Die on Mars

Lao Mao stared at the computer. On the screen, the Eagle spacecraft was just a shapeless particle. It gradually rose along the preset trajectory. The two Raptor 3C rocket engines could accelerate the ascending stage of the lander to the orbiting speed of Mars. That is about 3.5 kilometers per second. This speed is half lower than the first cosmic speed of the earth, so launching a spacecraft on Mars is easier than on the earth.

The current surface wind speed is basically maintained at about 30 meters per second. The Eagle spacecraft can maintain a relatively stable connection with the Kunlun Station. The wind speed may be greater at higher places, but the air at high places is thinner, so the higher you rise, , the better the environmental conditions, the less impact the sandstorm will have on the lander.

The old cat looked solemn and did not dare to be careless at all.

The launch of the Eagle spacecraft is only the first step in a long journey. There are still millions of difficulties that need to be overcome.

Even if the launch is successful, they still only have a 9.44% docking success rate, which is less than one-tenth of the probability and is the entire life of Ophiopogon japonicus.

The small cursor flashes once per second and moves pixel by pixel on the screen. It represents the Eagle spacecraft. The lander will call the Kunlun station once every second, and the Kunlun station will respond immediately. So far, the lander is still ascending vertically.

The trajectory of the lander is marked with a dotted line in front of the computer screen. This dotted line is Lao Mao's planned flight route. The dotted line will soon change from a vertical rise to an inclined arc, which means that the Eagle spacecraft will not take long. Will change attitude.

Whether on the Earth or Mars, although spacecraft are launched vertically, they will soon turn to an inclined direction after liftoff. This time point is usually about sixty seconds. The purpose of this is to enter orbit as soon as possible. The old cat was sitting on a chair, holding a pen in his paw and turning around uneasily.

The cursor moves slowly and flashes time and time again, seemingly crawling.

But in reality, the speed of the Eagle spacecraft has been increased to three times the hypersonic speed. The two powerful Raptor 3C engines can provide the lander with an acceleration of 17.5m/s and send it into the parking orbit after two hundred seconds. .

At this stage, the old cat can only sit down and watch, praying in his heart that nothing will go wrong... A large metal lump weighing dozens of tons is rampaging at a high speed of thousands of meters per second. If something goes wrong, even God can't save it, old cat. I just hope that the two engines are obedient enough and the system computer of the Eagle spacecraft does not have a problem.

As long as everything goes according to plan, there is hope.

A one-tenth probability is enough for this old cat.

The timer in the lower left corner of the computer screen was beating every minute. The lander had been launched for 50 seconds. At this moment, the lander was more than 20 kilometers above their heads.

In ten seconds, the Eagle spacecraft will begin to change its pitch angle, from vertical lift-off to tilted flight.

The old cat clenched the pen in his hand.

The acceleration of eighteen meters per second is not an unbearable overload. It is less than two G. The overload of a fighter jet ejected from an aircraft carrier exceeds three G. This acceleration is just child's play for a spacecraft, but the old cat Still worried involuntarily... After all, this spaceship is too important to tolerate any sloppiness.

Tang Yue leaned against the porthole. He could no longer see the flames of the lander's engine. The Raptor 3C rocket was radiant at the moment it started, but as the lander gradually lifted off the ground, the engine's flames gradually disappeared into darkness. in the storm.

For some reason, Tang Yue felt empty in his heart, as if he had just said goodbye to an old friend, and he hadn't even seen this old friend for the last time... When the storm subsided, he went to the Eagle spacecraft again. At that time, I think I could only see a burnt-black descending level.

The only spaceship in his hand that was capable of leaving Mars was also gone. From now on, Tang Yue was completely trapped and died on this planet.

Although Tang Yue never thought about leaving here on the Eagle spacecraft, this fact still made him a little panicked.

This is probably a feeling of being cut off.

Tang Yue turned around and walked to Lao Mao and sat down on the chair.

"Is the kid okay?"

The old cat nodded slowly, "So far, the little guy has had a safe journey... It has basically left the atmosphere of Mars, and the sandstorm has completely been unable to affect it."

The old cat stretched out his paw and poked a small green dot in the upper right corner of the screen. The green dot was flashing regularly.

"This is the Eagle spacecraft reporting safety. It will actively contact the Kunlun Station once every second to report its speed, altitude, attitude and other status to me, and then the Kunlun Station will provide corrections." Old Mao said, " It’s changing posture.”

Tang Yue's eyes fell on the computer screen, and the small cursor of the Eagle spacecraft began to turn along the dotted path.

The pitch angle and angle of attack data displayed on the other side of the screen changed drastically.

"Very good... very good... take your time, steady, steady..." the old cat muttered, staring intently. It watched the central axis of the Eagle spacecraft gradually coincide with the dotted line, and then clapped its hands to cheer up, " pretty!"

One-third of the working time of the Raptor 3C engine has passed, and the speed of the lander has increased to 1,200 meters per second. The old cat does not know when it will lose contact with the Eagle spacecraft. It hopes to be as safe as possible Steady the lander.

"Our express truck has successfully turned! What a good and obedient child!" the old cat said, "Next, it will go straight to the parking track!"

The parking orbit of the Eagle spacecraft is an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 150 kilometers and an apogee of 350 kilometers. It will first enter this orbit, and then look for opportunities to change orbits and rendezvous with the Joint Space Station.

The anemometer suddenly sounded a warning.

Tang Yue and Lao Mao were both surprised.

The wind speed began to rise again, rising to thirty-five meters per second within a few seconds. The system computer also gave the prediction results. A striking red line quickly raised its head like a ferocious cobra, and it would resume in ten minutes. Breaking through the forty meter mark.

Now it seems that the gap in wind speed reduction is only a few minutes. The low pressure area of ​​​​the cyclone has passed, and Kunlun Station has re-entered the area where the storm is raging.

"Damn it!" Old Cat glanced at the number on the anemometer, and then at the speed of the Eagle spacecraft on the monitoring system. Both numbers were increasing rapidly.

It didn't expect the wind speed to pick up so quickly.

The old cat stared at the anemometer and the status of the Eagle spacecraft at the same time. He was very anxious, but he couldn't do anything. The weather was force majeure, and the Eagle spacecraft couldn't speed up. If the wind speed continues at this trend, the signal sent by the Eagle spacecraft will soon be interfered with, and the connection between them will be interrupted. The old cat just hopes that this moment can be postponed as long as possible.

"Run, kid...run..." Old Cat stared at the lander on the screen, "Run faster!"

Tang Yue grasped its shoulders tightly.

Both Lao Mao and the Eagle spacecraft are racing against time. The ferocious cobra on the anemometer has already caught up with them. It is said that the storm is actually affecting the Kunlun Station on the ground, but Tang Yue and Lao Mao are urging each other in unison. Run the Eagle spaceship quickly...it's as if the snake will catch up and swallow the Eagle spacecraft in one bite.

One person and one cat were jumping around in Kunlun Station like crazy and shouting:

"Run! Run! Run faster!"

"Little Eagle, run! Run! Quick..."

The next second, the shouts of Tang Yue and Lao Mao stopped abruptly, and a pop-up window popped up on the computer screen with eye-catching scarlet words:

"WARNING:NO SIGNAL!"

The signal is interrupted.