This star is going to the moon

Chapter 503: Queqiao-2 enters lunar orbit; the SLS rocket, in this life, also could not escape its fate.

In the previous era, the Vulcan-Centaur rocket was indeed delayed until 2004, and the Peregrine lunar lander also flew to the moon in 2004.

Then... the fuel started leaking.

In the end, the Peregrine Falcon not only failed to reach the moon, but also burned up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

The key point is that this is just the beginning.

Starting in 2004, the US commercial lunar probe project began in earnest, much like the Peregrine re-entry into the atmosphere...

Some people broke their legs and ended up on the moon, where they froze to death because their solar panels couldn't charge.

Some even plunged into the meteorite crater to "sleep peacefully."

There are also those who, despite their physical disabilities, remain determined and resilient after falling from grace.

Of course, there were also successes.

However, there are relatively few compared to the failures.

This wave of commercial probes landing on the moon has caused the "success rate of lunar landing exploration" that China had painstakingly improved with each success to drop again.

I wonder if they will be able to escape the arrangements of fate in this lifetime?
Lu Yun said it was hard to say.

Anyway, after flying for a few days, Queqiao-2 successfully performed lunar braking and entered lunar orbit.

Both Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 satellites are functioning normally.

Coincidentally, the Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster "Moonfall" was released in China on the same day.

A young colleague who worked with Lu Yun joked, "Hey, that's really auspicious!"

Lu Yun: “…”

He remembered this movie, which featured cameos by domestic actresses. Huayi Brothers was also one of the production companies, making it a Sino-US co-production.

The plot is roughly that the moon is about to collide with the earth, and humanity returns to the moon to save the earth, and then the truth that has been covered up for 50 years gradually comes to light.

People have discovered that the moon is not a naturally formed celestial body, but an amazing giant "creation".

Furthermore, a bizarre "particle" life form is rampaging across the moon, seemingly the culprit behind its fall.

The main characters are a group of social outcasts, such as a space enthusiast who discovers that the moon is empty and was created by an alien civilization.

Then he found an astronaut who had been fired from NASA, and implicated the fired astronaut's former colleagues as well.

Of course, my former colleague has been promoted to the new head of NASA.

Later, they flew to the moon in a decommissioned space shuttle in a museum, and after a series of adventures, saved Earth.

How should I put it...

Lu Yun remembered that its cost was $1.4 million, but in the previous life, its global box office was only over $6 million, which was a huge loss.

It's no wonder it's a Sino-US co-production.

Viewers also commented that the plot was clichéd, the special effects were good but lacked originality, the character development was weak, and the narrative was chaotic.

It's a bad movie with decent visual effects.

Watching this is not as good as watching a real manned moon landing.

If the space shuttle could fly to the moon, then the Americans wouldn't need to research new rockets and new manned spacecraft. They could just drag the space shuttle out of the museum, wash it, air it out, tidy it up, and use it again!
After confirming that Queqiao-2 had entered lunar orbit, Lu Yun stopped working on the project and instead devoted himself to the final testing of the heavy-lift Long March 10 rocket.

Later, the Queqiao-2 relay satellite will contact the Chang'e-4 probe to test the stability and reliability of its relay link.

Afterwards, it will conduct space-to-ground communication tests with the Chang'e 6 probe, which has not yet been launched from Earth, to verify the inter-system coordination capabilities.

If the tests pass, then all that's left is to wait for the Chang'e 6 probe to launch. With everything seemingly settled in China for the time being, space enthusiasts' attention has shifted to the United States.

Its SLS, currently the world's largest rocket, is about to undergo a wet rehearsal.

In April, the day after April Fool's Day, the world's space enthusiasts were focused on the SLS rocket on the launch pad!
Of course, onlookers also came to watch the spectacle.

Then comes the classic beginner's question.

What is a wet rehearsal?

Wet rehearsals are crucial tests before rocket launch, especially for such massive rockets...

Wet rehearsals can simulate the actual launch process, including propellant loading, system checks, countdown procedures, etc., but do not involve actual ignition and launch.

This process aims to comprehensively test the coordination capabilities of the rocket system, ground support equipment, and launch team, ensuring that all aspects operate normally, promptly identifying and resolving issues, and improving the reliability of the launch mission.

Wet rehearsals are usually conducted at the launch pad. For example, for this SLS rocket, the engineering team will inject approximately 1000 tons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant and protective gas into the rocket's propellant tanks to simulate the fuel loading process of a real launch.

Then, the status of each rocket system after propellant loading is tested, including the engine, control system, and communication system.

After confirming that the system is working properly, a countdown is then performed according to the actual launch schedule to verify the coordination and timeliness of each step.

After the tests are completed, the propellant in the tank will be safely drained to prepare for subsequent operations.

The engineering team can fully identify potential problems through wet rehearsals, such as propellant leaks, system malfunctions, or operational errors, and then make improvements and optimizations before the official launch.

As a space weapon that NASA has been developing for more than 20 years, with a budget of over $230 billion and a single launch cost of no less than $20 billion, the wet rehearsal of the SLS rocket is very important!
Then... SLS indeed exposed the potential problems.

The weather was bad on the day of the wet rehearsal; the launch pad was struck by lightning.

(Net map)
Fortunately, there are special lightning rods on and around the launch pad, so it wouldn't be a problem if it got struck by lightning.

However, problems began to emerge when testing started.

Two large fans responsible for providing pressure to the enclosed area of ​​the mobile launch pad malfunctioned.

This is the core area for propellant loading, and it must be pressurized to prevent the accumulation of harmful gases and to maximize the safety of testing and launch.

In this situation, the wet rehearsal must be stopped immediately.

NASA is relieved that the problem wasn't with the rocket itself; the fan was just a minor issue.

"Don't worry, this is just a technical adjustment!"

"It can be resolved in two days. We will reschedule a wet rehearsal on the fourth day."

Space enthusiasts can understand, after all, it is currently the world's largest rocket, and it is not something that can be accomplished easily.

Let's wait two days then.

On the fourth day, space enthusiasts from around the world once again gathered in the live broadcast room to celebrate the event.

This time it went well; the fan is fixed, and liquid oxygen has started to be added.

The fan on the mobile launch pad wasn't broken, but an exhaust valve got stuck, preventing the liquid hydrogen refueling from starting.

Although 50% of the liquid oxygen refueling had been completed, the liquid oxygen could not be refueled. Without liquid oxygen, a wet rehearsal could not be carried out, and the second wet rehearsal had to be abandoned halfway.

Space enthusiasts: "..."

Chinese and American aerospace colleagues are also paying close attention to the SLS wet rehearsal, including Lu Yun, who was just there to watch the spectacle.

SLS certainly didn't disappoint him.

So, it's fate~
NASA: "Don't worry, this isn't a rocket problem. The valve issue is also easily resolved. We'll arrange another test in ten days..."

(End of this chapter)