Chapter 406

Chapter 406: A Soldier Must Be Ambitious

On July 21, 2011, the American space shuttle Atlantis safely landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:57 AM ET (5:57 PM Beijing time), marking the end of its “farewell journey.” This signified the conclusion of America’s 30-year space shuttle era.

All the remaining space shuttles in America have been retired. If they were to continue operating beyond their lifespan, the risk of losing precious astronauts would be frighteningly high.

Americans lack the courage to use shuttles to send astronauts into space anymore. Until a better manned space system comes along, they will most likely rely on disposable spacecraft to transport astronauts into outer space for quite some time.

Such actions are necessary. In low Earth orbit, there is a massive International Space Station that requires American involvement in its maintenance. Otherwise, this enormous structure, weighing over four hundred tons, would crash to Earth like a meteor.

The impact would be equivalent to that of a small nuclear warhead; whoever it lands on would be in trouble.

The space station model displayed in front of Group E is a near-Earth orbital space station independently designed and developed by China. It will weigh over two thousand tons, with wings extending more than five hundred meters, capable of hosting twenty astronauts for maintenance operations and space science research.

Due to America’s opposition and restrictions, along with China’s limited aerospace funding, China could not participate in the International Space Station (ISS) and had to focus on its own aerospace industry. Rather than being left behind by others, it is better to forge a broad avenue on its own.

Seeing this large space station model at the Fifth Aerospace Training Center, Lin Mo understood the deeper meaning behind Major General Sun’s gaze.

“A soldier must be ambitious; the journey is long and arduous.

To take on responsibility is a heavy burden, but isn’t it worthwhile?

To strive until the end is indeed a long road.”

China’s space endeavor is also a thorny path full of challenges.

This exhibition center showcases advanced and even highly classified technologies to these astronaut candidates, serving as motivation for them to unleash their full potential and become excellent astronauts.

Those who come here have proven their loyalty through thorough vetting, so there is no need to worry about leaks.

“Let’s continue. This is only part of the exhibition. There are many more exciting things. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.”

When the elimination system is not in effect, Major General Sun appears as a kind and approachable elder, guiding the visitors to continue exploring other display areas.

There was a space shuttle model, five times scaled up to the size of a fighter jet, far more eye-catching than the currently used Shenzhou series spacecraft.

Is that even an aerospace fighter?!

The visitors could not distinguish whether this was a creative model or a real prototype under development; foreign spies visiting here would surely begin with shock and quickly be cloaked in suspicion.

What they encountered exceeded the astronaut candidates’ understanding of China’s aerospace industry; it felt more like a science fiction world.

Lin Mo, however, keenly identified the design of that aerospace fighter, a one-to-one model, resembling Professor Yan’s style. It seemed that aside from serving as a token, it was also meant to impress. Whether such a fighter truly exists or if some experimental machines are hidden in a corner, remains uncertain.

The production cost of America’s space shuttle is $1.2 billion; that amount could fund the construction of an aircraft carrier in China. If it were an aerospace fighter, the cost would likely double.

After moving through a couple of exhibit halls, they heard a loud rumbling sound accompanied by lively voices. Lin Mo and others in Group E looked over and saw two giant machines about two stories high operating with a thunderous roar, along with a familiar sound of jet engines.

However, there were no exhausts of strong airflows or the unique smell of aviation fuel burning; it was merely a sound that perfectly mimicked real fighter jet engines roaring to life.

“Those are two simulators—multi-axis, high-load flight simulators with one hundred and twenty-eight degrees of freedom. They can simulate high g-forces close to those in spacecraft. Of course, they can also simulate the cockpits and flight experiences of all domestic fighter jets with one hundred percent realism. This is one of the training center’s main assets; each unit costs no less than a fighter jet. The price of a single unit is at least 12 billion RMB.”

Noticing the look of confusion on the faces of Group E members, Major General Sun commented as he walked beside them. However, the price of 12 billion startled everyone.

Twelve billion? For just one machine?

Lin Mo had seen one flight simulator at the National Defense Star, which was advanced, but he never expected there to be something even better here. The simulator at National Defense Star seemed trivial in comparison to these two.

The rumors about the high costs of aerospace had turned into a vivid reality today.

Every person hearing this astronomical figure instinctively uttered a silent “O.” It was impossible not to be amazed. The money spent on these two simulators could directly improve the lives of students in remote impoverished areas throughout China; they wouldn’t have to worry about poor school environments, and even their middle schools could be fully equipped.

However, anyone familiar with construction games knows that demand is endless, while resources are limited. This dilemma of trade-offs is indeed challenging.

“Beautiful! Well done, group leader, you’re amazing!”

“I’m impressed! Number two really has some skills.”

“Number fifteen, don’t get discouraged. His flight time is double yours. Practice more, and you can definitely beat number two.”

“I want to try it soon too, but not against number two. The new is pushing out the old, and I don’t want to lose my reputation while I’m still alive.”

“We should step aside, but we can’t let these young ones get too complacent.”

“Let’s observe first. If no one else goes, I’ll give it a try; we can’t let this young one get too carried away.”

“Who’s next?”

The simulator, which had stopped operating, opened the cockpit door with a soft sound.

“Group leader of Group A, you’re back! This is a high-fidelity simulator; aren’t you afraid of getting hurt? This could really be dangerous!”

“If I’m afraid of dying, then I shouldn’t go to space. Anyone who disagrees, feel free to challenge me. This is a rare opportunity for everyone to gain experience and improve together.”

The young voice of Major Wang Xuejun, code name number two, echoed from afar. The members of Group E and Major General Sun saw him standing before the large simulator in his blue custom pressure suit, resembling a blueberry on a big chocolate square.

Aerospace is built on aviation; most astronauts are selected from fighter pilots. Mastering advanced fighter jets in the air is a fundamental requirement, and pilots can easily meet this expectation. Especially for fighter pilots, they can skip some related learning and training, saving valuable time for space missions.

If one lacks fighter pilot experience, they must undergo over three years of study, accumulate 2000 hours of flight experience, and demonstrate the ability to fly under three different weather conditions before they qualify for astronaut training.

“Number one, stop just standing there watching. Do you want to try? It’s a lot of fun.”

As a pilot, Wang Xuejun immediately noticed Lin Mo among those in Group E and issued a challenge loudly.

Although he was younger than Lin Mo, his tone was quite condescending.

The onlooking candidates quieted down, their gazes slowly shifting to Lin Mo.

“Boss, go knock him out!”

Meng Yinan, the loyal little brother, shouted, swinging his fist. He held nothing but disdain for number two, Wang Xuejun, whom he saw as too cunning and scheming, using his youthfulness as a cover for the reckless and impulsive behavior typical among peers, setting one irrevocable trap after another for the unsuspecting opponent.

However, Meng Yinan’s actions at this moment were undeniably correct.

After several provocations, Lin Mo found himself in an unavoidable position. If he were truly a lone wolf, it might have been easier to handle, but now as the leader of Group E, if he continued to turtle, it would mean that the new members would be deeply disappointed in him and might even consider switching sides.

This training center encourages self-governing groups that only assess group leaders, without restricting members from switching teams. Exiting or transferring does not incur penalties.

If these members lost faith in Lin Mo and switched to another group, he would likely face the same fate as Jin Hongbao from Group 6.

OUT!

“Alright!”

Lin Mo locked his eagle-like gaze onto Wang Xuejun, accepting the challenge.

The dignity of the Dragon Knight is unblemished. This pride, inherited from another world for thousands of years, remains intact. Even though the Air Knights of this world have their unique traits, the spirit of freely soaring through the skies and the fighting will are shared by all.

Wang Xuejun immediately felt a sense of being locked on as if a missile had targeted him. The alarm sound of a radar echoed in his mind.

LOCK ON!

A glimmer of wariness appeared in Wang Xuejun’s eyes; this number one seemed to be a bit more complicated than he first thought.

The atmosphere at the scene skyrocketed, the mysterious number one facing off against the flamboyant number two, two pilots in a high-stakes showdown.

It was undoubtedly a grand event in the domestic aviation field.

All the candidates cheered, shouting encouragement as they rushed to gather around.

A few 42-inch flat-screen TVs for viewing the action beside the two enormous simulators clearly were insufficient.

From a distance, Major General Sun remained quiet as he took out his special radio and said something. Shortly thereafter, a large 150-inch projection screen descended from the seven-meter-high ceiling above the giant simulator. The screen flashed with blue light, then automatically focused to display the clear word “TEST,” while the top-mounted high-brightness, high-resolution projection device was calibrated perfectly.