Chapter 248: with translation of chapter title

"Speak!" Beside him, Ren Lao, responsible for the rocket engine, excitedly widened his eyes. Although Qin Miao had never before dealt with their Long March 3, being able to troubleshoot the fault in just a few minutes was enough to show he was capable; he might even be able to offer some constructive suggestions!

First, add a main and auxiliary system purge, so that during the taxi phase the system can be opened at any time to give the engine interior a fresh purge, boosting its re-ignition capability. Second, add a liquid hydrogen auxiliary system bypass, which only requires adding a pipe……

Even if the Long March 3's maiden launch went smoothly, that doesn't mean there are no problems; historically, the Long March 3 has had the highest failure rate, and even in the mid-1990s rockets would fall seconds after launch, causing heavy casualties on the spot.

Those who died were all rocket experts!

So, since we're here, we might as well say a few words; whether the people present listen is up to them, at least we can make sure we've said what we needed to.

Ren Lao thought carefully, then nodded repeatedly: 'Not bad, not bad. These plans will improve the success rate; we should follow them to improve. Any other suggestions?'

Also, we should extend the precooling time……

These three items are the ways to boost reliability found after multiple failures; now that they've been spoken, the design team will implement them, turning the Long March 3 rocket into a mature, reliable modern rocket!

'Anything else?' Xie Lao asked from the side.

'Also…… our control circuitry is too outdated; I think we can completely replace it with modern microelectronic circuitry, at the same time improving production quality and lowering failure rate……

This circuitry is the real big problem!

It's been how many years since the 8086 chip came out in the 1980s! Yet most people in the East working on electronic systems still only know 1950s-60s analog circuitry! This must be improved!

'Good, we'll hand this part over to Ha Gong Da!' Xie Lao nodded: 'I hear Ha Gong Da is also set to open a chip factory; your technology is already in sync with the world, and we look forward to using modern technology to improve our products!'

Just then, a broadcast sounded over the launch site.

'All personnel, pay attention, all personnel pay attention, the Long March 3 launch vehicle has entered the countdown, ten-hour countdown, starting now!'

With the rocket fault cleared, it's time to proceed with the launch procedure!

Xie Lao solemnly signed the launch sheet, everyone withdrew, personnel in chemical-protection suits came in, next it was time to load propellant, and the launch formally entered an irreversible process.

'You little rascal, you're impressive—come on, let's go to the cafeteria for a bite, get some sleep, and when you wake up you'll be just in time to watch the launch.' Lin Lao greeted Qin Miao with a hearty laugh.

'I… I want to stay here and watch the whole process.'

'All right, I'll keep you company, but we still need to go eat first.'

'Mm.'

Outside, the sky gradually darkened, and the launch entered its final stage.

At the launch site, most personnel had withdrawn, leaving only a few to hold the line; this is when the advantage of choosing a valley for the launch site becomes apparent.

Inside the valley is the launch pad, with tracking and control units on either side; as long as the big guys duck into the large iron gate, they're safe—even if the rocket explodes, they won't be affected.

In the central control hall, the atmosphere was very tense.

Large screens common today hadn't appeared yet; there was only a projection screen showing the scene of the rocket on the launch pad, with four rows of workstations, countless screens flickering, and countless people sitting in front busy at work.

A frail figure stood in the corner, watching the scene on the projection screen, with a complex expression.

'Senior sister, don't worry, there will definitely be no problem; once the two Beidou satellites are in orbit, our Ha Gong Da satellite navigation system will be a done deal! You too will have made a major contribution and will surely be written into the school history.'

Yang Can showed a smile: 'Mm, I hope everything goes smoothly, San Shui; I now… feel a bit lost.'

'What's wrong?'

'From my senior year until now I've been busy with Beidou navigation; once the satellites are up and user terminals exist, what comes next… I don't even know what to do.'

Having an ideal and pursuit makes one happiest; once the ideal is realized, emptiness follows—and now Yang Can feels that sense of loss.

'Of course we keep working on Beidou II; once Beidou II is ready, we move on to Beidou III. Senior sister, you wouldn't think a dual-satellite fix would be completely sufficient, would you?'

This was merely a project undertaken by the East when funds were lacking and satellite navigation hadn't yet shown its advantages; later, when money is available, we will surely build a global satellite navigation system—just as in later times, Beidou II expanded to Asia, and Beidou III expanded worldwide.

In terms of accuracy, Beidou I had errors of over a hundred meters, while Beidou III reduces error to under a meter, enabling lane-level precise control!

Now, this is truly the first step of the ten-thousand‑li march!

Yang Can's eyes lit up instantly: 'Really? We're going to keep researching the next‑generation navigation? Then the R&D funding…

'We Ha Gong Da have money, and moreover, the satellite navigation project can make money!'

In later times, satellite navigation software is free; don't waste money buying some Beidou navigation app just to support domestic products—it has no connection to the Beidou satellites at all; as long as your phone has a Beidou module, whether you use some 'Du' or some 'De' service, you can access the Beidou signal.

It may look like you don't need to spend a cent, but that's only in today's highly advanced era; back in the 80s and 90s, a single satellite navigation receiver could sell for thousands of yuan!

This is completely a blank market; whoever seizes it first reaps huge profits! American GPS? Hehehe, don't dream of monopolizing the globe—our Beidou, once used, is truly fragrant!

'Three‑minute countdown, start!'

The two stopped talking and watched the projection screen.

'Ten, nine, one, launch!'

As the command rang out, a plume of white smoke suddenly burst from beneath the Long March 3 rocket; after the white smoke, scorching flames rose, and the huge rocket began to lift off slowly, gathering speed!

In the dark night, the flames shone even brighter; were it not for safety concerns, going out to stand on the mountaintop to watch would be the most spectacular sight!

'First stage separated, second stage ignited!'

'Second stage separated!'

'Fairing separated!'

'Dong Feng report: the satellite has entered low Earth orbit!'

Under normal circumstances this would already count as a successful launch, but now we still need two orbital maneuvers; however, that's no matter—the scene is already filled with applause, at least the satellite has reached space!

Ren Lao and the others remained before the launch control console, watching the various data; what comes next is the most important! No matter how the rocket engine is tested on the ground, it cannot simulate space—in a weightless state, can the hydrogen‑oxygen rocket engine ignite successfully?

Yes, it certainly can—this is the hope of China's space program!