Chapter 415: Launch

When walking out of the building, the eastern sky had already turned a fish-belly white. A morning sun was about to rise, just like the space dream that Long Country was about to realize.

Three days later, "Eastern Base" will welcome its most glorious moment—the "Changkong No. 1" rocket is about to spew dazzling flames, carrying Long Country's first artificial satellite, flying toward the vast and boundless space.

At 3:00 AM on launch day, "Eastern Base" was a scene of busyness. The sky had not yet brightened, but the area around the launch tower was already brightly lit, and hundreds of technicians were nervously and orderly carrying out final preparations at their respective posts.

Li Mingyuan stood before the main console of the launch command center, his gaze sweeping across the various monitoring screens on the wall. In this room known as the "Nerve Center," Long Country's top rocket and control experts were gathered, and everyone knew the historical mission they shouldered.

"Chief Engineer Li, weather report." The meteorology Group Leader handed over a set of the latest data, "Wind speed 2.3 meters/second, direction Dongbei, cloud altitude above 8000 meters, visibility good, fully meeting launch conditions."

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Very good, proceed according to plan."

He turned to the communications supervisor: "Status of all systems?"

"Engine system ready!"

"Guidance system ready!"

"Fuel system ready!"

"Satellite system ready!"

The reports from the heads of each system came through the internal communication system, and every "ready" made Li Mingyuan more determined—today, history will be rewritten.

"Countdown 3 hours, begin liquid oxygen loading." Li Mingyuan issued the first key command.

Beside the launch tower, the massive liquid oxygen tank began injecting liquid oxygen at minus 183 degrees into the first stage of the rocket. Through the monitor, one could see a layer of white frost immediately forming on the outer wall of the rocket; this was the inevitable result of ultra-low temperature liquid coming into contact with the air.

"Liquid oxygen loading normal, pressure stable, flow rate meets expectations," the loading system head reported.

Li Mingyuan nodded and glanced at the large clock on the wall: 2 hours and 45 minutes until launch. Everything was proceeding according to plan, but he knew the real challenge had only just begun.

Department Head Zhang walked into the command center, his expression grave yet excited: "Chief Engineer Li, a call from superiors; the highest leadership will follow this launch in its entirety via a secure line."

Li Mingyuan took a deep breath: "Tell them we will not let the country down."

Time passed second by second, and the rocket loading work proceeded in an orderly manner. When the liquid oxygen loading was completed, the technicians began injecting another type of propellant—refined kerosene. This specially treated fuel would mix with the liquid oxygen inside the Engine Combustion Chamber, generating massive thrust to send the rocket into space.

"Countdown 1 hour, begin final system checks." Li Mingyuan announced, his voice calm and firm.

Each system underwent a comprehensive check once more, from the power system to the Guidance System, from communication equipment to separation mechanisms; every link was repeatedly confirmed. At the same time, personnel around the launch tower began to evacuate, entering the safety zone.

"All non-essential personnel have evacuated the launch area," the safety supervisor reported.

"Countdown 30 minutes, activate satellite internal power." Li Mingyuan issued the command.

A small screen in the control center lit up, displaying the telemetry data of the "Dongfang No. 1" satellite. Voltage, current, temperature, the operating status of every system—everything was normal.

"Satellite has switched to internal power, all systems operating normally," the satellite Control Group Leader reported.

"Countdown 15 minutes, rocket switches to internal power."

Another round of checks began; this was the final confirmation. Each system head reported their system status again, ensuring everything was in optimal condition.

"Countdown 10 minutes, begin final countdown sequence."

The atmosphere inside the command center became unprecedentedly tense. Li Mingyuan looked around; everyone's face was filled with nervousness and anticipation. They knew the next few minutes would determine whether months of hard work would be rewarded.

"Countdown 5 minutes."

"Final confirmation of all systems," Li Mingyuan ordered.

"Engine system confirmed normal!"

"Guidance system confirmed normal!"

"Fuel system confirmed normal!"

"Satellite system confirmed normal!"

"Countdown 1 minute."

The entire command center fell into a peculiar silence, with only the sound of the countdown echoing in the room.

"30 seconds..."

Li Mingyuan's gaze fell on the main screen, which displayed a real-time view of the rocket launch tower. The 28.7-meter-tall "Changkong No. 1" rocket stood quietly there, as if it were a warrior about to embark on a journey.

"10 seconds... 9... 8... 7..."

Everyone held their breath.

"... 3... 2... 1... Ignition!"

Following Li Mingyuan's final command, the bottom of the rocket spewed out dazzling flames, and the massive roar was clearly audible even in the command center several kilometers away.

"Main engine ignition normal, thrust increasing," the engine monitor reported.

"Thrust reached rated value, all parameters normal!"

"Launch locking mechanism released, rocket beginning to ascend!"

On the main screen, the "Changkong No. 1" rocket slowly left the launch tower, its speed gradually increasing, dragging a long tail of flame as it flew toward the dawn sky.

"Rocket attitude normal, speed increasing, altitude 100 meters... 200 meters..."

The entire command center erupted in a cheer, but quickly returned to professional calm. Everyone knew this was only the first step; countless challenges awaited them ahead.

"Altitude 1 kilometer, speed normal, attitude stable."

Li Mingyuan stared intently at the data screen; all rocket parameters were within the expected range. The four engines of the first stage were working normally, thrust was stable, and fuel consumption met expectations.

"Altitude 10 kilometers, speed reached 0.8 Mach, entering the thin atmosphere."

This was the first critical point. In the thin atmosphere, the rocket would face the "maximum dynamic pressure" stage, which was a severe test of structural strength.

"Maximum dynamic pressure stage passed, structure intact, attitude stable!"

Li Mingyuan let out a slight sigh of relief, but he knew the real challenge was still ahead.

"Altitude 50 kilometers, speed 2.5 Mach, first-stage fuel about to be exhausted."

"Prepare for first-stage separation," Li Mingyuan ordered.

"3... 2... 1... First-stage separation!"

At an altitude of nearly 100 kilometers, the first stage of the rocket completed its mission and separated cleanly from the second stage. Almost at the same moment, the second-stage engine ignited, continuing to push the rocket as it flew into space.