manynovel #493 - First manned space flight
#493 - First manned space flight
Unbeknownst to them, time had entered the middle of 1959. After multiple rounds of unmanned spacecraft launch tests, the various issues, large and small, discovered during the experiments were resolved. The higher-ups finally decided to proceed with the launch of a manned spacecraft.
“Old Ren, for this first manned spacecraft launch, should we conduct a live global television broadcast?” After confirming the launch method and time, Chief of Staff Ye was once again hesitant about whether to proceed with a live television broadcast.
Although the unmanned spacecraft launch tests had been very successful, with the experimental monkeys in the capsule being perfectly recovered each time, he was still worried about the unforeseen.
If an accident were to occur during the live broadcast, Chief of Staff Ye feared that the negative impact on the advancement of Dongda’s aerospace endeavors would be irreparable.
Therefore, taking a conservative approach, most people believed that it would be better to use a live-edited broadcast method, which would allow for some room to maneuver.
Live broadcasts, however, have the characteristics of being highly time-sensitive, credible, and realistic. During a live broadcast, all on-site launch conditions are synchronized with the viewers watching television. Viewers can know what is happening on-site in real-time, making the credibility of the broadcast almost unquestionable and possessing the strongest persuasiveness.
It can be said that the real-time nature, effectiveness, and communication impact of live-edited broadcasts are completely incomparable to live broadcasts.
The impact could be at least an order of magnitude different.
From the current perspective, the development of the aerospace industry is almost entirely about burning money. The benefits generated are few and far between. The income from selling satellites and satellite broadcasts is only a drop in the bucket compared to the massive investment in the aerospace industry. Therefore, in this regard, Ren Zhong has always advocated for increasing the transparency of the aerospace industry.
To gain some returns in terms of the social benefits of gaining influence.
Because boosting public pride is a very important matter. Despite the technological frenzy that has erupted in Dongda over the past decade, it has already reversed much of Dongda’s confidence from a century of being passively beaten.
However, in the eyes of ordinary people internationally, Dongda’s image is still relatively weak. For the people of the great powers and those in third-world countries, although Dongda now produces many things, the overall impression is still difficult to associate with advanced technological nations.
At least at first glance, not many people in other countries would think of Dongda as a technologically powerful nation.
This is not because Dongda’s development speed is not fast enough. In fact, in the eyes of those truly upper-class people in the West, Dongda is already very formidable, because they are constantly obtaining development information from Dongda.
However, ordinary people do not have that much information. If the first manned space mission could be broadcast live to the world, this program would obviously have a transformative effect on enhancing the perception of Dongda’s technological level among the people of the entire world.
Ren Zhong recalled the first manned spacecraft of the Great Bear and the first moon landing of the Rogue Eagle in the main world. Both involved entering outer space, but their impact on the world was completely different.
Even though the technical difficulty of these two space activities did indeed differ, the impact of a global television broadcast should not be underestimated.
From Ren Zhong’s perspective, it would of course be best to broadcast live to the world. This truly earth-shattering technological breakthrough could not be better commemorated than with a live broadcast.
This would not only elevate Dongda’s position to an incredible height, but it could also subtly demonstrate a deterrent to the great powers!
Truly achieving the best strategy of subduing the enemy without fighting.
Dongda’s current development path certainly does not want to encounter any obstacles. However, as Dongda continues to impact the world market, the rapidly growing Dongda may become a formidable opponent in the eyes of the great powers in just a few years.
If there are no special means of deterrence, economic conflicts will be inevitable.
In this regard, merely relying on military suppression is not something that Dongda’s current strength has reached. However, manned space activities can be perfectly combined with strategic strike capabilities. Having such capabilities is an obvious deterrent to major countries.
Because the transition of this technology to strategic strike capabilities is almost seamless.
“If possible, I suggest that we choose a live broadcast to fully showcase humanity’s first exploration of space,” Ren Zhong said after pondering for a long time. “In terms of technological maturity, our manned spacecraft has undergone multiple tests, and there are no problems with the core functions. The monkeys undertaking the astronaut experiments have not suffered any harm. I personally believe that the probability of success for our first manned flight is very high.”
Ren Zhong first stated his own views, and then explained, “We cannot view this space activity with the current perspective, but rather from the grand perspective of the future situation evolving over decades. We are not only leading the global development of aerospace, but also pulling strong competitors into this major activity. A live broadcast can not only greatly enhance Dongda’s reputation in international technological development, but more importantly, it can trigger a space race between the Great Bear and the Rogue Eagle.”
A space race is inevitable, but a space war is almost impossible in the next hundred years. Ren Zhong recalled the Star Wars plan in the main world, a grand scheme intertwined with overt and covert plots, which directly exhausted a superpower. So now, in this world, could a similar action be taken?
This is a strategic issue of great importance.
For Chief of Staff Ye, what needs to be considered is naturally not just the launch of the manned spacecraft itself.
Ren Zhong’s opinion is very important to Chief of Staff Ye, because from a strategic perspective, starting from Dongda’s own development over decades, almost no one has more say than Ren Zhong now.
The path that Dongda has taken now is something that people did not dare to imagine more than a decade ago.
Not only has the development of technology undergone earth-shaking changes, completely transforming everything, but from importing even matches and nails, it has become an industrialized nation with a complete range of industrial categories, leaving Dongda’s footprints on land, sea, air, and space. The development of the entire Dongda society, let alone the great powers, is still being doubted and adapted to by many of its own people.
However, for those in charge of certain aspects, like Chief of Staff Ye, they are very clearly aware of these things, so they expect a better future.
In the hearts of these people, recreating the prosperous Tang Dynasty is no longer the goal. In the current situation, everyone is aiming at “counting the outstanding figures, we still look to the present,” using the efforts of one generation to realize the aspirations of people for hundreds of years.
Therefore, even though there were some risks involved in live-streaming the launch of the spaceship, after Ren Zhong analyzed the pros and cons and the significance, Chief of Staff Ye was already inclined to use a live broadcast as a strong medicine!
At the first manned spaceship launch center, Professor Qian, as the chief commander, was under immense pressure.
He temporarily put aside all other matters and devoted himself entirely to this launch.
Regardless of whether it was a live broadcast or a recorded broadcast, Professor Qian had to consider the on-site recording and signal transmission issues. Fortunately, Ren Zhong had already provided the entire transmission plan to the site. In addition, with the recent breakthroughs in wireless communication technology, after testing, the live broadcast signal transmission, including the connection to satellites to achieve space-to-ground signal relay, had all been proven successful.
In the previous third and fourth experimental spaceship tests, the entire system had undergone complete testing, with stable signal transmission and clear images.
However, a new problem has now arisen, which is that the content of the live broadcast cannot be modified during the process.
Therefore, Professor Qian and his team are now very carefully selecting the television camera angles and content.
"We must avoid any shots that easily expose performance parameters. During takeoff and in space, we should focus our cameras on the astronauts' performance. Except for a set of close-up shots of the rocket during takeoff, we should use wide-angle shots and astronaut shots interchangeably during takeoff to ensure that our rocket parameters cannot be easily deduced by experts from the video," Professor Qian requested.
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"Professor Qian, we have already made improvements according to your requirements. Through the analysis of the camera shots from the most recent launch, the number of shots exposing performance parameters has been greatly reduced. We have partially blurred the shots of the rocket's size and the spaceship's external dimensions and added a slight distortion filter. We have also adjusted the colors, and the color of the rocket's exhaust during takeoff has also been changed to a certain extent, which will increase the difficulty of analyzing our propellant materials," said a professor in charge of the live broadcast content.
"In addition, regarding the display of the flight trajectory, we have implemented a directional translation of the flight trajectory display with the test and control center team. The trajectory displayed on our internal controller is completely real, but on the large screen for external broadcast, we have processed it with a translation before releasing it. If someone tries to analyze it through video recording, they will not be able to obtain our real trajectory."
"Very good. We also need to obfuscate the transmission effect of the spaceship's communication device and hide our current air-to-ground wireless communication rate indicators. After entering orbit, we should also appropriately reduce the picture quality of the data transmitted from the spaceship to the local satellite communication receiver for relay. There are very few countries with our kind of air-to-ground wireless communication technology, and we don't need to expose all of our true strength," Professor Qian continued.
"Frankly speaking, even if we reduce the wireless communication rate by half, I think our competitors would still be unable to match it." Professor Qian had first-hand information from Ren Zhong, and he knew the technical specifications of the wireless communication technology used by the Rogue Eagle and the Great Bear when they entered space and landed on the moon. A comparison showed a significant difference from what Dongda currently possessed.
These technologies can not only be used in aerospace, but also, according to the prospects Ren Zhong described to Professor Qian, the greatest use of wireless communication technology will still be in personal communication, and in the future, it may even realize the ideal world where everyone can be connected at any time.
In this regard, although it sounds a bit magical now, Professor Qian has 100% trust in Ren Zhong and firmly believes that there will definitely be such a day in the future.
Because since he returned to China and joined Ren Zhong's command to be the helm of aerospace research and development, he has achieved so many incredible things. Now he can even send people into space. When he first returned to China, who would have dared to think that there would be such a result so quickly?
"Yes, Professor Qian. We can actually adjust the picture quality. After the spaceship enters space and our live broadcast signal is transmitted, we can reduce the picture quality by half after relaying it and broadcast it. We can simply mention to the outside world that the signal transmission capability in space more than 100 kilometers away has weakened, and the picture quality supported by our signal has been reduced. I think the television viewers watching the live broadcast can accept this explanation," the professor in charge of the television broadcast nodded.
"What other problems are there with the rocket?" Professor Qian asked the person in charge of the rocket after settling the live broadcast matter.
"Professor Qian, there are currently no problems with the rocket. The rocket is ready, and the fuel has been delivered to the warehouse near the site. We can refuel and launch at any time depending on the weather conditions," the person in charge of the rocket said confidently.
This rocket has already passed several rounds of actual launch tests, and the results show that it basically sent the spaceship to the specified altitude according to the designed performance goals.
"What about the spaceship? What are the current test results?" Professor Qian then asked.
"Report, Professor Qian, the on-site test parameters of the spaceship are normal," the professor in charge of the spaceship replied.
"Regarding climate conditions, have we determined the time frame suitable for launch?" Seeing that everything was ready, Professor Qian turned to the person in charge of weather forecasting.
"Report, Professor Qian, according to the current weather conditions, the best weather conditions are predicted to be around 1:00 PM the day after tomorrow and around 10:00 PM three days later. We can choose these two time points for launch," the weather person responded.
Professor Qian thought for a while, "Our first choice is 1:00 PM the day after tomorrow, and 10:00 PM three days later will be the backup. Next, everyone prepares according to this timetable!"
After Professor Qian confirmed the time, the TV station issued a rolling forecast for the first manned spaceship live broadcast and began to announce it to the world!
After this news came out, the entire Bright Sword world was in an uproar!
Before this, Dongda's experimental launches had been kept secret, and no one knew that Dongda had come up with this big move!
Almost without any surprise, it occupied the headline news positions of various local media. Many people, after receiving this news, prepared to stay in front of the television to witness the birth of a new era and witness the first step of Blue Star conquering the universe! (End of this chapter)