Die on Mars

Maidong climbed into the Eagle lander, closed the door of the docking port, sat on the commander's chair, fastened his seat belt, and closed the porthole panels one by one, dimming the light.

"Mr. Cat, shall I just wear the cabin suit for the test?"

"Wear the cabin suit first for the first mold." Lao Mao replied, "The current plan is quite rough, and there are still many details that need to be modified and adjusted. During the second mold, I will switch to the extravehicular suit."

"I understand." Maidong leaned back on the chair and tightened his seat belt, "Then what do I need to do?"

"Wait for our good news." The old cat said, "Miss Maidong, this is the only thing you need to do."

During the official landing process, 90% of the work will be completed by the computer and the Orion spacecraft, and the remaining 10% will be handled by Tang Yue and Lao Mao. Maidong only needs to stay in the lander and work hard to protect himself .

There is no doubt that the flight control program that has just been released is just a prototype and is not mature. The old cat does not expect to succeed at the first time. The simulation test is trial and error. Constant trial and error, constant correction, and problems are solved until it can take on the responsibility. The important task is to bring down Ophiopogon japonicus safely.

The old cat stood facing the wall with his paws on his back.

Half of the inner wall of Kunlun Station is covered with manuscript paper. The paper is full of dense calculations and graphics. These are all the results of the work of Lao Mao and Tang Yue. In the past few days when the landing plan was formulated, Kunlun Station has completely become In an aerospace engineering research institute, one person and one cat repeatedly and fiercely argued over every small detail of the plan. They often started arguing and scolding each other. They drew drawings and calculations on white paper, and then posted the scratch paper on the wall. Even a decimal point can be discussed late into the night.

If anyone is lucky enough to visit Kunlun Station and see all the calculations, he will probably think that a scientific lunatic lives here.

Later Tang Yue called this wall "Goddard's Wall".

Maidong has never seen this wall because all the sweat is behind the camera.

Since graduating from college, Tang Yue has never studied physics as hard as he did today. He studied orbital mechanics for a while, just to understand what this damn cat was saying.

At first he was pressed to the ground and rubbed by the old cat.

Now Tang Yue was finally able to fight back.

Then he was pressed to the ground and rubbed by the old cat.

Knowledge alters your fate.

The ancients are sincere and I cannot deceive them.

Xuan will not save Fei, and Krypton will not change his fate.

The ancients were more sincere than I deceived.

The old cat stretched out his paw and tore up a piece of scratch paper.

"Bernoulli's equation."

It folded the paper into a paper airplane, then raised its paw and threw it.

The white paper airplane floated leisurely on the warm wind blown out of the OGS cabinet, swirling in the Kunlun Station hall, slowly lowering its height. It silently passed over the chairs on the floor, across the messy desktop, and across the horizontal and vertical monitors. Crossing the workstation chassis, in the eyes of the old cat, it turned into the Orion spacecraft whizzing past. At a high speed of more than three kilometers per second, it crossed the horizon of the Martian land and flew towards the rising dawn!

The old cat announced loudly:

"Orion landing plan, first simulation test, starting now!"

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"This is the Orion landing plan command center. Please answer when the lander heares it." Tang Yue sat upright and called the spacecraft. Although there were only two people in Kunlun Station, there was still a sense of tension in the ground operation control hall of Jiuquan Center. Maybe it was the Kunlun Station. The space is too small and there are too many clutters, so it looks crowded and depressing.

"Lander received."

The communication system of the Eagle spacecraft has been completely dismantled. Maidong is currently communicating with the Kunlun Station through the Orion spacecraft. When it actually lands, this is the only channel for communication between the two parties. The communication will be maintained until the Orion spacecraft crashes.

"How's the signal? Can you hear me clearly?"

"Very clear." Maidong replied.

"OK, Maidong, let me repeat the plan requirements. You don't have to do anything before the timer starts." Tang Yue warned, "In the first twelve and a half minutes after the timer starts, that is, the first 745 seconds, you You don’t have to do anything. At the 745th second, the computer or we will prompt you to perform the escape operation. Do you still remember the essentials of the escape operation?"

"First left, then right."

"Yes, remember, first left and then right." Tang Yue nodded, "In case the computer fails, you must have your own timer to synchronize the timing. You must keep an eye on the time."

Maidong raised his right hand, and the electronic watch on his wrist was beating.

"I'll take it with me."

"Very good. At the 745th second, we will prompt you to leave. If you don't receive any prompt at that time, remember to leave on your own after five seconds!"

"Five seconds."

"Five seconds." Tang Yue said, "You have understood all the steps. Now we have to let you enter the atmosphere. Girl, I wish you good luck and wish us good luck."

After speaking, Tang Yue switched the communication channel and entered working mode.

"Orion system enters EDL mode."

"The GNC system is normal."

"The engine is in normal condition."

"The supply system component failure distribution rate is 66.47%, the thermal component failure distribution rate is 12.80%, the control and adjustment component failure distribution rate is 2.17%, the gas generator failure propagation time is 0.02 seconds, the no false detection rate is 0.99995, and the initial parameter input is completed."

According to the calculation results of the workstation, the entire landing process took twelve minutes and fifty-six seconds from beginning to end, spanning an altitude of 127 kilometers, averaging 160 meters per second, which is less than one Mach. This is An acceptable number.

The dismantling work of the Orion spacecraft has not yet been completed. So far, Maidong has only removed the three-section service module of Orion. However, in the simulation test, the landing spacecraft will be a complete body - all service modules and power have been removed. Modules, travel lightly and face the most severe challenges with the most perfect posture.

Tang Yue and Lao Mao have already entered the parameters, and this virtual spacecraft composed of codes and numbers will undergo the test of re-entering the atmosphere.

"Are you ready?" Tang Yue asked.

"Yeah." Maidong nodded.

"Raptor-05 starts, engine throttles." Old Cat typed on the keyboard, "Orion turns and begins to slow down."

In the memory of the HP workstation, Orion 2's Raptor engine ignited, methane and liquid oxygen were mixed and burned, the nozzle spit out a hot high-speed jet, and the spacecraft began to turn and slow down.

"The orbital height is 375,512 meters!"

"The orbital height is 370,470 meters!"

"The orbital height is 368,953 meters!"

Maidong was sitting in the lander. The surroundings were quiet. There was no vibration or roar. The joint space station was still operating normally on the orbit. Only the urgent voices of Tang Yue and Lao Mao sounded alternately in the earphones. They seemed to be acting out a tense scene with their voices. Maidong felt inexplicably relieved as the man and the cat used their shoulders to help her carry the weight of the entire Orion.

It can be imagined that in Kunlun Station, Tang Yue and Lao Mao were tensed and trying their best to control the Orion spacecraft. Although it was just a virtual spacecraft, it might be carrying the weight of their lives.

"The combustion pressure is 40MPa, the nozzle pressure drop is 24.7MPa, and the pressure sensor is normal."

"The mixing ratio is 3.12, the methane flow rate is 7.24, the coolant flow rate is 8.2...the turbine pump power is reduced by ten percent."

Tang Yue and Lao Mao sat on both sides. They were monitoring some data of the Orion spacecraft. In the simulation environment of the workstation, the spacecraft was lowering its orbit and preparing to enter the atmosphere.

There were no images on the monitor, only rapidly jumping numbers. Lao Mao and Tang Yue stared at them closely, sketching out the status of the spacecraft in their minds.

Orion slowly lowers its altitude.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Maidong sat on the lander commander's chair, looking at the darkness in front of him, thinking about the tail flames emitted by the spacecraft engine and the vast land of Mars.

"The altitude is 135,670 meters." Tang Yue said.

"The altitude is 128,012 meters and the speed is 4,965 meters per second. Orion enters the landing corridor and passes the first way point. Please pay attention to all departments and old cats!"

"Received, the throttle valve status is normal, the pressure sensor is normal, the gas-liquid circulation is normal, Raptor-01, Raptor-03, Raptor-05, Raptor-07, Raptor-09 are ready——"

"The altitude is 127,989 meters. Attention of all departments, Orion has entered the landing corridor and successfully passed the second waypoint." Tang Yue's voice became louder and louder.

"Raptor-01, Raptor-03, Raptor-05, Raptor-07, Raptor-09, ignition countdown—!"

"Altitude 127,746 meters! Attention all departments, Orion has entered the landing corridor! Passed the second waypoint!"

"Altitude 127,300 meters!" Tang Yue stared at the screen. The altitude of the spacecraft's orbit dropped all the way. He secretly sweated. There were still 300 meters left.

The first model is very important. It is said that the score of the first model is closest to the college entrance examination. Tang Yue doesn't know whether the results of this exam can really represent the final result.

In the lander, Maidong raised her right hand. The electronic watch glowed blue in the dark. She pressed the button to enter the countdown state.

"The altitude is 127,000 meters! Old cat!"

"Fire up all units! The countdown begins in 776 seconds!" Lao Mao clicked the ignition button and gave the engine start command. There was not even a delay in signal transmission during the simulation test. The moment Lao Mao gave the command, the five engines of the Orion spacecraft roared. The roar and huge thrust changed its attitude in an instant. Orion entered the Martian atmosphere vertically and plunged towards the planned landing site-Ixidi Plain, Kunlun Station.