Super technology leader

America's successful manned lunar mission has intensified the space race.

From the moment this mission was decided, America's propaganda machine kicked into high gear. After its success, the hype only grew, repeatedly mentioning other international counterparts.

The Bear... let's not even mention it. Without money, nothing can be done.

The Alliance... calling them cooperative teammates sounds nice, but they're really just providing supporting components.

As for Xia, what if they have the largest heavy-lift rocket and the biggest lunar landing equipment ever? They're just equipment; they can't send astronauts to the moon.

They haven't even reached lunar orbit.

But America did it!

So, their title as the world's number one remains. Many things aren't about size or quantity, but about the sophistication of the technology.

America, forever the best!

Tianxia (China) isn't making any aggressive moves. Pathfinder (Linghangzhe) releases daily videos about 'searching for lunar ice,' and the Tianxia Aerospace Administration releases various analysis results.

America had videos from the Mars helicopter, but a large storm hit Mars recently. Although it wasn't long, the Mars helicopter is too small and its self-sustainability is very poor. It went offline completely in just a couple of days.

The ground team hoped the helicopter would come back online after the storm, but so far, even with active calls, there's been no response.

The Mars rovers are fine. After the storm, they just shook their solar panels to remove the sand and continued working.

Actually, the loss of the Mars helicopter wasn't a big deal. After all, the small helicopter was just a small experiment. They were initially prepared for a one-time takeoff and landing test.

Every flight after that was a bonus.

But because of Tianxia and Pathfinder's lunar rover water-finding project, the Mars helicopter was forcibly given a new mission, and the publicity was huge.

Now that there's a problem, the impact is naturally large.

Fortunately, their successful manned lunar mission has allowed them to regain some ground. Coupled with public opinion guidance, the forgetful public quickly forgot what the Mars helicopter was.

Only a few space enthusiasts and professionals are still saddened by the destruction of another Mars device.

Mars is still too difficult for humans.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, time entered June, and the global application period for the private astronaut program, a major international event, came to an end.

Next is the interview stage.

Astronaut selection has always been a small circle affair, conducted within individual countries and basically closed to outsiders.

To narrow it down further, it's a matter for a country's top pilots and researchers. Enthusiasts just watch the excitement.

The country also needs to have some space capabilities; at the very least, it needs to have a space agency.

This time is different. Although they still need those people, the selection is global.

Even if your country doesn't have a space agency, as long as you're good enough, you can become an astronaut after the final selection.

Many countries don't have space agencies, but there are still many people with dreams who study aerospace engineering abroad, hoping that one day their country can establish a space center and then make a wish to go to the stars.

At that time, no matter which country's space agency or company they work for, they will come back to fulfill their country's dream.

Pathfinder's astronaut selection doesn't even require people with aerospace degrees. Mechanical engineers, doctors, teachers, students, anyone can apply.

As long as they meet the requirements.

It's just that the language requirements are a bit too difficult.

Tang Chuan has now taken on a job as an interviewer.

After the application period ended, Pathfinder Company spent a few days reducing the number of applicants to several hundred.

Those who remain are all elites, with Tianxia people accounting for 95%.

Actually, they didn't expect there to be half a percent of foreigners, because there are very few people in the world who can speak Chinese so fluently.

However, this made them focus their attention on these foreigners, because except for those who professionally study Tianxia language, very few foreigners learn Chinese so fluently.

But they are selecting astronauts, and they don't need language majors at all. If the major matches, there will be even fewer people.

Unless, there is a special need.

Several counter-espionage experts have been staying in the company. After screening out most of the applications, they brought in these experts for the interview stage.

Tang Chuan happened to have nothing to do, so he also joined the interview team, responsible for the domestic interview part.

Since having the Twin Star Gate, which can travel between Kerbin and Earth, he has become very confident in his intuition.

It sounds a bit metaphysical, but he just believes it.

The most up-to-date novels are first published on 69shu.吧!

So, during the interview, he also used this method. He talked to the interviewees, and when the levels were similar, he would believe his intuition and leave the people he felt were right.

And today, he actually met an "acquaintance".

"Ma Da, a policeman from a police station in Binhai City, have I met you before?"

Looking at the information and the person on the screen, Tang Chuan asked.

"Yes, Director Tang, we have indeed met. It was during that unmentionable arrest operation. You were there when we were commended afterwards."

Tang Chuan's public identity is Chief Technology Officer, grasping the company's overall technical direction. Calling him "Director" is no problem.

And Ma Da was the young policeman back then. He didn't expect that the interviewer for his video interview would be Tang Chuan, which made him both nervous and a little excited.

"Oh, no wonder you look familiar. I remember it was because of the information you provided that we caught those people."

Hearing him say this, Tang Chuan smiled. This was really an acquaintance, and he made a great contribution.

Although that espionage incident did not affect the launch mission, it would have been a major failure if the spies had escaped.

It's easy to handle things with acquaintances. Tang Chuan chatted with him happily. What interview process? None of that is as important as the will of this big boss.

But chatting, chatting, we still returned to the topic.

"Ma Da, you're doing well as a policeman. The things you did to make merit before are good for your future work and promotion, right? Why did you suddenly participate in the astronaut selection?"

"Uh, Director Tang, I wrote it on my resume. Actually, my major is crop cultivation, and I even graduated with a master's degree."

"I originally planned to enter an agricultural research institute after graduation, but my family asked me to become a policeman. I couldn't resist, so I went."

"The police station I'm in is near the space center. Although the Binhai launch site doesn't launch many times, I still like it very much."

"Hehe, to be honest, Director Tang, I actually wanted to study aerospace engineering at first, but I entered the School of Life Sciences, so I had the dream of growing crops on the moon."

"By the way, Director Tang, do you remember Chang'e-4 back then? The popular science payload 'Lunar Micro-Ecosystem' carried on it was made by our teachers and senior brothers and sisters. When it grew a bud, our whole school was boiling."

"After working, especially working near the space center, I know how difficult my previous dream was, so I already planned to be a good policeman for the rest of my life. I work very hard, especially when it comes to things related to the space center, I will work even harder."

"This time, Pathfinder Company suddenly recruited astronauts globally, and I knew I couldn't miss this opportunity."

"If I miss it, I will definitely regret it for the rest of my life, so I signed up. Today's video interview was also done with leave..."