Chapter 481: Looking at the Blue Star from a Distance, the Starry Sky is Boundless (End)

Miniaturized fusion reaction cells, although they cannot compare with the Jinwu pile's large magnetic confinement fusion device in terms of power output and application range.

The cost of one-time use makes it difficult to use in ordinary means of transportation, but its superiority in volume energy and its clean and pollution-free advantages over fission batteries, which completely get rid of the radioactive risks of traditional fission batteries, make it an undisputed new star in aerospace energy.

It is an exaggeration to say that the world's aerospace industry will be changed because of their achievements. Reusable spacecraft will take off and land as frequently as ordinary airplanes, and the cost of domestic aerospace industry will be infinitely reduced. Even in the future when the technology matures and the cost of space travel is reduced to a level that ordinary people can afford, even the Mars colonization plan is no longer an unattainable dream.

Thinking of the miracle they were currently creating, everyone was filled with anticipation and excitement, and at the same time they were concentrating extremely hard. Anyone who failed under such a situation would definitely be a sinner in history!

The birth of energy and high-thrust electric Hall thrusters means that the east wind has arrived for them to build the space shuttle.

Chu Hengyuan stood beside his desk, and the phone in his hand fell to the ground with a "snap" sound, and the screen shattered instantly. However, he was unaware of it, and just looked out the window excitedly, looking in the direction of the base where the news came from.

The news I just heard echoed in my mind - the two core technologies of energy system and high-thrust electric Hall thruster have finally been broken through!

"Wu Tong... Mr. Wu, you are indeed worthy of being Mr. Wu!" He murmured to himself, with uncontrollable excitement and admiration in his voice. In just a few years, Wu Tong led the team to create miracles again and again, turning those technologies that once existed only in theory into reality.

Chu Hengyuan bent down and picked up the phone on the ground. Although the screen was broken, the voice on the other end of the phone was still clear: "Director Chu, General Manager Wu asked me to inform you that the formal preparation of the space shuttle has started, and the construction of the prototype is expected to be completed within three months."

"Okay, okay, I got it!" Chu Hengyuan's voice trembled a little. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Tell President Wu that I will report to my superiors immediately. Everything will be arranged by President Wu. I will go there later and see President Wu in person." Expressing condolences and gratitude, and giving all their support, this is what they absolutely must do first!

After hanging up the phone, Chu Hengyuan walked out of the office quickly, went to that person's office to control his excitement, reported calmly, and went straight to the R&D center.

Opening the door of the R&D center, a busy scene came into view. Dozens of engineers and technicians were gathered in front of the projection screen, discussing the latest design plan. Wu Tong stood in the center, holding a data report in her hand, looking through it calmly. That calmness seemed to make all the problems in front of her not a problem, giving everyone endless trust and confidence.

Mr. Wu once said that we should not deify her, but she has been touching and conquering problems that are almost godlike.

"Mr. Wu!" Chu Hengyuan walked over quickly, his voice filled with undisguised excitement.

Wu Tong raised his head and saw Chu Hengyuan, with a smile on his face: "Mr. Chu, you are here. It just so happens that we have just completed the final test of the energy system and thrusters, and the data is better than expected."

"Great!" Chu Hengyuan took the report and quickly glanced through it, his eyes shining brighter and brighter, "This way, the power problem of the space shuttle is completely solved!"

Wu Tong nodded, with a hint of pride in his tone: "Yes, the energy density of the energy system is 15% higher than my initial basic estimate, and the efficiency of the high-thrust electric Hall thruster has also increased by 20%. Our R&D personnel have made an indelible contribution. This means that our space shuttle can not only fly freely in the atmosphere, but also easily break through the earth's gravity and enter space."

Chu Hengyuan was so excited that he couldn't help but patted Wu Tong on the shoulder: "Boss Wu, you have done a great job again this time! With these two technologies, our aerospace industry will undergo a revolutionary leap forward."

Even their aircraft carriers and submarines will have long endurance, becoming true sea fortress islands that cannot be shaken!

Wu Tong smiled slightly, with a firm look in his eyes: "This is just the beginning. We are optimizing the aerodynamic layout and avionics system step by step. The aerodynamic layout and avionics system are the 'skeleton' and 'nerves' of the space shuttle. They must be perfected to ensure the stability and safety of the space shuttle in high-speed flight and space environment."

"Everything is arranged by Mr. Wu," Chu Hengyuan nodded, "Mr. Wu, do you have any new ideas?"

Wu Tong walked to the holographic projection and lightly tapped the screen, and a three-dimensional space shuttle design appeared in the air. She pointed to the streamlined structure of the wings and tail and said, "This is our latest optimized aerodynamic layout, which uses a bionic design inspired by the flying posture of birds. When flying at high speeds, it can minimize air resistance while improving maneuverability."

Then, he pointed to the internal structure of the fuselage and said: "As for the avionics system, we have introduced a new intelligent control system that can monitor and adjust various parameters of the aircraft in real time to ensure that it can maintain the best condition in any environment."

Chu Hengyuan nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of praise: "Great! In this way, our space shuttle will not only lead the world in performance, but also be impeccable in safety and stability."

Wu Tong smiled, with a hint of anticipation in his tone: "Yes, Mr. Chu. I believe that it won't be long before our space shuttle can really fly into the blue sky, rush out of the earth, and enter space!"

Chu Hengyuan took a deep breath and looked determined: "Mr. Wu, you keep working hard. We will provide logistics support and fully support you. No matter what resources you need, I will find a way to solve it. This time, we must let the world see that China's aerospace technology has stood at the top of the world!"

Wu Tong nodded, with a hint of determination in his eyes: "Don't worry, Mr. Chu. We will definitely do it."

Inside the R&D center, the lights were still bright, as if illuminating the road to the future. Chu Hengyuan stood in front of the projection, looking at the upcoming space shuttle, his heart filled with infinite longing and expectation.

He knew that their time had quietly arrived.

The entire scientific research base was running at full speed. With the full support from above, all preparation progress was rigorous and flawless. The entire prototype was completed at the fastest speed in a confidential production site.

When the huge silver bird appeared in front of all the R&D personnel, everyone's eyes could not be taken away for a long time, and many people even had tears in their eyes. This was excitement and the shock of seeing the future technology become a reality in their hands!

"Enter the final verification and inspection!" Although they have checked every detail over and over again, almost with a magnifying glass, repeated verification and inspection before the final launch and actual measurement is the best guarantee for the astronauts' safety.

The astronauts had already applied for selection when Commander Chu came last time. They are two of the best ace pilots from the air force. They have gone through countless simulation drills and are now on standby at the preparation base, ready to go.

"The ionization chamber and working fluid compartment have been inspected and found to be correct!"

"Thermal cycler checked correctly!"

"The flight control and avionics systems have been checked and found to be correct!"

"Thrusters are safe!"········-

All staff members have their work divided into different parts and inspect every part tirelessly, down to every screw... The space shuttle is a huge and sophisticated machine. More than 100,000 parts must be accurate and work in coordination to ensure space safety. Even if a tiny screw fails, it can be a fatal event light years away in space!

A senior aviation expert once said that every successful launch is just a little away from failure, and every failed launch is just a little away from success!

Spaceflight must be rigorous and rigorous! The maintenance work lasted for three days and two nights. Lu Xiao walked to Wu Tong with all the maintenance report data, "Mr. Wu, everything is checked correctly, Tianzhou is ready!"

Sky has always had a profound meaning in Chinese culture. The boundless sky above our heads, the space in the universe, and the space outside the earth's atmosphere are all within the scope of sky, which covers the vast realm of the sun, moon, stars, celestial bodies, etc.

Tianzhou, a ship that carries the Chinese people's dream of exploring the universe, is a ship that can sail across the sky as if walking on flat ground. "Then let's test fly it!" There is no need to hesitate, and there is no need for a specific time. The time when Tianzhou is ready is the best time!

"History will remember today, and will remember everyone here!" Wu Tong's powerful words with a smile inspired the hearts of everyone present. Her eyes were fixed on the huge silver streamlined spaceship, and a bold and jumping look of expectation flashed across her eyes.

"Minister Chu, teacher, the final countdown for ignition is now in your hands!"

Thinking that Wu Tong wanted to witness the departure of the Tianzhou with his own eyes, the two men did not think much about it and immediately took on the glorious task of this exciting and historic moment.

"3-2-1, ignite!"

The command was given, and in the invisible space, inside the working fluid cabin, gas and liquid surged, igniting the heat belonging to the star and releasing an astonishing supply of energy.

A huge amount of heat carrying light and heat spewed out from the engine port, pushing the huge spacecraft to start and accelerate rapidly. The speed on the runway became faster and faster. Finally, under the control of the astronauts, it jumped into the sky, dragging a dreamy plume and sinking into the depths of the clouds, carrying mankind's longing for space and entering the blue sky...

Until you can no longer see it!

At this time, everyone realized one thing: where is their chief designer? Where is their boss Wu?

At this time, the two astronauts in charge of driving and controlling the aircraft almost jumped out of their throats when they saw Wu Tong and Lu Xiao appear in the cockpit. The thought in their minds was to return home immediately! Even if they gave up this mission, they had to ensure the safety of these two!

"Go ahead boldly. I believe in the safety of something I developed myself!" Repeated inspections and verifications are not in vain, and her repeated simulations in the deduction space are even more protective. Although in reality, it cannot be said to be foolproof, but there is still a 99.9% safety guarantee.

As for Lu Xiao, it was by chance and intuition that he followed Wu Tong and was brought onto the space shuttle.

Wu Tong pressed a setting key and connected to the ground.

At this time, the chaotic ground also saw the person they were eager to find on the projection screen. "Mr. Wu!" Oh my God, why is Mr. Wu on the space shuttle? This is simply a major accident, a major accident that will never happen again. What are all the people doing? Where is the security? Why didn't they see Mr. Wu go to the space shuttle!

Return, return, return immediately! This is the scream from the bottom of everyone's heart!

"Everyone, please be at ease. Our space shuttle can be used by astronauts, so can I. Please forgive my willfulness and don't bother the security personnel. I still have some brainpower. If I want to avoid someone's sight, I am still somewhat confident that I won't be discovered! Everyone, please be at ease. This may be one of the few times I am willful!"

Wu Tong's voice was transmitted back to the ground through the communication system. It was calm and firm, but it caused a great uproar in the ground control center. On the projection screen, her figure was clearly visible, sitting in the cockpit of the space shuttle, with a calm expression, as if this was just an ordinary flight mission.

"Boss Wu! How could you..." Chu Bu and Cheng Lao and others in the ground control center almost collapsed, their voices trembling with disbelief. Their core figure, the chief technical officer, actually boarded the space shuttle quietly, and at this stage where it had not been fully publicly tested!

"Return! Return immediately!" Someone almost shouted, his voice full of anxiety and panic. Wu Tong's importance is self-evident. She is the soul of the entire project and an absolute national treasure at present.

If anything happens to her, the consequences will be disastrous and no one can afford it!

However, Wu Tong smiled slightly, looking through the porthole at the gradually shrinking outline of the earth in the distance. Her voice was still calm, but with an unquestionable firmness: "Please rest assured, everyone, I have repeatedly verified the safety of the space shuttle countless times, and the simulation results also show that the risk of this flight is almost negligible. I believe in my design and I believe in our team."

She paused, her tone softening. "Please forgive me for my willfulness. This has been my dream for many years, and it is also the final test of our achievements. I want to see with my own eyes what our home planet looks like in space, how vast the universe is, and how far and how stable the space shuttle we have been working so hard for can fly."

There was silence in the ground control center, and everyone was shocked by her words.

They knew that Wu Tong was never an impulsive person, and every decision she made was carefully considered. But even so, her "willfulness" this time still caught everyone off guard.

"Mr. Wu, you...you should at least tell us in advance!" Chu Bu couldn't help but say, with helplessness and worry in his voice.

Wu Tong chuckled, with a hint of mischief in his tone: "If I told you in advance, would I still be able to go up? You would definitely try every means to stop me."

The atmosphere in the ground control center eased a little, but the tension was still in the air. Everyone knew that it was too late to say anything now, and the only thing they could do was to do their best to ensure the safety of this flight.

"Mr. Wu, we will monitor the flight data throughout the entire process to ensure that everything is normal." Cheng Lao and the others finally calmed down, with a hint of tolerant helplessness and admiration in their tone, "Mr. Wu, please be careful. If there is any abnormality, please notify us immediately."

Everyone knows that you cannot return home at will. The flight control and avionics systems are set up in advance, and making random changes will increase the risk.

"Don't worry," Wu Tong nodded, with a firm look in his eyes, "I will."

At this moment, Lu Xiao's voice came from the communication system: "Boss Wu, you really scared all of us this time!"

Wu Tong turned around and glanced at Lu Xiao who was sitting in the passenger seat, with a slight smile on his face: "Thank you, Mr. Lu, for risking your life to accompany me! Do you regret it?"

Lu Xiao smiled bitterly and shook his head: "I don't regret it, but I think... you are a little too bold."

Wu Tong smiled and did not answer, but turned his gaze back to the porthole. The outline of the earth was already clearly visible, the blue ocean, the white clouds, and the vast land formed a shocking picture.

"Lu Xiao, look," she said softly, "this is our home planet. How beautiful and magnificent it is."

Lu Xiao followed her gaze and couldn't help but feel an indescribable emotion in his heart. He knew that at this moment, they were not only completing a flight mission, but also realizing a dream, a dream that belonged to all mankind.

On the big screen at the ground control center, all the data of the space shuttle were normal. Everyone held their breath and stared at the screen quietly, as if they were afraid of missing any details.

"Mr. Wu, the flight altitude has reached the predetermined orbit and all systems are operating normally." A technician reported with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Wu Tong nodded, with a hint of relief in her tone: "Very good, continue monitoring." She prepared the space suit in advance as a backup, and there happened to be two backups, which were used by her and Lu Xiao.

She took a deep breath, feeling the lightness of her body in the weightless state, and she felt an unprecedented and shocking sense of freedom.

She knew that at this moment, she was not only flying for herself, but also for all those who were fighting for it, for that distant sea of ​​stars that belonged to mankind.

"Please rest assured," she said again, with a hint of tenderness and determination in her voice, "I will be back safely. This time, please let me be willful for once."

Everyone in the ground control center fell silent. They knew that Wu Tong's decision could not be changed, and all they could do was to fully support her and ensure the success of this flight.

"Boss Wu, I wish you a safe flight." Chu finally spoke, his voice firm and powerful, "We are waiting for your triumphant return." This time, death is a must! Giving up everything, but also to ensure the safe return of Boss Wu, he looked at the two astronauts, this is a death order!

Wu Tong smiled slightly, with a hint of gratitude in his eyes: "Thank you everyone. I will."

The space shuttle flew slowly in the space, like an eagle spreading its wings, soaring towards the unknown distance. On the ground, the hearts of countless people also flew to the vast starry sky.

When the space shuttle successfully entered the predetermined orbit and steadily orbited the earth, Wu Tong and Lu Xiao almost held their breath at the same time. Outside the porthole, the blue planet that nurtured countless lives was quietly suspended in the dark universe, like a gem inlaid in the endless darkness, emitting a soft and mysterious light.

"Is this... our home planet?" Lu Xiao murmured in a low voice, with a tremor in his voice. He couldn't move his eyes away from the window, as if he was deeply attracted by the magnificent scene.

Wu Tong did not speak, but just stared at the earth quietly. Her eyes flashed with complex emotions, shock, awe, and an indescribable sense of belonging.

Although she had imagined the scene at this moment through countless simulations and deductions, the mental shock still made her feel dazed when she was actually there.

The outline of the earth is clearly visible, the blue ocean occupies most of the field of vision, the white clouds cover the surface like a veil, and occasionally the outline of the land can be seen, and the mountains and rivers are vaguely visible. Behind all this is the boundless universe and starry sky, deep and silent, as if it can swallow everything.

"Only when you are in it can you feel the vastness..." Wu Tong said softly, with a hint of emotion in her tone. Her voice echoed in the silent cockpit, as if she was telling an emotion that could not be fully expressed in words.

Lu Xiao nodded, his eyes still fixed on the window: "Yes, standing here, I truly understand how small we are. The earth is just a speck of dust in the universe, and we... are even more insignificant."

Wu Tong smiled slightly, with a firm look in his eyes: "But it is this grain of dust that gave birth to countless lives, and also gave birth to us. Although we are small, we have the ability to explore this vast universe and pursue those unknown mysteries."

Lu Xiao turned his head and looked at Wu Tong, with a hint of admiration in his eyes: "Mr. Wu, you can always see further."

Wu Tong shook his head, with a hint of humility in his tone: "No, I just believe that human potential is unlimited. As long as we dare to dream and dare to pursue, nothing is impossible."

Lu Xiao nodded vigorously. This is the instinct that human beings have had since the origin of life!

The two fell silent again, just staring out the window quietly. The light of the earth poured into the cockpit through the porthole, shining on their faces, as if coating them with a layer of soft light.

After a while, Wu Tong gently pressed the communication button and connected to the ground control center: "Ground, this is the space shuttle. We have successfully entered orbit and everything is normal."

The ground control center responded immediately: "Received, Mr. Wu. We are monitoring the flight data in real time. Please continue to keep the communication open."

"I understand." Wu Tong nodded, with a hint of relief in his tone, "Also, please tell everyone for me that the Earth... is really beautiful."

The ground control center was silent for a few seconds, and then the person in charge's voice with a slight sob came: "Mr. Wu, we'll wait for you to come back and tell us more about it in person."

Wu Tong smiled slightly, with a hint of warmth in his eyes: "Definitely."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Tong looked out the window again.

She knew that this flight was not only a technical verification, but also a spiritual baptism. In this vast universe, she felt the insignificance of human beings, but also felt the greatness of human beings.

"Lu Xiao," she suddenly spoke, with a smile on her lips, her eyes full of expectations for the boundless starry sky, and a hint of anticipation in her tone, "Do you think that one day in the future, we will really leave the earth and head for the farther starry sky? Right?"

Without hesitation, Lu Xiao nodded firmly with burning eyes: "Yes, Mr. Wu. The pace of human beings will never stop, and I will follow your pace of research and development until the end of my life!"

He will accompany Mr. Wu until the end of his life. This is a lifelong promise!

Wu Tong smiled, with a hint of longing in his eyes: "Yes, the road ahead is still long, but we are already on the way."

And she has never let down any opportunity in her life!

The space shuttle continued to fly smoothly in orbit, with the light of the earth and the darkness of the universe intertwined, as if telling an eternal story about dreams and exploration.

In this vast starry sky, the figures of Wu Tong and Lu Xiao appear so small, yet so determined.

And the story about them continues for a long, long time...

Throughout their entire lives, they have been working towards this goal, moving forward with determination, and miracles continue to be born, time and time again, shocking the world. The giant dragon of the East has awakened, and is overlooking the world from the top of the East!