Chapter 405

Chapter 405: Life Measured in Seconds

“Today, there are no training tasks. You have a day to adjust to each other. From tomorrow, over the next week, our nutritionists and physical trainers will boost your physical condition to its best state. After that, you will undergo a Physical Fitness Test to determine your maximum potential. If you do not meet the standards, you will still be eliminated.”

In everyone’s eyes, the Major General was no longer just an ordinary messenger of the training center; he had become a devil who held the power of life and death. Only a few elites had been chosen out of countless candidates, and he showed no mercy when dismissing anyone.

“Let’s not fall short at the last moment!” Many silently tightened their resolve within.

“Hello, everyone. Welcome to Group E. My name is Lin Mo. You can call me number one, Lin Mo, or Little Lin—whatever you prefer. I hope that in the end, everyone can stay, but that requires your full trust in me. For at least this week, if you’re unsatisfied, you can choose someone you trust more after seven days.”

Like the other groups, Lin Mo set up a small section of the indoor sports hall with his team for initial integration. Since the training center required them to self-organize, there would inevitably be teamwork and competition, and even though only ten would remain at the end, that meant both collaboration and rivalry within groups.

Everyone here was considered the best of the best. If someone lacked even a bit of organizational ability, they probably weren’t qualified to stay. Just like unlucky number six, who, despite being a valued member of the team, was ruthlessly dismissed.

“I believe in my boss! My boss is the best ace!”

As the first to pledge loyalty, Meng Yinan strengthened her belief in Lin Mo’s mentorship. While the air force paid Lin Mo for guidance, his teaching attitude and candid support inspired Meng Yinan’s unwavering trust in him.

How one respects others sets a benchmark for how they will be respected in return. Lin Mo unintentionally reaped what he sowed, generating trust among his candidates.

The term "ace" quickly caught the attention of the other members in Group E. Besides Lin Mo and Meng Yinan, there were five pilots and one physics PhD among the other six, all of whom understood the significance of the term "ace" in the air force community.

Among the sixty candidates, the number of officially registered ace pilots in the country would not exceed ten fingers’ worth. Even those pilots did not always qualify to become astronauts, given that the role demanded more knowledge and experience than air combat. The so-called sea selection truly cast a wide net.

This number one definitely had something special about him. No wonder he didn’t engage with the scheming young Wang Xuejun; he was indeed someone who played the fool while keeping his true strength hidden.

The six new candidates in Group E exchanged knowing glances, realizing that number one was indeed remarkable, and without hesitation, they nodded in agreement.

“Since we’re here, we trust you entirely. Let’s work hard together,” said the only doctor in the group, with several others expressing similar sentiments.

The leaders of each group displayed their unique skills, using the event not only to learn more about their members but also to begin their maneuvers to win hearts and minds.

With six groups trimmed down to five, some had larger teams. For example, in Group A, leader Wang Xuejun showcased exceptional skills, attracting nearly twice or thrice as many members as the other groups, with the smallest group having at least six members. The disparities were significant.

Lin Mo’s E group ranked slightly below the median among the five, but the number of members had little to do with who would eventually become an astronaut; the grouping would test everyone’s coordination and cooperation skills.

To introduce these candidates, who had never been exposed to aerospace, to more knowledge, they would tour the aerospace training center’s internal exhibition center the following morning.

What they would see was not the spacecraft and satellite models intended for the general public; instead, it was the most treasured pieces of China’s aerospace scene.

There were models of products currently in design and development, as well as discarded experimental prototypes, showcasing investments in China’s precious aerospace technology housed within this standalone building’s display center.

The items in the exhibition center were incredibly advanced, making everyone feel as though they had stepped into a world beyond imagination.

Perhaps among these candidates, some would soon come into contact with these items. Having knowledge of them in advance would help them grasp operations and usage quickly when performing their duties.

A space station?

Lin Mo and the others walked around a space station model the size of a luxury bus, suspended in mid-air by multiple strands of wire. Although it was a model scaled down by two hundred times, its craftsmanship was exquisite, resembling a masterpiece.

Suspended in the air, one could easily mistake themselves for floating in the cosmos, and the awe it inspired left everyone speechless.

“‘Buzhou Mountain’? Is this a space station or a cosmic port? It’s so big and looks so real, so exquisite.”

Lin Mo noticed an aluminum alloy introduction board next to the model, which displayed not just a single docking port for a spacecraft.

“Isn’t that spacecraft called ‘Gonggong’?” Meng Yinan pointed to a ship attached to the space station model.

“That’s correct; that plane is indeed code-named ‘Gonggong.’ It serves as a backup for escape from the space station. There’s also another one responsible for travel to and from Earth, called ‘Zhurong.’”

The familiar voice of the Major General, who had led the candidates’ prospectus meeting the day before, resonated behind everyone in Group E.

They had all come to know Major General Sun Huabin, who would lead them through their training. He was meticulous and detailed in his approach.

Major General Sun was also among the early generations of air force pilots chosen by the republic. After extensive training, he became one of the earliest astronauts in China. However, due to the social turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, the aerospace industry suffered setbacks, and his cohort of astronauts never realized their mission, missing the best opportunity to fly into space.

It’s worth noting that China does not select astronauts in the same way as America does, where candidates are often around 40 to 45 years old. In China, candidates are usually between 25 and 35 years of age, and even if selected, they may not break through the atmosphere for space travel until after four years of rigorous training.

Even so, an astronaut’s active flying life is fleeting; anyone past the age of 45 must resign from their status.

It is precisely because of such experienced seniors that they can maintain order among these rising stars.

Gonggong? Zhurong? Buzhou Mountain?

In ancient Chinese mythology, the fire god Zhurong and the water god Gonggong clashed fiercely, with Gonggong crashing into Buzhou Mountain, shattering the heavens and triggering a cataclysmic flood that affected all of human civilization.

Applying this mythological tale to the massive model of the space station sparks unique feelings.

Seemingly sensing the shared confusion among the eight members of Group E, Major General Sun smiled slightly. “You’re correct; using this tale pays homage not only to China’s rich cultural heritage and history but also holds significant contemporary relevance. In ancient myths, Buzhou Mountain was the only route from the human realm to the celestial realm, but unfortunately, it remains cold and perpetually snow-laden, inaccessible to ordinary people. An astronaut is hardly an ordinary person.”

Major General Sun’s encouraging words ignited a passionate flame in the eyes of Group E members. Just qualifying for selection already elevated them beyond ordinary citizens, and even in the face of elimination, it was an honor.

“The third reason for using the myth is that Gonggong’s furious collision with Buzhou Mountain serves as a reminder; when the spacecraft approaches the space station, both it and the station are at their highest risk. This tale warns all control personnel to ensure that the legendary collapse of Buzhou Mountain does not occur, and using this name can help prevent unnecessary errors.”

With a profound gaze, Major General Sun surveyed everyone.

The aerospace field’s first impression of society is that it is dangerous, an extremely high-risk profession requiring unparalleled skill. Once a rocket is ignited and launches into space, there’s no turning back, and any slight error or malfunction can lead to dire consequences.

On January 27, 1967, during a routine test of Apollo 1 at Launch Complex 34 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, a fire broke out in the Apollo command module, resulting in the death of three astronauts (Commander Virgil Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward White, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee) within 17 seconds.

On January 28, 1986, the American space shuttle Challenger lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and exploded 73 seconds into the flight, disintegrating and plunging into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven crew members, including the first civilian selected for space travel from over ten thousand applicants—37-year-old school teacher Christa McAuliffe.

On February 1, 2003, at 9 a.m. ET, the Columbia shuttle disintegrated and crashed above North Texas, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts.

Despite NASA having spent approximately hundreds of billions of dollars establishing America as a top player in space exploration, lives were still lost in the process; an astronaut’s life can be measured in seconds during a mission.

The importance of aerospace safety cannot be emphasized enough!