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

In September, the wind in Jiuquan carries sand.

In the command hall of the Galaxy Space Launch Center, Yang Anchao stood in front of a huge circular screen, his hands braced on the edge of the control panel, his knuckles white from the force.

On the screen, the Lux-2000 verification rocket stands on the launch pad, its silver-gray body reflecting a cold light in the morning glow.

Standing 62 meters tall and 9 meters in diameter, with eight engines arranged in a ring at the rear—this rocket, the most powerful in human history, is now as quiet as a sleeping behemoth.

There are still forty minutes until ignition.

The hall was packed with people, with over a hundred workstations, each occupied by an engineer with three screens in front of them, where data flowed like a waterfall.

No one spoke; only the sound of keyboard clicks and the beeping of the device during self-testing could be heard.

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, almost like a frozen space—not fear, but anticipation.

Everyone was waiting—waiting for the rocket to ignite, waiting for it to break out of the atmosphere, waiting for it to travel 380,000 kilometers and land steadily on the moon.

Yang Anchao hasn't slept well for three days.

It wasn't because I was nervous, but because every time I closed my eyes, my mind would automatically run through the launch process—first stage ignition, booster separation, second stage ignition, fairing jettison, third stage ignition, Earth-Moon transfer, and soft landing on the lunar surface.

Every detail was etched into his bones, so clear that he could know where the rocket should be, what its speed should be, and what its attitude should be without even looking at the screen.

He recalled the night before last, when he sat alone in the final assembly and testing hall, staring blankly at the rocket lying horizontally on the support frame.

Old Zhou passed by and brought in two cups of hot tea, handing one to him and keeping the other for himself.

"Mr. Yang, do you think our lives have been worth it?" Old Zhou suddenly asked.

Yang Anchao did not answer immediately.

He recalled the first time he saw a picture of Saturn V in the library of Harbin Institute of Technology when he was twenty years old.

The black-and-white photograph shows a rocket standing taller on the launch pad than any building he had ever seen.

The sign next to it reads: Height 110.6 meters, takeoff weight 3,039 tons, capable of sending a 45-ton payload to the moon.

He stood in front of the photo, craning his neck to look at it for a long time.

At that time, he never thought that he would actually be able to build rockets one day, let alone that one day his rockets would be more powerful than the Saturn V.

"value!"

He picked up his teacup and clinked it with Lao Zhou's: "It will be even more worthwhile when our rocket lands on the moon."

Old Zhou smiled, his wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes, clearly pleased: "So tell me, if we succeed, what should we name our base on the moon?"

Yang Anchao thought for a moment and said, "Let's call it 'Pioneer,' Pioneer 1. The first permanent base for mankind on the moon will begin with it."

Old Zhou pondered the two words for a moment and nodded.

"The Trailblazers...that's a good name. Once it lands on the moon, we'll be the Trailblazers."

Standing in the command center, Yang Anchao looked at the rocket about to ignite on the screen and silently recited its name in his mind.

Pioneer 1, go! Go to the moon and open a new path for mankind!
"Mr. Yang."

The voice of Chief Engineer Zhou sounded behind him, pulling him back from his reverie: "The data from the ninth parallel test of the Lux-2000 are all normal. The coupled vibration modes of the three engines are stable between 80 and 120 Hz, and the amplitude is controlled within the design range. The response time of the control system has been reduced to three milliseconds."

Yang Anchao took the report but didn't open it; he just held it in his hand.

He has read this report at least twenty times, and he can recite every single number from memory.

He believed in his team, and in those young people who had worked countless sleepless nights to optimize the control algorithm to its fullest potential.

But as much as he believed, he couldn't relax until the rocket landed safely on the moon.

"Has Mr. Wang arrived yet?" he asked.

"We've arrived, but..."

Old Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said, "He didn't go to the viewing area; he was over at the launch tower."

Yang Anchao was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Launch tower? What's he doing there?"

"I don't know, he's all alone."

Yang Anchao was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Wang Donglai never does things the way usual; he's long been used to it.

……

The launch tower is two kilometers away from the command center.

Wang Donglai stood alone below the launch tower, looking up at the towering rocket.

From this angle, the Lux-2000 appears even larger, its silver-gray body resembling a sword piercing the sky, with the nozzles of its eight engines neatly arranged at the rear, gleaming coldly in the morning light.

A morning breeze blew by, carrying the unique scent of sand from the Gobi Desert, causing the hem of his clothes to flutter.

"boss."

Wa's voice came through the earpiece: "Thirty minutes until ignition. We have detected that the wind speed around the launch tower is increasing. It is currently eight meters per second and is expected to reach twelve meters per second at ignition. This is within the safe range, but it may have a slight impact on the rocket's initial attitude."

Can the attitude control system compensate for this?

"Yes, we have done simulations under wind speeds of 15 meters per second before, and the attitude deviation after compensation is within 0.01 degrees."

"That's good."

Wang Donglai continued to look up at the rocket.

Sunlight shone on the silver-gray arrow, reflecting a dazzling light.

The rocket body is printed with the five large characters "Pioneer One" and next to it is the logo of Galaxy Aerospace, a simplified star trail pattern, which is consistent with the name "Galaxy".

This is the name he personally chose.

It wasn't the Hercules-2000 test rocket, it was the Trailblazer 1.

Because he believed that this rocket would become the first cornerstone for humanity's journey into deep space.

"Wa, tell me, when will humanity be able to leave the solar system?"

Wa paused for a second, which was a long time for it to think.

"Boss, based on the current pace of technological development, if thorium-based molten salt reactors and superconducting soil can be successfully industrialized, if the whole-rocket-to-moon mission can successfully verify lunar surface construction technology, and if the next generation of propulsion systems—such as nuclear thermal propulsion or electric propulsion—can achieve a breakthrough within ten years, it is possible for humanity to achieve manned exploration of the Jupiter system within this century. But leaving the solar system... requires a more fundamental technological revolution. Warp drive, wormholes, or other methods that we cannot yet imagine. According to existing physics theories, this timescale is at least a century."

"More than a hundred years ago."

Wang Donglai repeated the number, saying with some emotion, "Yes, the development of science and technology takes time and requires a large number of talented people." "Boss, without you, this day would have come much later."

Wang Donglai did not respond.

He simply looked at the rocket, watching it stand quietly in the morning light, like a traveler about to embark on a long journey.

It doesn't know how many people's expectations it carries, how many people's hearts its success or failure will touch, or how many people will remember its journey.

It's just a rocket, a combination of metal, fuel, and electronic components.

But the moment it ignites, it is no longer just a rocket; it is a hand that humanity reaches out to the universe.

The viewing area is on the second floor of the command hall, behind the glass curtain wall.

There were dozens of people sitting there, including leaders who came from Beijing, veteran experts from the aerospace system, core executives of Galaxy Technology, and several elderly people wearing old military uniforms with medals hanging all over their chests. They were the founders of China's aerospace industry and the group of people who made breakthroughs under difficult conditions back then.

Chen Mingyuan sat in the first row, next to Old Yang.

Both men were over eighty years old, with completely white hair, but their backs were still straight and their eyes were still sharp.

Chen Mingyuan held a technical report on Lux-2000 in his hand. The cover was covered with annotations, the red ink like the marks a surgeon makes on a medical record, each one precisely pointing to the core of the problem.

Old Yang had no report in his hand; he simply stared quietly at the rocket outside the window, his eyes holding something that young people couldn't understand—not anticipation, not excitement, but a deeper, more profound tranquility born from the vicissitudes of life.

"Old Chen, do you think our lives were worth it?"

Old Yang suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Chen Mingyuan put down the report and followed Old Yang's gaze to the rocket outside the window.

After a long time, he said, "It was worth it. Look at the conditions we had back then, and look at the conditions now. The country has developed so well. I have no regrets even if I die!"

Old Yang nodded and said nothing more.

He recalled the various difficulties and obstacles encountered during the country's space development in the past.

But they all persevered, pulled through, and developed the aerospace industry.

"Professor Yang, Academician Chen."

A voice rang behind him.

The two turned around and saw that Wang Donglai had entered the viewing area at some point and was standing behind them.

“From the East”.

Old Yang smiled and beckoned him to sit down: "Why don't you go to the command center? Today is your big day."

Wang Donglai sat down next to Old Yang and placed his teacup on the armrest.

"With Engineer Yang in charge of the command center, this stage should be reserved for him."

Both Mr. Yang and Chen Mingyuan fell silent.

They certainly knew the truth of the matter. Yang Anchao did a lot of work, but most of the problems were solved by Wang Dong.

To put it simply, Wang Donglai's contribution is the number one, while Yang Anchao's work is the zeros that follow.

No matter how many zeros there are, they are meaningless without the one in front of them.

It is extremely rare for Wang Donglai to give the credit to Yang Anchao, to not participate in such a glorious moment and leave it to Yang Anchao.

Such a leader is extremely rare.

How is the security work going?

Chen Mingyuan immediately changed the subject and asked.

Before Wang Donglai could answer, Lu Cheng, who was standing next to him, quickly replied, "The security system is fully in place, the area within five kilometers of the launch tower has been cleared, airspace control is in effect, and..."

After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "We just detected three drones of unknown nationality operating outside the launch center. They have been forced to land by our anti-drone system, and the crew has been apprehended and is under investigation..."

Wang Donglai wasn't too surprised and nodded calmly.

"You can handle these things yourself. There's only one requirement: make sure everything goes perfectly smoothly."

Lu Cheng nodded and turned to leave.

Watching Lu Cheng's departing figure, Old Yang said with a serious expression, "The imperialist heart is still burning!"

Wang Donglai nodded and continued, "Yes, the technology carried on this rocket is not only aerospace technology, but also the Xirang superconducting coating, quantum communication terminal, and AI autonomous navigation system. Any one of these technologies alone is a breakthrough that would change the current technological landscape, and now they are all concentrated on one rocket. Some people will not sit idly by. If they can't do it openly, they will definitely try it secretly."

Old Yang nodded.

He certainly knew that Wang Donglai was right.

The more advanced the technology, the more covetous eyes it attracts.

Sixty years ago, during the Malan Flower Project, the situation was even more perilous than it is now. There was an open blockade and covert infiltration, and every step was a perilous journey.

It's not just the Malan Flower Project; every breakthrough in cutting-edge science and technology is subject to both invisible and tangible pressure from blockades.

"You did the right thing. We need to be open in terms of technology and cautious in terms of safety. These two are not contradictory. Openness is to allow more people to participate in the aerospace industry, and caution is to ensure that this cause is not sabotaged by others."

Old Yang showed a hint of appreciation and spoke up.

Chen Mingyuan suddenly asked, "Donglai, how confident are you about the 'Arrow Falls to the Moon' plan?"

Wang Donglai thought for a moment and said, "Ninety-nine percent! We have done all the verifications we can on the ground. The parallel test of the engine has run hundreds of times, the simulation of the control system has run tens of thousands of times, and the guidance algorithm for the soft landing on the moon has simulated all the conceivable failure modes on a quantum computer. The remaining 0.1 percent is the unexpected events that we cannot control."

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Mingyuan continued, "Have you thought about what would happen if we failed?"

"I've thought about it."

Wang Donglai answered without hesitation, saying decisively, "If we fail, we will find the reasons for the failure, improve, and then try again."

"Spaceflight is not a one-off deal; it's a process of generations working together, rocket after rocket, slowly and painstakingly developing. The Americans failed more than a dozen times before landing on the moon, and the Russians failed dozens of times. Our first moon landing was a success, thanks to both technological prowess and luck."

"What we need to do is keep honing our skills and eliminate the influence of luck. As long as we don't give up, we will eventually bring our success rate close to 100%."

Chen Mingyuan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

“That’s good, your idea is excellent. You have the resources to experiment, the ability to iterate, and the support of a complete industrial chain. Failure is not the end for you, but just an obstacle on the way.”

"Don't let this era down, and don't waste this era. Let's work hard!"

Wang Donglai nodded solemnly, his expression hardening. (End of Chapter)