When I am reborn, I just want to be a top student

Chapter 784 How Much Does Life Really Weigh?

space.

Under the expectant gaze of countless people in the United States, the Orion spacecraft officially launched and headed towards the moon.

Almost no one doubted that Mary's Orion spaceship might have some problems.

With just a day of patience, we can return to the lunar surface.

The flag of the Bald Eagle Federation flies once again on the lunar surface.

But just when everyone was so expectant and thinking this way...

Just twelve hours later, the situation changed.

The Orion spacecraft, which was flying normally, suddenly lost power after a shudder.

In an instant, alarm sirens sounded continuously inside the spacecraft.

As an experienced astronaut, Mary reacted quickly.

I realized something was wrong when the alarm siren sounded.

One of the greatest dangers of space exploration is that the space environment is very complex and full of unpredictable dangers.

For example, cosmic rays, electromagnetic storms, meteorites, or various fragments.

Although these factors were considered during the initial design phase, it's hard to say how effective they will be when these issues actually arise.

Just like now, faced with such changes, Mary has no way to deal with them effectively and can only resign herself to fate.

The shaking stopped quickly, and Mary immediately initiated the spaceship's self-check to investigate what had happened.

The check results came back quickly, and a large red alarm message appeared on the screen.

The engine has lost power!

Upon seeing this information, Mary had only one feeling.

In that instant, all the strength in my body vanished.

In the unique environment of space, the engine lost power for unknown reasons, and Mary knew very well what that meant.

I will be inside the Orion spaceship, like a living person in a coffin, wandering in the universe, gradually dying.

With the supplies on the spaceship, I can only last for a week at most.

Even with extreme conservation of resources, the maximum time that can be saved is one week to two weeks.

Two weeks later, I will become a corpse in space, endlessly orbiting the moon in the Orion spaceship.

Thinking about this, Mary couldn't help but recall her bold idea before heading to space.

Now, it has indeed come true.

Contrary to her previous expectations, she was now filled with panic and reluctance.

They simply did not want to accept this outcome.

Gone is the carefree and confident person he was when he went into space.

"Oh God, I absolutely cannot die here! I have three children who need us. May the Lord bless me!"

At that moment, Mary disregarded everything else and immediately prayed devoutly to God and the Lord for protection.

The situation that occurred on the Orion spacecraft was also transmitted to the ground two minutes later.

When Madil and Masla, who were still in the command hall, saw this scene unfold on Orion, their first reactions were quite different.

"Cut off the live stream immediately! We can't let the spaceship's situation be broadcast!"

"This shouldn't be the case; the engine shouldn't have such a significant power loss problem."

The two have completely different focuses.

Madier's immediate concern was that if news of what happened on the Orion spacecraft got out, it would draw global ridicule.

Masla, on the other hand, focused his attention on the problems that had arisen with the Orion spacecraft.

Power loss? Logically speaking, that's simply impossible!

After all, Orion has been a classic model for many years. While it's hard to say that all the technology is so mature that it's impossible to make a mistake, it certainly wouldn't make such a basic error.

"Right now, the most urgent task is to immediately cut off the live broadcast and not release any information about the spaceship."

"I need your cooperation on this matter!"

Madir turned his head and looked at Masla with a serious expression, speaking in a solemn tone.

Unexpectedly, Masla shook his head and said, "Madir, I can't do it."

Seeing the anger that appeared on Madil's face because of his refusal, Masla calmly explained, "This plan is a major event that everyone is pushing for."

"And publicity is of paramount importance. I think the news about the spaceship has already spread by now, and your efforts alone are not enough to stop it."

"Moreover, the situation isn't that bad."

As Masla's last sentence took a turn, Madil's expression immediately relaxed, as if a ray of light had been cast over him. He quickly asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"It's not terrible for problems to arise. As long as they can be resolved, it's not something that can't be publicized as a good thing."

"In addition, we must have confidence in our technology and our astronauts."

At this point, Madier calmed down, nodded, and indicated his approval.

"Now, immediately convene the experts and concentrate our efforts to analyze and resolve the engine problem. Find out exactly where the problem lies and fix it as soon as possible!"

Madier's tone was extremely unfriendly as he turned to the staff member beside him and spoke.

And in the outside world.

The unexpected incident involving the Orion spacecraft quickly spread online.

After all, the Bald Eagle Federation's lunar landing operation was a very high-profile and large-scale undertaking.

Not only are people within the Bald Eagle Federation paying attention, but a large number of people in the international community are also concerned.

Therefore, even with the delay, and because some platforms sensed something was wrong and promptly cut off the live stream, this scene was still recorded by countless netizens.

For a while.

A huge uproar ensued across the entire internet platform.

This is the Federation of Bald Eagles, a joint effort between NASA and SpaceX to return to the moon.

As a result, the spacecraft failed before it even reached lunar orbit.

Without the live stream, the problems would have arisen.

Ironically, this live broadcast was seen by many as a declaration of war by the Bald Eagle Federation in its attempt to reclaim its status as a spacefaring superpower.

Just moments before, China Galaxy Aerospace successfully sent its founder to the moon, marking the first time a privately owned enterprise had done so.

Now, the Bald Eagle Federation, which had succeeded decades ago, has revived its lunar landing mission, only to encounter such a mishap.

This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to many who were loyal to the Bald Eagle Federation, leaving them utterly bewildered and disoriented.

In severe cases, it can even feel like a shattered faith.

This is the world's superpower, the Bald Eagle Federation! How could such a problem occur?

"This is impossible!"

"There must be a problem with the signal; this shouldn't be happening."

"The great Bald Eagle Federation could not possibly have such a simple problem."

"This must be a sneak attack by China!" "How could such a thing happen? Is there something wrong with SpaceX's technology?"

Such comments and doubts abound online.

In 2018, the veil of the Bald Eagle Federation was not lifted.

Many people around the world still regard the United States of America as a beacon, a beacon of human civilization.

In the eyes of these people, the Bald Eagle Federation is the strongest in the world in terms of technology, culture, economy, politics, and military strength.

In the aerospace field, people often mention that they completed the moon landing decades ago, opening a new chapter in human exploration of the universe.

Now, the Orion spaceship incident is like a resounding slap in the face to them.

Inside the command center, aerospace experts had already been summoned.

The Orion spacecraft is not a new model; the related technologies are quite mature.

The engine carried by this spacecraft is the Raptor 3 Pro engine from SpaceX.

Masla was quite nervous after learning about the situation.

They were afraid that their own engine had malfunctioned, causing the spacecraft to stall in space.

However, the things we least want to happen are the things that happen most often.

With guidance from the ground, Mary cooperated inside the spaceship.

The problem with the spaceship was quickly identified.

Not only did the engines fail to ignite, but the spacecraft's hatches also malfunctioned, making them impossible to open from the inside. This meant they had to be opened from the outside.

This means that Mary had no way to complete the repairs herself, since she couldn't even open the hatch and could only assist with the repairs from the outside.

The more crucial issue is that even if we were to launch rockets from Earth's surface now to send astronauts up for rescue missions, we would still face a problem.

Will the rockets and astronauts sent into space again encounter the same problem?

No one can guarantee anything about this.

A comprehensive inspection must be carried out to ensure there are no problems before astronauts can be sent up for rescue.

Otherwise, we could only watch Mary perish in space.

This choice was not an easily acceptable outcome for Madier.

Originally, China's successful moon landing was like the sky falling down for him.

Now, another astronaut might be trapped in space.

If this gets out, Madir will definitely lose his position at the space agency.

Whether for his position or for his future, Madier would not accept such a thing happening.

However, objective reality does not change according to human will.

After a brief meeting, Madier, still somewhat unwilling, asked, "Besides the methods you just mentioned, are there any other methods?"

At this moment, Masla seemed to have made a decision and said, "Actually, there is another way."

"What method?" Madier asked hurriedly.

Masla hesitated for a moment, then looked at Madil and said, "We can apply to China's space program for humanitarian assistance."

Madil squinted as he sized up Masla.

This method is feasible both theoretically and technically.

Launching rockets from Earth to send astronauts into space for rescue is a time-consuming endeavor.

Because Mary is currently not on the space station, but in near-lunar orbit.

To carry out the rescue, one must, like Mary, travel in a spaceship to near-lunar orbit to dock the spaceship and then conduct the rescue.

This is no less challenging than the previous docking of space stations and spacecraft.

In addition, China's spacecraft, returning from the moon, can dock in orbit if the timing is calculated correctly.

Furthermore, the space on the Chinese Houyi spacecraft is large enough to accommodate Mary and bring her back to the space station, or even to Earth.

Of course, the bald eagle would never allow Mary to return to Earth on a Chinese spaceship; at most, it would take her back to the space station.

But this seemingly simple choice has become an enormous challenge.

Because Madier was well aware of the immense impact China's successful moon landing would have on them.

This return to the moon was specifically aimed at China's lunar landing mission.

Now, a technical blunder has occurred, causing them to lose face on the world stage, and they are now requesting humanitarian aid from China's space program.

Based on his understanding of China, he knew that as long as an application was submitted, there was a 99% chance it would not be rejected.

However, the price paid was the bald eagle's reputation and NASA's honor.

The space agency of a world superpower couldn't even bring its own astronauts back, and had to rely on its rival, China, for humanitarian aid.

It is foreseeable that this news will cause a great deal of discussion and uproar.

Madier was caught in a dilemma as he pondered these thoughts.

To apply for aid means to lose face, lose your job, and become a laughing stock.

If they don't apply for assistance, they risk their own astronauts being in danger in space, putting them in a difficult position.

Masla immediately saw through Madir's thoughts.

"Now, news of the Orion spacecraft accident has spread, and it is an undeniable fact that Mary is trapped in space."

"So it seems like we have several options, but in reality we only have one."

"That means Mary has to be rescued and landed on the moon. We can try again. If something happens to Mary on the moon, we will become the biggest laughing stock in the world."

"We've already landed on the moon, so our slogan is simply 'Return to the Moon,' nothing more."

"Even if we fail this time, it will not affect our achievements in the aerospace field in the slightest."

Although Masla is a businessman, he still deeply respects scientific research and talent.

Therefore, when a rescue plan was available, Masla did not hesitate to speak up.

In fact, Masla had already made a decision in his heart.

If Madier does abandon the rescue efforts, he will contact China in the name of SpaceX to request humanitarian aid.

Competition is competition, but humanitarian aid among human beings is still necessary.

After careful consideration, Madier quickly made a decision.

"With the Orion spaceship's reserves, Mary could survive for half a month under extreme conditions."

"In the next two weeks, we might be able to find a solution to the Orion spacecraft problem."

"Now, I'm asking all the experts on the ground to get to work and find a way to solve the Orion spacecraft's engine ignition failure and hatch power problem."

"This is both a crisis and an opportunity."

"Whoever can solve this problem will receive preferential treatment in future development funding."

"Our hero is in danger, and we must race against time to find a way to rescue her!"

Madier ultimately chose to take a gamble and did not choose to apply for humanitarian aid from China's space program.

Hearing Madil's words, Masla sighed inwardly.

(End of this chapter)