Chapter 131: Moon Landing (Part II)

"Good evening, dear viewers. It is exactly 18:00 China Standard Time. Our nation's first manned lunar landing mission has reached its most critical phase: the moon landing itself. The Houyi aerospace plane, responsible for this mission, has completed its final refueling of energy and compressed air at the Moon Palace space station and is now commencing its descent to the lunar surface."

Every television station in China is broadcasting this event live. As the mission enters its final stage, the eyes of all Chinese people—and indeed the entire world—are focused here, waiting in silent anticipation.

On the moon, the Houyi aerospace plane has finished swapping its batteries and replenishing its compressed air. Of the nine astronauts, two remain at the Moon Palace space station to provide support, while the remaining seven are aboard the Houyi, ready for the landing.

At the planned landing site in the Ocean of Storms, numerous unmanned spacecraft have already touched down. Lunar engineering vehicles are busy there, making final preparations to welcome the arrival of the Houyi.

"Initiate landing!"

At the Earth command center, the order travels to the moon at the speed of light. Nan Junpeng, receiving the command, issues the instruction without hesitation, and a wave of tension sweeps across all of China.

The Houyi aerospace plane slowly drifts away from the Moon Palace space station. It orbits the moon, adjusting its trajectory, velocity, and angle. When the computers calculate the perfect moment, the aerospace plane dips its nose and dives toward the lunar surface like a duck taking to water.

"Engage deceleration engines!"

As they draw closer to the surface, Nan Junpeng watches the lunar landscape expand in his view and orders the deceleration engines to fire. Control of the Houyi is then handed over to the computer, which manages the power output of the forward and rear engines, factoring in lunar gravity and the craft's current weight.

The speed of the aerospace plane drops steadily. Under computer guidance, the forward and rear thrusters output power with extreme precision, ensuring the craft descends slowly. As it nears the lunar ground, the engines adjust their angles, tilting slightly downward to better counteract lunar gravity.

"Whoosh!"

At the designated landing site in the Ocean of Storms, the powerful engine exhaust kicks up clouds of lunar dust. Amidst the swirling grit, the Houyi drifts slowly just above the ground. Its speed and altitude continue to decrease until its massive tires make firm contact with the lunar surface. The engines cut out completely, and the aerospace plane settles securely onto a steel platform pre-constructed by unmanned lunar rovers.

"Phew!"

Only at this moment does everyone breathe a sigh of relief. The aerospace plane is a behemoth; landing it at high speed from space requires more than just retro-rockets—even on Earth, such a craft would need a long runway.

To ensure a smooth landing on the moon, a platform had to be paved with thick steel plates beforehand to prevent the plane from sinking into the loose lunar soil. Once the astronauts prepare for their return, they will use engineering vehicles to extend this platform into a proper runway.

Landing such a massive aircraft onto a pre-laid platform requires extreme precision; the slightest error could leave the craft mired in lunar soil, making a future departure impossible.

The safer approach would have been the one used by the Americans decades ago—using a specialized lunar module. While that would be highly reliable, it would lack the capacity to carry the supplies needed to establish a lunar base.

China is clearly not satisfied with merely visiting the moon; the goal is to build a permanent, long-term, manned lunar base. This necessitates the use of a giant aerospace plane. While the first attempt is fraught with difficulty and risk, it paves the way for great convenience in the future. Once runways are established, travel to and from the moon will become easy, safe, and swift, no longer requiring such high-precision maneuvering.

"Running self-diagnostic... Status is perfect, no damage detected!"

Hearing this, Nan Junpeng exhales deeply. The Houyi has landed safely and perfectly, with every system operating exactly as programmed.

"Dear viewers, the Houyi aerospace plane has landed flawlessly in the designated zone. Everything is operating smoothly. The exciting moment we have all been waiting for is upon us—the descendants of Yan and Huang are about to take a historic step."

The television host is visibly moved. On screen, the seven astronauts have donned their spacesuits and gathered at the hatch, waving at the camera.

The world watches, especially the Chinese diaspora. The broadcast cuts to a view of the desolate lunar surface outside the craft.

*Clang!*

A mechanical sound echoes as the hatch slowly opens. Sunlight spills in. As the captain, Nan Junpeng is the first to step out of the aerospace plane and onto the moon.

The camera shifts to face the exit. As Nan Junpeng steps out and places his foot on the lunar soil, Chinese people everywhere erupt into cheers.

We have suffered a century of backwardness, invasion, denial, and isolation, but at this moment, the descendants of Yan and Huang can proudly announce to the world that we remain one of the most capable peoples on Earth. In the 21st century, we have finally ascended to the moon, stepping onto a world beyond our own.

One by one, Li Yang, Xiao Mingguang, Yu Haitian, Lan Yu, Ouyang Hao, and Liu Qi emerge from the aerospace plane.

They step off the steel platform and onto the lunar soil. Each astronaut leaves a heavy footprint. Seven footprints, lined up in a row, will be immortalized in history textbooks, just like those left by Neil Armstrong.

Li Yang hops around on the moon like a rabbit. He discovers that jumping is easier than walking, as the heavy spacesuit makes normal movement difficult. Xiao Mingguang pilots a lunar rover, leaving a trail of tracks behind him. Yu Haitian effortlessly lifts a large rock, acting like a true strongman—with lunar gravity at only one-sixth of Earth's, an adult can easily lift hundreds of kilograms. The astronauts share their joy with the world through the broadcast.

Soon, however, the seven astronauts begin their intense work. Lunar rovers and equipment previously launched to the moon are already converging on the aerospace plane.

Behind the massive craft, the cargo bay opens, revealing a hold packed with supplies: lightweight yet high-strength alloy steel plates for the runway, designed for easy assembly. Naturally, most of the cargo is intended for the construction of the lunar base. Using automated equipment, the supplies are unloaded one by one according to a strict schedule.

Nan Junpeng, Li Yang, and the others pilot the engineering vehicles, repeatedly moving back and forth to transport and interlock the alloy plates. Every motion has been rehearsed countless times.

Before long, a runway made of alloy steel plates takes shape in front of the aerospace plane. It is modest—less than 100 meters long and 30 meters wide—but sufficient for the plane to take off. At the very least, the return journey is secured.

After finishing the runway, the team rests for half an hour, consuming food to replenish their energy. They then return to the surface to begin building the base.

The base is also constructed from standardized alloy steel components. These pieces are engineered to interlock so tightly that they form a seamless, airtight structure with excellent thermal insulation, ensuring the interior remains at a stable, livable temperature.

On a flat stretch of ground, the rovers clear the surface and drill holes. Once the foundation piles are set, load-bearing steel pillars are inserted.

Like playing with building blocks, the crew transports and installs the alloy plates. They work for over ten hours, until a man-made house—a structure entirely composed of alloy steel—stands on the surface of the moon.

The lunar base is essentially complete. Having trained for this mission repeatedly, the seven astronauts work with remarkable synergy, their every move guided by precise computer calculations. Each steel plate is placed in its exact, designated position without a single error.