Great Power Technology

Low Earth orbit, altitude 570 kilometers.

In the "Dragon" manned spacecraft, four "non-professional" astronauts are recording the data of the just-concluded orbit change operation of the Starlink system through the operation panel in front of them.

In fact, the orbit change operation of the Starlink system can be initiated from the ground. The reason why the space shuttle is equipped with a control system is essentially a disaster preparedness consideration for the U.S. military.

They want to test whether a large-scale satellite group can be controlled through directional microwave communications in the air when ground communications are completely interfered with, thereby avoiding information leakage caused by ground monitoring.

Before the launch of the Dragon spacecraft, this was just one of their side missions. But as the situation took a turn for the worse, the status of this side mission also increased and it became one of the most important tasks.

They have performed orbit changes like this twice in three days - of course, what they are operating is not a real orbit change, but a simulated data transmission.

For a satellite, every time it performs an orbit change, it consumes stored fuel, and when the fuel is exhausted, the satellite's life ends.

After all, an uncontrollable satellite is actually no different from space junk.

Among the four astronauts, Jane is the oldest. Her true identity is a senior NASA engineer. This time she went to space as an ordinary person, but she actually relied on the cover of the Intelligence Agency.

At this time, she had completed the final data calculation and transmitted the data to the International Space Station thousands of kilometers away, and was waiting for a response from the space station.

Half an hour later, the space station responded to check the information, and another half an hour later, a clear text message with the content "Grand Canyon" was delivered to the Dragon spacecraft.

At this point, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, two days ago, she had received the cipher text message from the ground, and the cipher text content was "Red Bird".

This is the second time in her 20 years of working in the industry that she has received information transmitted through this cipher text system based entirely on human brain recording. The last time she received it was when a major crisis occurred.

This system consists of 160 words, each word representing a specific situation or action strategy. There is no record in the electronic system at all, and it relies purely on word of mouth among intelligence personnel after entering the industry.

Obviously, this is to ensure maximum security, and it can even be called a code that is almost impossible to crack - at least in the early stages of the war, when there is no large-scale action basis for reference, this system is a complete black box. .

And this time, the first cipher text she received was the "red sparrow" with the highest priority in the entire system. What it represented was that a comprehensive information leak had occurred, and any intelligence transmitted through the electronic system could no longer be trusted. , all actions are carried out according to the initial plan.

Therefore, when she transmitted the Starlink orbit change data, she actually not only used a variety of methods to encrypt the files, but also had two sets of data, one of which had been tampered with on key nodes. Only those who have actually come into contact with the Starlink system Only those involved in the control can see the difference.

The message "Grand Canyon" is a sign that the other party has completed the identification.

Jane sighed deeply, untied the restraints on the seat, pushed the handle gently, floated up from the chair, and began to slowly move towards the rest area of ​​the spacecraft.

There she meets another key player in the voyage, James.

The other party's true identity is a senior military intelligence officer responsible for electronic warfare technology and spy satellite monitoring. At this time, he was eating lunch in a small restaurant.

After seeing Jane, he asked:

"Want a piece of pizza? I just warmed it up."

Jane shook her head and replied:

"No appetite. The situation is very serious. I really don't know how you can maintain this mentality. Aren't you worried?"

Hearing her words, James shook his head, smiled, and replied:

"This is the training we must go through. For every intelligence officer, being able to face pressure with a stable mentality is the most basic requirement. Are you worried? Of course, I am as worried as you, but in addition to doing the current job well, Do we have any other options for work?”

"Our enemies have obviously gained the upper hand this time, but we are not completely helpless. At least now, in this space, the confidentiality of our information is still guaranteed."

"I highly doubt that."

Jane pulled up a leash that was floating in the air and tied herself to the chair again.

"Yes, yes, it's normal to be skeptical. But listen to me, there's really no need to worry too much. Judging from the information we've received now, everything is fine on the ground, right?"

"Are you worried that after we return, Ugly Country will cease to exist?"

".This is not impossible."

Regarding Jane's pessimistic view, James laughed and comforted:

"Jane, you are just a technician. It is normal to feel nervous when you are suddenly involved in such a conflict. However, if you think about it carefully, have we not faced too many crises in this country?"

"Even the most extreme situation, the kind that could destroy the entire country, we have dealt with it more than once, so it's really nothing in comparison."

"It's just an information leak. With your authority, I can't reveal more details to you, but what I want to tell you is that we will handle it."

Hearing this, Jane's originally tense body finally relaxed.

Yes, I am under so much pressure that I almost ignore some objective facts - for example, the fact that my country is still the most powerful country on the planet.

After a pause, she skipped the topic and asked:

"When will our actual orbit change operation start? I heard that this orbit change will be the largest orbit change since the Starlink system was connected to the grid. Under the current circumstances, it will be difficult to complete Is it big?"

James frowned slightly, and after pondering for a moment, he answered:

"Of course there is still difficulty, but difficulty and benefits coexist."

"This time, we will occupy as much low-Earth orbit space as possible through large-scale orbit changes, forcing their Tiangong Space Station to leave its existing orbit, consuming the life of the space station, and blocking the attack angle of their space-based laser weapons."

"Moreover, this change of course is actually a response to the intelligence leakage we are now facing - we are going to test the other party's intelligence penetration."

"If their control is limited to the ground, then the space we can operate is relatively large."

"do you understand?"

Jane nodded to indicate that she was clear.

As James said, this large-scale derailment operation is an attack, but it is also a test.

If everything goes according to plan, our side will be able to greatly weaken the opponent's dominance in space and formally unleash the capabilities of the Starlink system.

At the same time, the space-based laser system that the opponent has just completed will also be greatly affected. The synchronously operating Starlink satellites will block the attack angle of the laser system and use their own worthless bodies to block the laser path.

If they want to use laser weapons, then they must at least burn through the satellite in front of them first.

Moreover, even if the satellite can be burned through, a large amount of metal solution suspended in space will continue to block the laser path, making the so-called space-based anti-missile system useless.

This is a nearly perfect strategy. The only problem is that the change of trajectory must go smoothly.

Thinking of this, she continued to ask:

“Can we trust Musk?”

James shook his head and replied:

"No. We have a purely cooperative relationship with him. If one day he finds that cooperation with us has become unprofitable, he will naturally abandon us without hesitation."

"But at least, as of now, we are still friends with him."

"Of course, that won't be the case after this time."

"Congress has made a decision that if this operation fails, we will not provoke our opponents for a long time in the future. So, this is probably our last chance and there must be no problem."

Jane nodded solemnly, then untied the restraints and flew towards the control room again.

Two hours later, the 10 Starlink satellites carried by Falcon 9 successfully entered the network. The Starlink system was disconnected from the ground command system, and the command was completely handed over to the Dragon space shuttle.

Jane took a deep breath and began to enter the calculated data on the operation interface. Instructions were issued one after another, and all the Starlink satellites involved began to perform orbit changes.

If someone were to observe it from a higher space perspective at this time, probably regardless of his position, he would be shocked by this magnificent scene.

Hundreds of artificial satellites emit white exhaust at the same time, and their postures are constantly adjusted. Their orbits are either rising or falling, like rhythmic strokes on the blue background of the earth's oceans.

At this moment, Jane suddenly had a feeling:

My previous worries were completely unnecessary, my country was still invincible.

Even if other aspects are not considered, who can do it just by controlling these thousands of satellites?

She continued to input instructions skillfully, and one satellite after another was adjusted into the predetermined orbit. The observation interface of the opponent's space-based laser system was already being obscured. At the same time, three fast-moving satellites were already approaching the Tiangong Space Station. .

The difference in orbital altitude is two kilometers, which is almost a miss on the scale of space.

The other party's only option is to adjust its trajectory.

Everything seemed to be going well.

A smile appeared on Jane's face, and she had almost foreseen the success of this operation.

However, just after she typed the last command, the situation suddenly changed.

Those Starlink satellites that had been stabilized suddenly restarted their engines!