The military-industrial scientific research system of the academic master

Two days later.

Just when NASA Director Michael Griffin, who was forced to be hospitalized because of high blood pressure, finally woke up.

China, Qiong Province.

Chang Haonan was sitting in a command vehicle of the Second Artillery Corps, looking out at a lush weed field through the window.

Although he had crammed in agronomic knowledge for a while while tinkering with the experimental fields, he really couldn't figure out what kind of plants these were.

In short, thanks to the good climate of the tropics, the growth can be said to be extremely vigorous.

Let alone a reconnaissance plane or reconnaissance satellite, even sitting in the car, he couldn't tell that there was a high-standard concrete road hidden underneath.

It is even enough to pass the HY4330 semi-trailer trailer, which has almost no off-road capabilities and is not even very maneuverable.

"I said Brigadier Yang, your disguise is pretty good..."

He smacked his lips with some emotion and said to the brigade commander Yang Guang sitting next to him.

"There is no way...Since our missile performance is limited, we can only work hard on subjective initiative..."

Neither Dongfeng 31 nor Dongfeng 31A, or even Dongfeng 21, has the iconic unsupported launch capability of a new generation of ballistic missiles.

Kuaizhou One, which is directly modified from Dongfeng 31, naturally does not have it either.

In other words, although it has the ability to maneuver, it still needs to move to a pre-prepared launch position before launching.

Of course, this kind of position no longer requires the preparation of big things like launch towers that cannot be hidden, so the setup flexibility is still far superior to the old guys of the previous generation.

And Chang Haonan knew very well that he should be heading to such a place.

Inevitably, this launch will reveal some long-prepared secrets.

But on the one hand, the benefits after success are so great that it is completely worth paying some costs.

On the other hand, in order for missiles launched from China to reach North America, the shortest route is over the North Pole rather than across the Pacific. Therefore, the actual combat significance of missile launch positions arranged south of the Yangtze River is relatively limited.

Not a loss anyway.

A military laptop is fixed in the middle of the command vehicle, but it does not display the attack targets given by superiors like it did during past training.

Instead, it plays satellite-relayed TV images like an ordinary home computer.

"Dear viewers, after the final instructions from the decision-making leaders, the naval landing ship force, the Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and the National Space Administration responded as quickly as possible and have dispatched a latest solid launch vehicle that has just left the factory. The most suitable launch location..."

The female host stood in the wind and shouted hoarsely into the microphone:

"Although this type of launch vehicle has not yet undergone any launch test, and even the modular satellite for the mission has been put into use for the first time, this mission is of great significance, and China, as a major country, has no shirk..."

"..."

Behind her, a HY4330 launch vehicle painted entirely white was escorted by a series of guidance vehicles and drove onto the newly commissioned "Kunlun Mountain" dock landing ship.

Of course, this was a picture that had been shot in advance yesterday morning and was not a real live broadcast.

But because the details are handled well, although it is not completely flawless, it is at least impossible to be noticed in a short period of time.

The convoy drove on the stone road for about an hour and finally stopped in the middle of a relatively flat highland.

Only the third missile (rocket) launch vehicle bypassed the vehicle in front and continued forward, arriving on a concrete platform that had obviously been cleared just now.

Compared with traditional liquid rockets that require hundreds or thousands of people to wait before launch, the advantages of solid fuel are fully demonstrated at this moment.

Although the preparations beforehand are equally tedious, as far as the launch mission itself is concerned, only a few support resources are needed to complete it.

Around this slightly crude launch site, a series of media vehicles have already been deployed, just waiting for the final protagonist to enter——

Other images can be produced in advance and put together, but the final actual launch must be truly live broadcast anyway.

Zhou Pingjian jumped off another command vehicle slightly behind the convoy and trotted up to Chang Haonan with an agility that was totally inappropriate for his age:

"Academician Chang, the commanders and fighters of the Second Artillery are conducting the final data verification before launch. You can see the signal relay transmission work after entering orbit..."

Because it was indeed the first time that a pure solid rocket was launched on such an occasion, under normal circumstances the missile brigade commander would have commanded the entire process.

But today this is both a live media broadcast and a press release. Although anyone with a discerning eye can see what the so-called "Kuaizhou One" is, they can't really not act at all.

Therefore, Zhou Pingjian, who is the chief designer of the manned space project and deputy commander of the space fishing boat project, had to be the person in charge of this launch mission.

Of course, the one who actually issued the specific instructions would still be Brigadier Yang Guang.

"Don't worry..."

Chang Haonan closed the car door with his backhand and headed towards the temporary command post on the other side of the high ground:

"Before we set off today, the Qingluan 2 constellation has completed attitude adjustment, ensuring that it can provide a stable video relay signal with a duration of no less than 50 minutes and a resolution of no less than 480P."

The Qingluan-1 constellation, launched three years ago, ran out of fuel and stopped working as early as the end of 2004 due to too frequent attitude adjustments.

Fortunately, the low-orbit relay center satellite has proven its value, so the larger and more powerful Qingluan II constellation was launched into orbit in the second half of 2005 and early 2006.

Just in time for this mission.

Zhou Pingjian hurriedly followed and continued to ask:

"In addition, after confirming the launch into orbit and before the onboard camera signal is connected, it is necessary to insert an interview with the project manager. You see..."

Chang Haonan paused for a moment, but soon resumed his movements:

"After all, my public identity is the chief planner of the Aviation Power Group. It is better not to be on camera for things related to aerospace..."

"Hiss..."

Zhou Pingjian was stunned when he heard this answer, and then smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"I really... forgot about this kind of thing..."

Chang Haonan's main work in the past one or two years has been related to missiles and rockets. He usually deals with people in the aerospace industry. It's no wonder that Lao Zhou didn't think it through...

...

As the planned launch time approached, the Second Artillery officers and soldiers and Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation technicians who were originally busy around the launch vehicle also evacuated their positions one after another.

Only a few launch operators such as the missile bugler remained in the control cabin.

At this moment, the world was silent.

"Attention, all positions... unlock the equipment... erect the rocket!"

Yang Guang has practiced missile launches for a lifetime, and he almost blurted it out out of habit. Fortunately, he changed his words at the last moment.

The command was transmitted to the control cabin via radio. The operator turned two keys at the same time. After three green lights were lit, he suddenly pressed the [erect] button in front of him.

Accompanied by the buzzing sound produced by the hydraulic valve working, the slender missile launch tube slowly rose with the support of the hydraulic arms on both sides, like a rising dragon, ready to attack the sky.

After 30 seconds, the launch tube was erected to 90°, and then the barrel slowly sank, making a "squeak" sound, and the four bottom support feet were pressed against the concrete floor of the launch position.

In the control cabin, the fourth green light was on, indicating that the launch preparation was complete.

"Erecting completed!"

The clear voice of the operator echoed in the empty command post with ventilation on all sides.

Kuaizhou-1 directly refers to the missile launch process, so everything is based on quick response, and there are no other steps that are too lengthy.

After confirming that the preparations are complete, Yang Guang directly starts the countdown:

"10, 9, 8..."

Including Chang Haonan, everyone at the scene and watching the live broadcast across the TV screen almost held their breath at this time.

In fact, if it weren't for creating a tense atmosphere for the media, they wouldn't even shout out the countdown process...

"3, 2, 1..."

At this time, even Yang Guang's own voice trembled a little.

Fortunately, his instructions were still clear and accurate:

"Launch!"

The next half second was almost longer than half an hour.

Some people even began to think that the launch had failed.

"Bang--"

A dull sound broke the silence at the launch site.

The cover of the missile launch tube was thrown forward and fell into the weeds more than ten meters away.

Only the black hole of the launch tube was left piercing the sky, like the gate of hell with its bloody mouth opened wide.

But this time, it was full of expectations and hopes.

"Bang——"

Then, accompanied by a burst of black and gray smoke, the white cylindrical projectile was ejected along the launch tube, accompanied by several explosions of gunpowder gas in the middle.

That was the sound made when the fixing ring was separated.

After the entire rocket left the launch tube, a dazzling flash instantly lit up from the tail, and slowly climbed up under the direct or indirect gaze of tens of millions of people, and slowly disappeared in the sky...

"Ignition successful!"