Jinling Launch site.
A huge and glorious fully-equipped aerospaceplane was crawling on the launch runway.
Its name was Starlight. But it was different from the Starlight spacecraft from a few years ago. In order to adapt to long-distance flight and more flexible launch missions, the Aerospace Science and Technology Institute of the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study redesigned its fusion energy supply unit and high-power Hall effect thrusters. This improved its cruising mileage and engine stability.
Forget about Mars, it could even reach the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter within a month. However, the Lunar Orbit Committee did not have a need to send people so far away. Collecting rock specimens could be done by unmanned detectors.
The pilot of this flight had also participated in the original Mars rescue mission. He was also the only astronaut in the team with experience going to Mars.
An experimental machine enclosed in a metal cargo box was sent into the cargo storage. The entire aerospaceplane had completed its final launch preparations.
Liu Biao and Xu Zhenghong, who had already put on their spacesuits, boarded the plane under the eyes of the ground crew. They entered the interior of the aerospaceplane and sat in the main and co-pilot seats. They then connected their spacesuits to the in-cabin life support system.
“A long trip to Mars.
“I wonder if we can see the wreckage of the BFS spacecraft.”
Xu Zhenghong grinned as he checked the instruments in the cockpit. He smiled and said, “Haha, it’s been more than a year. It’s probably not there anymore.”
Liu Biao joked and said, “We might even be able to retrieve it.”
During the last rescue operation, NASA was worried that China would obtain the secrets of the BFS spacecraft. When the Starlight arrived on Mars, they purposely crashed the BFS spacecraft hovering in orbit.
However, the Chinese recorded the coordinates of the spacecraft crash. If they had enough fuel, they could easily land on Mars and retrieve some “samples”.
“The situation probably won’t allow it. Why would we want to bring home a bunch of garbage?” Xu Zhenghong turned on the engine power. He looked at the rising magnetic counter. He pushed the ignition switch while speaking to the ground command center. He then said in a serious tone, “This is Starlight, we are entering takeoff.”
“Received. This is the ground command center. Everything in the sky is normal. Continue the launch plan. Good luck!”
The black engine was lit by a blue flame. Driven by the high-temperature plasma, the huge plane began to slide forward, finally flying into the sky, leaving a line of blue light behind. It headed toward the fiery red planet tens of millions of kilometers away, carrying the hopes and expectations of everyone on the ground.
Near the launch site.
Everyone looked at the aerospaceplane disappear into the clouds. Physicists and reporters from all over the world were shocked.
A reporter from BBC reported the scene to the camera with a shocked expression on his face.
“An aerospaceplane, about two-thirds the size of a Boeing 777, took off from the runway. It just disappeared into the sky behind me.
“I can’t even describe the shock in my heart, not because of its speed, but because it subverted my understanding of aerospace launches.
“Perhaps it’s too late to say this, but I never thought that… By using controllable fusion energy, an electric propulsion engine can achieve the power of a traditional chemical engine!
“I digress. ILHCRC’s Z particle clock has successfully passed through the troposphere and is moving toward the edge of the atmosphere. If everything goes well, it will reach Mars orbit within two weeks. With the Z particle clock on board, they will examine Professor Lu Zhou’s hyperspace theory…”
Nearby.
A young man who looked like a student stood beside Professor Witten.
He stared at the sky for a long time without blinking. It wasn’t until people began to gradually disperse that he finally looked at Professor Witten and said, “Professor…”
“What?”
“If they really surpass the speed of light, what does that mean?”
“This means he might be a greater physicist than Einstein…” After a pause, Witten felt like his statement was not accurate enough. He said in a serious tone, “No, not might, he will be.”
The news of the launch of the Z particle clock spread all over the world through the media.
According to the launch plan, after reaching the lunar orbit, Starlight would drop off the first Z particle clock, then head to the Moon Palace, where it would refuel. Then it would continue to fly to Mars.
The world’s eyes were focused on the aerospaceplane that was passing through the edge of the atmosphere. Inside the director office at the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study, Lu Zhou was thinking while looking at a whiteboard full of calculations.
Suddenly, he heard a knock.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a familiar figure walked into the office.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Luo Wenxuan said curiously. He looked at the calculations written on the whiteboard, which he didn’t understand at all. He said, “I thought you would be at the launch site command center.”
“What do I achieve by standing there?” Lu Zhou didn’t take his eyes off the whiteboard. He smiled faintly and replied casually, “My presence or absence will not affect the success of the launch. Moreover, it’s just a trip to Mars. It’s not the first time we’ve been there, so it is nothing special.”
Luo Wenxuan: “What are you doing?”
“Doing a final check on the calculations…” Lu Zhou added a few lines of calculations on the whiteboard. He thought for a second and said, “And thinking of a way to perfect it.”
Luo Wenxuan said, “I’m shocked! I didn’t expect you to be not excited at all. I can’t believe you’re in the mood to do these calculations.”
Lu Zhou: “Is there anything to be anxious about?”
Luo Wenxuan joked, “It feels like soon, a physicist will be crowned as being greater than Einstein. Every explorer in the future will chant his name and pray for safety before setting off. If a spacecraft fails, the passengers would certainly not pray to god, they would pray to Lu Zhou.”
Lu Zhou couldn’t help but smile.
“That’s ridiculous. The Z particle is just a breakthrough in our hyperspace theory. In the end, whether it can become the key to solving interstellar travel depends on how people in the future understand this theory. Being first doesn’t mean the best. Just like direct current and alternating current. Although the former was born first, the latter wins in the end.”
“But everyone remembers Faraday’s contribution to the world.”
Lu Zhou: “I don’t deny this. He was given an honorary reward since his invention couldn’t be applied.”
Luo Wenxuan shrugged his shoulders and asked, “Then why are you doing something that is not beneficial to you and extremely risky?”
Lu Zhou said, “Frankly speaking, it is out of interest.”
Luo Wenxuan was stunned for a moment. He then smiled.
“That’s totally something you would say.”
Lu Zhou: “Did you come here to chat with me?”
“Of course not.”
Luo Wenxuan took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou looked at the beautifully crafted card. He raised his eyebrows curiously. He put down the marker in his hand and unfolded the card.
He then glanced at the content inside and asked, “What is this?”
“An invitation letter.” Luo Wenxuan shrugged and looked at Lu Zhou. He said, “I don’t know if you are interested, but it happens to be here in Jinling, so I brought it here.”
