Chapter 130: Moon Landing (Part Two)

At the Jiuquan Aerospace Command Center, Li Fu and Liu Shiying watched the massive display monitors. Seeing the reverse deceleration plasma engines of the spaceplane successfully installed, both men let out a sigh of relief.

Within the command center, they had access to data and imagery not disclosed to the public. As top-tier aerospace scientists, they were on constant standby, prepared to collaborate on emergency solutions should any critical situation arise. Of course, for a mission of this magnitude, every contingency had been meticulously planned for; all potential scenarios and their corresponding countermeasures had been established long ago, leaving the two men with little to do for the moment.

"Once the lunar base is completed, I must go to the moon myself. Haha, I never imagined that I, Liu Shiying, would live to see China make such a massive, leapfrog advancement in the field of space exploration," Liu said with a chuckle.

"Old Liu, is your goal really just to take a trip to the moon? Don't you want to go take a look at Mars?" Li Fu asked with a faint smile. He was incredibly optimistic about China's future in space, believing this was merely the beginning. He estimated that lunar tourism would become accessible to the public before long, once the lunar base was sufficiently developed.

"Mars? That's too far. I'm old now; I'll leave that to you young people to tackle. Once the lunar base is built and I can take a stroll on the moon, I'll have no regrets in this life," Liu replied, shaking his head. Even the moon had been beyond his imagination in the past. With the pace of China’s aerospace development, the upcoming moon landing and the construction of the lunar base—followed by weekly spaceplane flights—meant that even a scientist like him might finally get his chance.

High above in space, the *Houyi* spaceplane, having finished replacing its batteries and compressed air and installing the reverse deceleration plasma engines, slowly pulled away from the *Tiangong* space station. Orbiting the Earth, it successfully tested the new engines; everything performed perfectly according to the plan.

"Departing for the moon!"

Following the command from ground control, the spaceplane prepared for its lunar transit. By circling Earth and utilizing the planet's gravity, the *Houyi* reached an initial velocity of 20 kilometers per second before burning toward its destination.

Once the course was set and confirmed by both the space station and ground control, mission commander Nan Junpeng ordered the final acceleration. The trailing edges of the *Houyi* shimmered with faint fluctuations as its speed increased. In the vacuum of space, where there is no air resistance, a spacecraft's speed can theoretically increase indefinitely. However, according to Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence, as velocity increases, the energy required to accelerate further grows exponentially.

The *Houyi* ceased acceleration once it reached 43 kilometers per second and shut down its engines, relying on inertia to coast toward the moon. This speed had been calculated precisely: it ensured the transit time—covering the distance of over 360,000 kilometers between the Earth and the moon—would take just under three hours.

However, simple math did not apply; acceleration and deceleration both required significant time. Qingquan Technology had planned for a four-hour transit, aiming to reach lunar orbit around 3:00 PM on October 1, 2019. This speed was the optimal balance, ensuring a timely arrival while keeping the energy consumption for acceleration and deceleration within a manageable range.

"Everyone, get some rest. Control will wake you when the time is right," Nan Junpeng announced via the virtual system. With the arduous task of landing on the moon ahead, it was vital for the crew to be in peak condition.

"Time for a nap!" The nine astronauts pressed a button on their seats, which automatically adjusted to the ideal sleeping position. In the weightlessness of space, the concept of a "comfortable position" was relative, but the chairs were specially designed to curl slightly, cradling the astronauts in a way that mimicked the feeling of being in a mother’s womb—a feature the crew particularly favored.

Knowing this was a rare opportunity for rest, all nine quickly drifted into a deep sleep. It was a skill every elite astronaut had to master: the ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time, ensuring they remained energized and sharp.

Though the *Houyi* was moving at incredible speed, against the vast backdrop of the cosmos and without nearby reference points, it appeared as if it were simply floating in the void.

Back at the command centers—the *Tiangong* station near Earth and the *Yuegong* station near the moon—supercomputers continuously tracked the *Houyi* and calculated its arrival time.

"Wake the astronauts!"

At 3:00 PM, exactly two hours after departure, ground control sent the signal. Nan Junpeng, Li Yang, and the other seven crew members awoke. Looking back toward Earth, they saw the planet shining brightly, reflecting the sun’s light like a massive, luminous full moon. In contrast, the moon ahead had grown enormous, its surface appearing rugged, cratered, and mottled—far less picturesque than it looked from Earth.

"Two hours until we reach lunar orbit. Commencing deceleration!"

Since the moon’s gravity is weaker than Earth’s, the spaceplane had to reduce its speed significantly to be captured by lunar gravity. The engines were restarted, and the forward-facing plasma thrusters began their work. The *Houyi* began to slow down.

In space, the vast majority of energy—over 90%—is consumed during the initial acceleration and final deceleration phases. The coasting phase, relying on inertia, consumes almost no energy at all.

Two hours later, the spaceplane’s velocity had dropped to just a few kilometers per second. The moon loomed large in their view, now within arm's reach.

On Earth, thanks to the high-definition cameras on the *Houyi*, the world watched the lunar surface in stunning, vibrant color—a sharp contrast to the black-and-white footage of the previous century.

"Preparing for lunar orbit insertion!"

Tension rippled through both the crew and ground control. This was the most critical juncture. Even though the *Houyi* had slowed to the correct speed for orbital capture, the margin for error was slim; any miscalculation could result in missing the moon entirely.

The *Houyi* approached slowly, successfully captured by the moon's gravity. It began to orbit, adjusting its trajectory and speed to rendezvous with the *Yuegong* space station for final refueling and oxygen replenishment before the landing attempt.

"Dear viewers, the *Houyi* spaceplane has been successfully captured by lunar gravity. It has cleared the most dangerous phase and is currently adjusting its orbit to dock with the *Yuegong* station for final supplies," the broadcast announced.

Across China, every television station was broadcasting the manned lunar mission live, featuring experts who explained every step, turning the event into a massive public education effort.

Near the moon, the *Houyi* glided toward the *Yuegong* station. The docking was seamless. The mechanical arms of the *Yuegong* station began swapping out the exhausted energy cells and empty air tanks for fresh ones. Meanwhile, the astronauts transferred into the *Yuegong* station to perform manual tasks that machines could not, preparing the station to serve as a long-term, manned transit hub between the Earth and the moon.