Chapter 123: Crisis: The Out-of-Control

Late at night, the Longyin core team was urgently summoned to the command center.

On the big screen, a simulated animation transmitted by the Space Target Monitoring Network was playing:

A foreign communication satellite that had been discarded for many years—codenamed "Wanderer-7"—was tumbling in near-earth orbit in a strange posture.

What was even more terrifying was that one of its huge solar panels had ruptured due to age.

Forming several sharp fragments over ten meters long, rotating at high speed, like a deadly "Death Windmill" waving out of control in space.

"How serious is the situation?" Feng Yan frowned, asking the director of the Space Situational Awareness Center of the Space Administration who was connected remotely.

"Very serious!" The director's voice carried anxiety.

"'Wanderer-7' changed orbit for unknown reasons, and its own mass plus the kinetic energy of the rotating fragments is devastating."

"In the past 48 hours, it has suspectedly had 'unintentional contact' with two other countries' small commercial satellites, causing the latter to lose contact."

"According to orbital calculations, its current trajectory will be in 72 hours."

"There is a high-overlap risk area with our 'Tiangong' space station and multiple important 'Beidou' navigation satellites, and the closest distance may be less than the safety threshold!"

In the animation demonstration, the red dangerous trajectory representing "Wanderer-7" was like a poisonous snake, winding and approaching the green light points representing our space station and satellites, with a visual effect that was extremely impactful.

"What about traditional avoidance plans?" Li Yang immediately asked.

"The space station can perform emergency orbital avoidance, but the cost is huge."

"It will consume a large amount of precious fuel, seriously affecting the subsequent on-orbit mission lifespan and scientific experiment plans."

"And this is just treating the symptoms, not the root cause!" The director's tone was heavy.

"This 'Space Ghost' is still there; we dodged it this time, but what about next time?"

"It's like the Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads!"

"As for those satellites... their orbital maneuver capability is limited, and the risk is higher."

"Can't we just shoot it down?" Wang Hao asked subconsciously.

The aerospace expert immediately denied: "Absolutely not!"

"Kinetic destruction in orbit will produce a huge amount of space debris, forming a chain reaction, which may trigger the 'Kessler Syndrome,' which would be a disaster for the entire near-earth orbit environment!"

"We cannot afford this responsibility, and the international community will never allow it!"

The command center was silent.

Everyone felt the difficulty of the problem and the urgency of time.

Avoidance is passive and costly; destruction has unimaginable consequences.

It seems to have fallen into an unsolvable dead end.

"Is it possible... to capture it?" Zhao Kaiyuan proposed an idea.

"The difficulty is extremely high." The aerospace expert shook his head.

"The target is in a state of high-speed uncontrolled rotation and is a typical 'non-cooperative target'."

"Existing technology, whether it's a robotic arm or a flying net, is difficult to reliably capture while ensuring its own safety."

"Once the capture fails, it may trigger a more complex collision."

An anxious atmosphere permeated.

Feng Yan could hear Wang Hao grinding his teeth unconsciously beside him, and could see Li Yang staring at the orbital simulation map, his fingers tapping quickly on the virtual keyboard.

Trying to find structural possibilities, but the locked brows showed that progress was not smooth.

Conventional plans seemed to have been blocked.

Is it possible that we can only watch the space station and important satellites bear huge risks, or pay a huge price for avoidance?

Just then, Chen Guang, who had been sitting quietly in the corner with multiple data stream windows floating in front of him, suddenly raised his head.

He pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sweeping calmly over everyone in the room whose brows were locked, and then said softly:

"Perhaps," he paused, seemingly organizing the most concise language.

"We can let the 'Sky Patrols' try."

The voice was not loud, but it was like dropping a depth charge in the silent command center.

Everyone was stunned, including Feng Yan.

Let those three small, mainly reconnaissance and communication "Sky Patrol" satellites deal with that huge, out-of-control, deadly "Space Ghost"?

Wang Hao's mouth became an 'O' shape, looking at Chen Guang, then at the "Death Windmill" waving its claws on the big screen, his brain completely unable to connect the two.

Li Yang also stopped calculating, a flash of doubt in his eyes, but more of a reflection on Chen Guang's astonishing proposal.

Feng Yan took a deep breath and looked at Chen Guang: "Guangzi, be specific."

"'Sky Patrol'... how are they going to try?"

Chen Guang didn't answer directly, just enlarged one of the data stream windows in front of him and projected it onto the corner of

On it was the real-time status data of the "Heavenly Patrol" satellite cluster.

As well as a complex orbital correction simulation diagram just generated by the "Torch Dragon" system, filled with various vector arrows and energy markers.

He calmly met Feng Yan's gaze: "The details of the plan still require final simulation verification by 'Torch Dragon'."

"But theoretically, the 'Heavenly Patrol' cluster, coordinated with 'Torch Dragon's' precise command, can execute a... non-contact 'orbital correction'."

Non-contact orbital correction?

This unprecedented concept plunged the entire command center into an even deeper silence, with only the faint hum of equipment running remaining.

Everyone was digesting the potentially subversive solution this statement might bring.

Feng Yan looked at Chen Guang's still expressionless face, then looked again at the seemingly fantastical simulation diagram on the screen.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. He slammed his hand on the console:

"Conduct the simulation verification immediately!"

"I want to see the feasibility report in the shortest possible time!"

The meeting ended temporarily amidst immense suspense.

Wang Hao leaned over to Chen Guang, scratching his head and ears: "Guangzi, give us a hint at least!"

"Those three little 'butterflies', how are they going to handle that big lunatic?"

"Don't tell me you're going to let them go up there... and dance for it?"

Chen Guang did not answer, only silently putting away his data terminal, leaving behind an inscrutable back.

Feng Yan stood before the massive porthole, gazing at the pitch-black night sky outside, as if he could see the "ghost" currently wreaking havoc in orbit.

He knew that Chen Guang never shot without a target.

A silent space ballet, directed by AI and starring micro-satellites, was perhaps about to begin.

And the audience would be the entire world.