century, is the replacement of the space shuttle, it can take off from the runway like an ordinary aircraft, rise to the top of the atmosphere with a conventional aviation flight, and then start the rocket engine to start space flight and enter space orbit.

The High Frontier is one of four space planes already in service, with more under construction and will take on the task of building space elevators in the near future.

"I thought we would never have the opportunity to go to space in our lives." Zhang Beihai told Chang Weisi, who came to see him off, that he would board the International Space Station aboard the "High Frontier" along with 20 other Space Force officers, all of whom are members of the three strategic research offices.

"Are there any naval officers who have never been to sea?" Chang Weisi asked with a smile.

"Of course there are, and there are many. In the navy, there are people who seek not to go to sea, but I am not that kind of person. ”

"So, you're the first in the Space Force to go into space."

"It's a pity that there are no specific tasks."

"Experience is the task, and researchers of space strategy should of course have space awareness. Before the appearance of aerospace aircraft, this kind of experience was unlikely, it cost tens of millions of dollars to go up to one person, but now it is much cheaper, and in the future, we must try to get more strategic researchers to go to space, after all, we belong to the space service, and now, the space force is like an academy of empty talk, this is not good. ”

At this time, the boarding order was given, and the officers began to board the plane along the gangway, all of them wearing only training uniforms, no one wearing spacesuits, and it looked like they were just going on an ordinary air trip. This situation is a sign of progress, or at least a slight bit more common than before. Chapter Beihai from the costume

noted that there were people from other departments besides them boarding the plane.

"Oh, Beihai, there's one more important thing." When Zhang Beihai mentioned his equipment box, Chang Weisi said, "The Central Military Commission has studied the report we submitted on the future reinforcement of political work cadres, and the higher authorities believe that the conditions are not yet ripe. ”

Zhang Beihai narrowed his eyes, they were in the shadow of the aerospace plane, but he seemed to see a dazzling bright light, "Chief, I feel that the process of the four centuries should be regarded as a whole, and what is urgent and what is important should be distinguished...... But don't worry, I won't say that in a formal setting, and of course I know that the superiors have a more comprehensive consideration. ”

"Your superiors affirmed your long-term thinking and praised you. The document emphasizes that the future plan for reinforcement has not been vetoed, and the study and development of the plan will continue, but the conditions for its implementation are not yet ripe. I think, of course, that this is just my own idea, and I may have to wait for more qualified political work cadres to be added to the mix, so that the current work pressure can be reduced before considering this matter. ”

"Chief, of course you know that for the cadres of the space military and political work, the so-called qualification, the most basic requirement is what to have, and now there are not more and more such people, but fewer and fewer."

"But also looking ahead, things would be better if there were a breakthrough in the two key technologies of the first phase: the space elevator and controlled nuclear fusion, which should be promising for the foreseeable future of our generation...... Okay, I'm urging you. ”

After Zhang Beihai saluted Chang Weisi, he turned around and walked up the gangway. After entering the cabin, his first feeling was that it was not much different from a civil airliner, except that the seats were much wider, which was designed for riding in a spacesuit. In the first few flights of the aerospace aircraft, the crew had to wear spacesuits during take-off just in case, but now this is not necessary.

Zhang Beihai sat on a window seat, and the seat next to him immediately sat down - a person, judging from his clothes, he was not a soldier. After Zhang Beihai nodded at him briefly, he concentrated on fastening the complicated seat belt on his seat.

Without a countdown, the "High Frontier" started its aero engines and began to take off and taxi, which, due to its heavy weight, was longer than the glide distance of ordinary aircraft, but finally left the ground heavily and embarked on a voyage into space.

"This is the thirty-eighth flight of the 'High Frontier' aerospace aircraft, and the aviation flight segment begins, which lasts about thirty minutes, please do not unbuckle your seat belts." A voice in the megaphone said.

Looking at the receding earth from the porthole, Zhang Beihai remembered the past days. In the aircraft carrier commander training course, he underwent a complete training as a naval aviation pilot and passed the examination as a third-class fighter pilot. The first time he flew solo, he looked at the departing earth in this way, and suddenly realized that he liked the blue sky more than the ocean, and now, he longed for space above the blue sky even more.

He was destined to be a man who flew high and far.

"It's the same as taking a civil service, isn't it?"

Zhang Beihai turned his head to look at the person who was sitting next to him talking, and only then did he recognize him, "Are you Dr. Ding Yi?" Ah, I've heard of the name for a long time! ”

"But it's uncomfortable for a while......" Ding Yi ignored Zhang Beihai's respect and continued, "For the first time, I didn't take off my glasses after the flight, and the glasses were like bricks pressing on the bridge of my nose; The second time I picked it up, but it flew away after weightlessness, and it took a long time for me to find it on the air filter at the tail of the aircraft. ”

"You seem to have gone up on a space shuttle for the first time, right? From the TV, the trip didn't seem pleasant. Zhang Beihai said with a smile.

"Ah, I'm talking about the space plane, if you count the space shuttle, this is the fourth time, the space shuttle was taken away before the glasses took off."

"What are you going to do on the space station this time? You've just been appointed as the project leader for controlled fusion, which seems to be the third branch of research, right? ”

The Controlled Nuclear Fusion Project has set up four research branches, each of which is carried out in different research directions.

Ding Yi raised a finger and pointed at Zhang Beihai under the restraint of the seat belt, "You can't go to space if you study controlled nuclear fusion?" How do you have an argument with those people? Our ultimate research goal is the engine of the spacecraft, and now a large proportion of those who hold real power in the space industry are those who used to work on chemical rocket engines, but now, according to their intentions, we should only honestly engage in controlled nuclear fusion on the ground, and have little say in the overall planning of the space fleet. ”

"Dr. Ding, I agree with you on this point." Zhang Beihai loosened his seat belt, leaned over and said, "The space voyage of the space fleet is not the same concept as the current chemical rocket and aerospace at all, and even the space elevator is very different from the current aerospace method, but now, the space community in the past still holds too much power in this field, and those people are rigid and conformist, and there will be endless troubles if this continues." ”

"There's no way, after all, people have done this in five years," Ding Yi pointed around, "This gives them the capital to squeeze out outsiders." At this time, the loudspeaker in the cabin sounded again: "Please note: it is now approaching an altitude of 20,000 meters, and since the aviation flight behind will be carried out in a rarefied atmosphere, it is possible to drop the altitude sharply, and there will be a short period of weightlessness at that time, please do not panic." Repeat: Please fasten your seatbelts. ”

Ding Yi said: "But our trip to the space station this time really has nothing to do with the controlled nuclear fusion project, it is to take back those cosmic ray traps, which are very valuable things." ”

"Looks like Tomoko won."

"Yes, Tomoko won."

"It seems that the direction of our space engine research should be changed, otherwise the future is really hard to say." Zhang Beihai looked at the gradually flying aerospace plane and said.

"Yes, but those diehards have the right to speak, and we can't do anything." Ding Yi supports Zhang Beihai's words, but because he has no right to speak, Ding Yi and other scientists with innovative ideas can't do anything.

"There's always a way, it will!" Zhang Beihai's tone became firmer.

……