Chapter 202 - 196: The Cradle Leaves the Mother_1

"Yuanwang No. 2, radar tracking is normal."

"East Wind, optical USB radar tracking is normal."

"Meridian tracking telemetry is normal."

"Turn the program!"

Command after command passed through the radio into Lin Ju’s ears; these were the familiar instructions he had heard dozens of times and even participated in.

Even without thinking deliberately, when these words entered his mind, he could imagine the attitude and position of the rocket.

The seven liquid oxygen and methane engines could eject about six tons of fuel per second, and about one minute later, the rocket’s thrust-to-weight ratio exceeded 1.5. After that, as the fuel in the first stage depleted, the acceleration continued to increase.

By this time, from the ground, one could see the distinct shock collar around the middle section of New Yuan-2, breaking through the sound barrier. It was like a garland wrapped around the rocket’s body; Progress’s nose cone split the air, streaming along the aerodynamic juncture towards the ring-shaped shock collar then dispersing, much like a bullet shot into water.

In the live broadcast, the three people in Progress’s crew cabin displayed calm composure, with only the g-load slightly deforming their facial features.

The most composed was still Li Wei. He was forever confident and calm, still clearly remembering his role as command chief, ready to respond to any contingencies.

As time ticked away, nearing the three-minute mark, a command came from the ground: New Yuan-2’s first stage began to reduce thrust, then the explosive bolts detonated. The live feed switched to an inter-stage camera, showing the first stage of the rocket tilting backward and away.

America, Columbia Special District.

NACA Director Claire left her chair in disappointment. The first stage rocket had successfully sent Progress out of the atmosphere; the launch was a success.

Even if the second stage encountered an unexpected issue, the remaining safety measures should be sufficient to ensure the space shuttle’s safety.

Though from the viewpoint of spacefaring professionals, one should respect any human spaceflight mission the world undertakes, the unavoidable fact was that Xinyuan’s pressure was just too great.

New Yuan-2A and New Yuan No. 3 were like thorns deeply embedded in the Artemis program, the nightmares that kept Claire tossing and turning at night.

Especially since both these rockets were reusable, requiring at most 40 days for refurbishment. Such a launch frequency for this class of rocket was simply unimaginable.

If NACA could use these two types of rockets, they dared to complete the entire Artemis program within a year!

If Lin Ju were to die, just the massive and complex structure of Xinyuan Company would be so disordered from losing its leader that it would be chaotic for a long time, greatly alleviating the pressure faced by the Artemis program.

Claire knew some people had considered whether to cause a little "accident" using certain means, but from Li Wei’s attitude as command chief, China’s stance was very clear; it was nearly impossible and carried too high a risk of exposure.

The crew of Progress, of course, were unaware that someone had designs against them, but even if they knew, they might not care. Such outrageous actions, even during the cold war hegemony, had never occurred, and we are far from reaching that point now.

On the space shuttle at this moment, as the first stage detached, Lin Ju instantly felt lighter; all the load bearing down on him vanished, and the tension from the release seat and the pressurized space suit made him feel slightly uncomfortable and a bit uneasy.

But the life-sustaining system did not act, as the second stage rocket assembly was making minor course corrections at this time.

During these few seconds of break, Lin Ju still found the time to say a word:

"Mother Earth shook the cradle a few more times, now, the cradle has left the embrace of the mother."

Although Lin Ju couldn’t speak again immediately after because of the H50 engine startup on the second stage subjecting them to another load, many people still caught on.

What Lin Ju likely referred to was the intense vibration from the acceleration of the first stage rocket during the launch. If this were compared to a cradle... it could only be said that Mother Earth indeed had a strong grip.

Clearly, this line was destined to become a classic.

The second stage rocket’s acceleration continued for about 5 minutes, and since the lift-off mass of the Progress was only half of New Yuan-2’s LEO payload, it was somewhat faster.

The lone and costly H50 hydrogen-oxygen engine gave a final, heavy push to the Progress, following in the footsteps of the first stage rocket, it plunged into the atmosphere.

It took the Progress about 9 minutes to successfully enter a near-Earth orbit at an altitude of 390km. It was expected to catch up with the Tiangong Space Station and dock in 3 hours.

Inside the crew cabin, the pressure bearing down on their bodies and the constraints on their legs gradually faded. Lin Ju suddenly felt something like a pool ball rolling forcefully back and forth against his chair’s back and legs—it was exactly like a massage chair.

Don’t get the wrong idea, this was a feature of the unload chair, to relax the muscles, reduce the discomfort from the sudden disappearance of the load burdens, promote blood circulation, and lessen the lactic acid produced by muscle tension.

At the same time, greetings from the ground entered their headsets.

"01, this is Qiongzhou, please report your physical condition."

Li Wei smiled at the camera and spoke that classic line, "I feel good, and I am proud of my country."

The repetition of the words after thirteen years sparked vigorous applause in the control room. The big shots teared up, remembering the glory of the day when Shenzhou 5 launched.

And in front of the TV, many older people also awakened their earliest memories as if they were transported back to that year.

Xiao Okada was also moved. At that time, he was not yet thirty, and witnessing Li Wei as the representative of Asians, flying to space on an Asian spaceship, he resolved to achieve greatness in space flight, since then his determination never wavered.

He believed, this launch would convince every Island Country person that the hope of Asians lay in China, and only Asianism could revive the glory of the Asian people!

Meanwhile, up in the sky, Lin Ju’s mind was suddenly filled with a voice.

[Monitoring detected: the host utilized a rocket and spacecraft manufactured by the system base to complete a space mission, entering NO.1149527514 number near-Earth orbit of a Earth-like planet, with two fellow crew members, orbit altitude 390KM, total spacecraft mass 21.65 tons, technical rating: C class.

Achievement unlocked: Eyes Open to the World (As the leader of a space enterprise, how could you not witness space with your own eyes?)

Honor title earned: Junior Adventurer (Awarded for using primitive and risky rockets to break out of Jupiter’s atmosphere) Medal earned: Venus Medal (Worn by Brezhnev, will be deposited in the system inventory, unlocking more medals earns the ’Your Medal Ancestor!’ title)

Congratulations for completing an important hidden mission. The host’s performance has proven their courage and the conviction to travel to space, a special reward will be given:

A+ Level (Legendary Edition) Character Card*1

Note: This mission card is a special item, capable of summoning legendary-level characters, characters are random and drawn from alternative timelines, requires offering industry average 500% treatment and high freedom of authority, also needs a longer period to resolve identity (no longer than 15 days)

Be aware, a B-level Base can only accommodate 1 A+ level legendary scientist.]