readytorunbook Chapter 345 One Package
Chapter 345 One Package
The headquarters of the Universal Stars Group is located in Qunxing City.
Star City, this "heaven on earth in the middle of the ocean," this "incredible miracle," is now facing a plan that was set out years ago and is still being carried out by the others who remained in Star City when Alice threw herself into the Columbia Revolution.
The "Space Express" operation aims to establish a cargo entry/return docking system. Its specific implementation plan is to use several low-Earth orbit auxiliary maneuvering rockets launched into low Earth orbit (within a few kilometers above and below the Kármán line) to capture cargo for re-entry into orbit.
So, who sent the goods?
Sainz watched the sky intently. On the Salyut 19 anti-gravity rocket launch platform, which was built by the Stars of the Universe specifically for space activities, the most brilliant minds in the Stars of the Universe were fully focused. On this anti-gravity platform, which had the highest altitude, the most advanced and the most precise ever built, they began their journey to the universe in an orderly manner.
On the planet Amelanxi, thanks to the magic crystal-magic system, the civilization of this planet can use a simpler method to break free from the constraints of gravity. However, the anti-gravity engine is not omnipotent. The higher the anti-gravity engine flies, the weaker its effectiveness in counteracting gravity becomes. Eventually, at a certain altitude, the balance between the anti-gravity engine and gravity will tilt. Based on this, people proposed the anti-gravity/gravity formula. Research shows that the stronger the magic power of the anti-gravity engine, the higher the anti-gravity efficiency in its formula.
Building upon this, after the launch of the first satellite, Grassland 1, by the American Space Agency, people began to explore the potential of the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, combining it with the unique anti-gravity technology of this civilization. Ultimately, the entire universe spent a huge sum of money to build the Salyut 19 anti-gravity rocket platform, the greatest and most ambitious project in its history.
"Salyut 19" is the name of the anti-gravity platform, but its project name is "Road to the Sky". The entire "Road to the Sky" rocket launch/orbiting recovery system currently consists of the "Earth" ground resupply base, the "Frontier" rocket design and manufacturing complex, the "Command" space launch control distributed computing center, and the "Salyut 19" anti-gravity rocket launch platform.
In today's war-torn world, the Universal Star Group continues to fulfill its mission since its inception—to fly into space and return to Earth.
Now, after the "Lone Traveler" project began and the first phase has been completed, in the distant reaches of space, the Cosmic Stars Group is finally able to receive the legacy left by its predecessors.
"Director Sainz, the deep space exploration array has detected a signal from cargo 300."
An engineer showed Sainz that on the large screen, outside of Amelanxi, a small bright spot was flying towards them. This bright spot consisted of a nine-ton, thirty-millimeter ceramic alloy shell, three tons of fuel, a 120-gram control system payload, and fifteen tons of cargo.
It flew straight toward Amelanxis, and soon it was captured by Amelanxis's gravity. Then, with the help of the orbit-changing nozzles and propulsion system, it entered the planet's low orbit, circled Amelanxis once, and then plunged into the atmosphere.
Countless fragments lie scattered around the two natural satellites of Amelanxis. These fragments came from the great battle between fleets ten thousand years ago, from the distant solar system, and from the distant Proxima Centauri system. When Amelanxis was explored using the Rocky Planet and Stable Spectroscopic Observatory Echelon grating spectrometer, it was as distant as when Earth's civilization explored the distant Amelanxis in the early 20th century.
These fragments, forming a "nebula," contain a large amount of fine dust, which blocks a significant portion of radio signals. As a result, Alicia, located at a distant stargate, struggles to maintain radio communication with Amelansi. This dust contains a large number of particles left behind by the disintegration of the anti-radio wave layer, which were used to counter attacks on radio wave channels in distant interstellar battlefields.
"Okay, we've gained control of cargo 300. Hmm, currently adjusting the tracks..."
On "Salyut 19", several huge antenna arrays were pointed at the sky. Computer commands were input, the trajectory-changing nozzles were activated, and the carrier spacecraft flew toward Amelan West in an undeniable manner.
At this altitude, next to "Salyut 19", an entire formation of E-266M (MIG-25M) aircraft roared at unprecedented speeds with their afterburners fully open. These E-266M high-altitude, high-speed interceptors are equipped with advanced avionics systems and have even been modified with pylons to carry the latest PL-12 air-to-air missiles.
The most distinctive feature of the air defense division of the Global Star Group is its MiG-25 series high-altitude, high-speed fighter jets. These jets are typically used for launch defense missions, but after numerous upgrades, they have become cutting-edge modern fighter jets. Only when foreign aircraft intrude into Global Star's airspace can these "white rockets" be seen soaring in the sky.
After several orbital maneuvers, "Cargo 300" entered near-Earth orbit while everyone waited. After orbiting the Earth once, it returned to the atmosphere over Star City.
"Execute the cleanup mission! Repeat, execute the cleanup mission!"
Salyut 19 has several launch pads. Apart from the central one, which is used to launch the planned N-1 super heavy launch vehicle, there are several small and medium-sized distributed launch pads, which are sufficient to launch Soyuz launch vehicles.
Meanwhile, on the launch pad, a rocket was slowly rising into the air. This special rocket didn't look special at all, and was even a little small. A bright light shone down. On this aerial platform, the bottom of each launch pad could be opened. When it needed to be ignited, or when the platform was in the air and rockets were deployed, the bottom could be opened to arrange the rockets from bottom to top, or to directly guide the rocket exhaust.
"Recovery One" launches into space!
Once the "rocket" took off, its true nature was revealed: it was a rocket modified from an intercontinental ballistic missile platform, with a large robotic arm inside. After re-entering the atmosphere, "Cargo 300" changed its flight trajectory, and auxiliary nozzles and several telescopic control surfaces leveled its attitude. Then, "Recovery One" caught up with "Cargo 300", and the two were connected by the robotic arm and hydraulic rods.
"Dialogue complete. Execute automated recycling process!"
According to the procedure, after receiving the cargo, "Recovery One" will immediately take over the power of both parties, and then its internal computer control chip will autonomously complete the landing process.
Sainz nodded. All the parameters were exactly the same as those in the simulation experiment. If nothing went wrong, they would be able to get the goods they had been dreaming of.
As predicted, the rocket came to a stop directly on the giant robotic arm of the recovery system. The two spacecraft balanced their own power and descended into the Salute 19 recovery facility. The two giant robotic arms clamped the two connected spacecraft respectively. Then, the engines shut down, the connection between the two spacecraft was broken, and the robotic arms placed the cargo carrier and the recovery rocket on the ground respectively.
"Open it."
Rafis arrived at the scene quickly in the platform shuttle bus—the cargo delivered from Alicia was the most ingenious creation of humankind since the dawn of time—its prototype being key to human exploration of space.
The cargo hold opened under the command of the internal control computer, revealing a cargo weighing several tons inside—a hyperspace drive.
For a long time, the hyperdrive was used to quickly travel between galaxies. In that era when the universe was generally peaceful, humans piloted spaceships equipped with hyperdrives, visiting one planet after another on hyperspace routes and recording one civilization after another.
And now, they have it—the core of the ship.