Chapter 419 - 410 Thinking of My Hometown_1

The Pentagon spies daily with satellites, and the Space Agency was not completely unprepared.

However, compared to the Dawn program which had clear goals and steps from the start, the Artemis program’s various parts were not as clearly revealed, with complex and variable suppliers. Gathering information was quite troublesome under NACA’s deliberate secrecy.

The launch of B1033 on the 20th at Cape Canaveral aroused their strong suspicions, a part of the "Gateway" space station? Really?

If that was just a suspicion, then the hoisting of "Blue Moon" onto B1034 on the 23rd almost confirmed that the Artemis-2 mission was not that simple.

Previously, the Space Agency thought that the Artemis program could at the earliest start with the third rocket, but now they are desperately rushing. Aren’t they afraid of problems?

But NACA has been dragging its feet on releasing any information about Artemis-2, which is increasingly worrying.

There certainly is a desire to compete, but if it were to result in loss of life, that would be too dreadful.

But domestically, there was not a clear understanding of America’s true manufacturing capability, and it still carried the aura of the former world industrial leader. The second SLS must have started earlier than the CZ-10, and hence should also be more stable.

After all, they are old Yankees, with moon landing experience. No matter what, people always tend to hold them in higher regard, just as they habitually underestimate their own capabilities.

However, the Space Agency discovered that the SLS rocket had not been transported to Kennedy Space Center up to now. Such a super rocket would need at least three to four days for final assembly and testing; it shouldn’t launch earlier than July 1st.

In contrast, Yuanwang-22 arrived at Qiongzhou two days ago, and seven large containers had already been transported to the launch site, able to complete final assembly before the 26th. Artemis-2 couldn’t catch up.

It’s just that Abe unnecessarily got happy for a few days; he won’t be making it as the second of the new century.

However, Prince Swetan only showed a hint of regret after hearing Shen Zuozhou’s report; his smile quickly returned.

Abe was somewhat self-aware of his own capabilities. Being ahead of the Yankees would be sheer luck, and falling behind was not shameful; after all, apart from the first two, they had already managed to save face.

"Shen, our ranking isn’t important, but I believe you will definitely be first. Allah will protect you.

I will have the best clergy bless you and curse Artemis."

Shen Zuozhou: "..."

"Thank you, thank you."

...

Jiuquan.

After the Shenzhou 11 mission ended, most of the domestic manned space launch tasks were transferred to Qiongzhou, and even the backup Shenzhou spaceship and the Long March 2F rockets were no longer there.

Gradually, it became like Bingzhou and Selenium Chang, a medium-sized satellite launch center where medium and small rockets launched without taking up Qiongzhou’s valuable heavy launch positions.

But after New Yuan’s investment and expansion this year, an additional fixed heavy launch position and a mobile launch pad appeared, making it more prosperous.

A Dawn III and a New Yuan-2 rocket occupied the mobile launch platform and the heavy launch position, respectively, carrying two cabin segments of "U-Tu."

The New Yuan-2 rocket was manageable, but the Dawn III required much more fuel. It took an extra train to get enough fuel for loading, and dozens of vehicles worked in turns to ensure the fuel was loaded in time.

Originally, the Core Module of "U-Tu" was planned to be launched by the New Yuan-2A rocket, but due to the large loss of capacity and the hassle of recovery in inland launches, it was changed to a Dawn III rocket. The Dawn III’s lunar transfer orbit capability reached 150 tons, which was more than needed for the 50-ton Core Module, but it was convenient.

Zhang Zhiguang and Deng Lei, who were no longer on training duty, were also outside the launch site, with the latter having just completed a week of convalescence and coming out to get some fresh air.

Deng Lei had basically adapted to the gravity changes between Earth and space, but previously he’d always traveled by space shuttle. This time, although taking the "Ban Chao" ship still fulfilled his dream of spaceflight, it was truly not as comfortable as the space shuttle.

The impact could still be tolerated, but that feeling of helplessness, like being tossed up and down by the atmosphere in a washing machine, was completely different from the sensation of controlling your fate in a space shuttle.

Zhang Zhiguang, "The ’U-Tu’ was too hasty. It just finished this month, and we sent it out with no time for adaptability training."

To prevent mishaps due to inexperience, the Dawn III mission did not dock with the "U-Tu" during the moon landing but would attempt it after completing the lunar surface mission.

"U-Tu" was also a safeguard, in fact. If there was an emergency, the three astronauts could conserve resources and survive for a couple of months in the space station, which would give them enough time to wait for rescue. Moreover, it would contribute to the reliable work on the Moon.

"Come on..." Deng Lei couldn’t find the word "showing off" in his mental lexicon and couldn’t come up with a suitable retort, but was it really appropriate for you, Zhang Zhiguang, to be the first man on the Moon?!

"So, Old Zhang, what are you planning to say when you get up there?"

"That, huh," Zhang Zhiguang scratched his head, "I haven’t thought it through. Maybe just ’I’ve stepped out, feeling good’?"

"Not bad, but it’s been said once before, just like when I first went up. Wouldn’t it be more interesting to recite a poem?"

"It would have to relate to the Moon... I’ve forgotten many moon-related poems. The only one I could recite from when I was a kid is ’Before my bed, the moon is shining bright, I think of my hometown far away in the lustrous night.’

Deng Lei, "Then on the Moon, you should say, ’I see the bright moon as I bow my head, and as I lift my gaze, my hometown comes to mind."

"..."

After a messy discussion, the crew of Dawn III was now on vacation, relaxing. Training was no longer important.

One could imagine the title of first man on the Moon would at least entail Zhang Zhiguang parading through major cities in a floral car.

After listening to Deng Lei describe the scene, Zhang Zhiguan felt goosebumps rising, but unlike the somewhat introverted Neil Armstrong, he was actually quite happy about it.

"By the way, when are you going up? They must have brought you down after just a few months to prepare, right?"

Deng Lei, "August, I’ll be driving for a tycoon. Really, with money, anything is possible. Not just exiting with me, give me enough money, and I’d even carry him down."

"..."

"But I won’t get the parade treatment like you. For you it’s an honor, for us private enterprise astronauts, nothing is more important than working. The base needs to make money."

"Work? You’ll need at least a three-month break after landing on the Moon, right? You’ve already done quite a lot this year."

"Oh, after October, we’ll start full-scale construction of the lunar base, and we should maintain a regular human presence on the lunar surface. I’ll have to go and calm the troops and stabilize morale. It’s possible I won’t even be able to go home for the holidays, and I’ll have to send Lele a birthday video from afar."

Watching Deng Lei sigh heavily, Zhang Zhiguang suddenly felt that being the first man on the Moon didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

Right now, there was nobody on the Moon, yet somehow it sounded as though Deng Lei was about to settle down there?

In an atmosphere where the two seemed to be in a subtle rivalry yet as if nothing had happened, the number three rocket unleashed unprecedented thrust inland, its more than 7,000 tons of force sending the rocket body swiftly into the sky without effort, providing nearby spectators with the most spectacular launch experience ever.

The number two rocket was also in position, still being fueled. Once the number three rocket’s payload entered transfer orbit, it too could launch, and the lunar orbit assembly would be completed between the 29th and 30th.