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

The countdown has entered its final ten minutes.

The entire launch center is like a precisely operating machine, with every gear meshing in its proper place.

In the command center, Yang Anchao's voice was as calm as a deep pool as he methodically conducted the final system confirmation.

"Attention all units, the ten-minute countdown to launch has begun. Guidance system, please report your status."

"The guidance system is normal, the navigation accuracy is 0.01 arcseconds, and all three redundant attitude control systems are online."

The voice of the guidance team leader came through the loudspeaker, carrying the crispness unique to young people.

"Powertrain system report status."

"The first-stage engine is in normal condition, the thrust vector control is normal, the second-stage engine is normal, the third-stage engine is normal, the attitude control engine is normal, and the response time is 3.2 milliseconds, which is better than the design specifications."

The power unit's voice was calm and steady as they relayed their report.

"Telemetry system report status."

"The telemetry system is normal, the signal link has been established, the quantum communication terminal is online, and the traditional radio frequency link is used as a backup."

"The measurement and control system reports its status."

"Jiuquan Station is normal, Tangdu Station is normal, the Pacific tracking ship 'Yuanwang 7' is normal, the Indian Ocean tracking ship 'Yuanwang 8' is normal. The global tracking network is ready, and the signal coverage is 100% complete." The voice of the tracking team came from across the ocean, with a slight signal delay.

"The weather system is reporting its status."

"The wind speed at the launch site is nine meters per second, heading northeast, which meets the launch conditions. The wind speed at high altitude is twenty-three meters per second, which is within the safe range. The weather conditions are expected to remain stable at the time of ignition."

Yang Anchao paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over every face in the control hall.

He knew those faces all too well—Old Zhou, who had followed him for over a decade, from Jiuquan to Galaxy Aerospace, from Long March to Lishi, his hair turning from black to white, and he had developed a host of health problems, but he was always at the forefront of every test drive.

Three years ago, Xiao Liu was just a fresh graduate, having to learn the principles of rocket engines on his own. Now, he can independently manage the guidance algorithm for the entire rocket's lunar landing, and his code is much more elegant than that of the old man.

There are also those veteran aerospace workers who switched from the national team—they gave up the stability within the system, gave up the seniority they had accumulated over most of their lives, and followed him, risking their careers, just to send a rocket to the moon.

Everyone's face showed signs of fatigue, and everyone had dark circles under their eyes from working overtime, but everyone's eyes were bright.

"Everyone."

Yang Anchao's voice suddenly softened, no longer a commanding report or confirmation, but the words of an old aerospace worker to his comrades: "We have been waiting for this day for a long time. From today onwards, we will have a home on the moon."

He pressed the call button, and his voice echoed throughout every corner of the launch center, not just the command hall, but also the telemetry and control station, the fuel loading area, the security posts, and the logistics canteen.

Everyone who contributed to this rocket heard these words at the same moment.

"ignition!"

Countdown to zero!
The Lux-2000 Prototype Arrow—no, the Pioneer One—had all eight engines at the rear igniting simultaneously.

In that instant, the entire launch pad was engulfed in orange-red flames.

The flames, exceeding three thousand degrees Celsius, instantly vaporized the cooling water in the guide channel. White steam surged in all directions like giant waves, accompanied by a deafening roar, causing even the glass in the command center to tremble slightly.

The rocket slowly departed from the launch pad.

It wasn't the kind of speed where you suddenly leap up like in a movie, but rather a solemn, slow ascent that made you hold your breath.

The behemoth, standing 62 meters tall and weighing over 2,500 tons at takeoff, was lifted by the 8,000 tons of thrust from its eight engines, gradually breaking free from Earth's gravity.

The speed increased, and the tail flame drew a bright arc in the sky, passing through the clouds, through the edge of the atmosphere, and rushing into the dark, star-studded depths of space.

Yang Anchao stared at the curve on the screen representing the rocket's flight trajectory, motionless.

The curve was so smooth it looked as if it had been drawn with a ruler, almost perfectly matching the pre-defined theoretical trajectory.

His right hand unconsciously gripped the edge of the control panel, his knuckles turning white, but the expression on his face became increasingly relaxed.

It's not because of relaxation, but because the data doesn't lie; this rocket is flying towards every curve they've predetermined in the most perfect manner.

Two minutes and fifteen seconds after launch, the first-stage engine shut down and the boosters separated.

The four enormous boosters detached from the rocket body, like four petals falling from a flower's stamen, tumbling through the air as they plummeted into the sea.

Their mission is complete; now it's time for the second-stage engines to take center stage.

Three minutes and forty seconds after launch, the second-stage engine shut down and the fairing was jettisoned.

The two fairings surrounding the rocket's nose cone opened like shells, revealing the payload inside—the core module of the lunar landing mission, containing critical equipment needed for the lunar base refurbishment.

From this moment on, the payload is directly exposed to the vacuum and will face cosmic rays, extreme temperature differences, and a long journey of 380,000 kilometers all by itself.

Eight minutes and twenty seconds after launch, the third-stage engine ignited for the first time, propelling the rocket into Earth parking orbit.

The rocket flew smoothly at an altitude of 200 kilometers above the ground, like a giant ship briefly anchored in a harbor, waiting for the opportunity to set sail again.

Forty-two minutes after launch, the third-stage engine ignited for the second time, operating for six minutes and fifteen seconds, increasing the rocket's speed from 7.8 kilometers per second to 10.9 kilometers per second.

This is a crucial step in the Earth-Moon transfer. If the speed is not fast enough, it won't reach the Moon; if the speed is too fast, it will fly past the Moon and become an artificial planet.

10.9 kilometers per second is the optimal value determined by Wa after tens of thousands of simulations on the quantum computing platform, with an error of no more than one meter per second.

As the third-stage engine shut down, Yang Anchao let out a soft breath.

That feeling had been building up inside him ever since the project started!
"Trailblazer 1 has entered the Earth-Moon transfer orbit."

The voice of the guidance team leader came through the loudspeaker, filled with barely suppressed excitement: "The speed deviation is 0.3 meters per second, and the trajectory inclination deviation is 0.01 degrees, all within the theoretical range."

There was a moment of silence in the command center.

Then, someone shouted "Success!" and the entire hall exploded like fireworks, filled with applause and cheers.

Old Zhou took off his glasses and wiped them vigorously with his sleeve, wiping them again and again, but the lenses were always covered with a layer of fog.

The young engineer Xiao Zhao next to him patted him on the shoulder, as if he wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he couldn't say a word.

Old Zhou looked up, saw Xiao Zhao's red eyes, and suddenly smiled.

That smile held weariness, relief, and the satisfaction of an old craftsman seeing his apprentice finally able to stand on his own.

"Don't cry." Old Zhou's voice was full of excitement: "This is just the beginning. The rocket still needs to fly for four days, and after it reaches the moon, it needs to land. Only when it lands steadily will it be considered a success."

Xiao Zhao nodded vigorously, wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, and sat back down at his workstation.

On the screen, the small dot representing Pioneer 1 is slowly moving, gradually approaching the moon along a smooth arc.

Yang Anchao, however, remained very restrained. This was only the first step; the most important thing was whether they could land on the moon on time and successfully.

He simply stood in front of the control panel, staring at the curve on the screen that had already extended to near the lunar orbit, for a long time.

After everyone calmed down a bit, Yang Anchao spoke up to them: "Everyone, the mission is not over yet. Pioneer 1 still has four days to fly and will need to make a soft landing after arriving on the moon. Now is not the time to celebrate. Everyone, take turns resting according to the schedule and keep in top condition."

"Four days from now will be the crucial moment that truly determines the success of the project. We need to win again!"

The cheers gradually subsided, and the engineers returned to their workstations one after another.

Some people went to the lounge to catch up on sleep, some went to the cafeteria to eat, and some continued to stare at the data stream on the screen.

After the excitement came a deeper exhaustion, but even in that exhaustion, there was a light in everyone's eyes.

It is an expectation for the future and a vision for one's career.

In the viewing area, Chen Mingyuan slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the trail of flame in the sky that was about to dissipate.

The trail of clouds left by the tail flame shimmered with a faint golden hue in the morning light, like a road leading to the heavens.

"Old Yang, our generation has passed the baton to the next generation."

Old Yang also stood up and walked to Chen Mingyuan's side.

The two people stood side by side by the window, looking at the same sky.

"This is a good thing. It proves that our motherland is becoming more and more prosperous and has more and more talented people. We old folks should be happy about this."

Wang Donglai stood behind the two elderly people without approaching or disturbing them.

He knew what this moment meant for them.

Back then, these veterans, under extremely poor conditions, used abacuses and hand-cranked calculators to send China's first rocket into space.

They just did it, worked desperately, did everything they could, and then left their hopes to those who came after them.

Today, that baton has been passed to Wang Donglai and to Galaxy Aerospace.

"Professor Yang, Academician Chen."

Wang Donglai stepped forward and said, "Four days from now, when Pioneer One lands steadily on the lunar surface, I would like to invite you both to Tangdu to watch the live broadcast of the lunar landing."

Chen Mingyuan turned around, looked at Wang Donglai with a smile on his face, and said, "Alright, we two old guys are just waiting for your good news."

Old Yang also turned around, reached out and patted Wang Donglai on the shoulder.

That hand was still very thin, but the force of the pat on the shoulder, though unspoken, seemed to convey a thousand words.

Wang Donglai nodded without saying anything.

He simply looked out the window at the sky, at the trail of flame that was almost gone, a hint of pride in his eyes.

……

That evening, news of the successful launch spread throughout the world.

In China, a trending topic emerged on Douyin (TikTok's Chinese version) about the successful launch of the Pioneer-1 satellite, with related videos quickly trending and garnering an astonishing number of views.

The video, posted by Galaxy Aerospace's official account, is only two minutes long and highlights the most crucial moments, from rocket ignition to entering the Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

The comments section was filled with messages from netizens.

"I heard this rocket launch is completely different from the previous ones; they're going to establish a base on the moon. That's incredibly fast!"

"Pioneer 1, what a great name. We are here to explore. The moon has been our territory since ancient times, and now we are just taking it back."

"As a doctoral student majoring in aerospace, let me explain what this rocket means: more than 8,000 tons of thrust, 60 tons of Earth-Moon transfer capacity, and a whole-rocket landing plan on the Moon. This is a technological approach that has never been seen before in the history of human spaceflight. GalaxySpace is not catching up, but pioneering a new path."

"Wang Donglai is truly a god. From batteries to chips, from superconductors to aerospace, he single-handedly pushed China's science and technology forward by at least twenty years."

"Upstairs, it's not just twenty years. The idea of ​​launching a rocket to the moon is groundbreaking. When Pioneer 1 lands steadily on the lunar surface, my country will become the first country to have a permanent base on the moon. This is a breakthrough from zero to one."

Overseas, NASA's official social media account posted a short tweet: "We noted the successful launch of the Lux-2000 demonstrator rocket by China's Galaxy Aerospace today, and congratulate their team. Exploring space is a common cause for all mankind."

The wording was restrained, but a bittersweet feeling permeated the text.

In the comments section, American netizens reacted in a variety of ways.

"NASA, what are you doing? They've already sent rockets to the moon, and you're still arguing about the SLS budget?"

"As an American, I am really frustrated. We were the first country to land on the moon, but now we can only watch others make history."

"Oh, what's going on at NASA? Why haven't they come up with a concrete solution yet?"

"Stop being so sour, they really are amazing. We've never even thought of the idea of ​​the whole arrow hitting the moon. It's not that we can't do it technically, it's that we haven't thought of it."

"Wang Donglai is terrifying. He seems to have no limit. Just when you think he has reached his peak, he comes out with something even more amazing."

The European Space Agency's tweet was more enthusiastic: "Warmest congratulations to GalaxySpace on the successful launch of the Lux-2000 demonstrator rocket! This is a milestone in the history of human spaceflight. We look forward to deeper cooperation with China in the field of deep space exploration."

But as enthusiastic as they are, Europeans are also well aware that cooperation requires you to offer something of equal value.

The European Space Agency no longer has anything that Galaxy Technologies can be proud of.

Moreover, they had previously ostracized China's aerospace industry.

Now that they see China's space program making a breakthrough, they're rushing to talk about cooperation. This arrogant attitude followed by their obsequious behavior is utterly ridiculous.

Of course, cooperation is still possible, as long as they are willing to pay the price.

Just like before, only the roles have been reversed. (End of Chapter)