Chapter 341: The Greatest Failure Success
From mission 11 to 17, a total of 7 manned moon landing missions were conducted.
In later generations, people suspected moon landing hoaxes, and studio moon landings were very important reasons because surprisingly, no one died?
7 moon landing missions, including Apollo 13 in the middle, with an oxygen tank explosion in space, yet no astronauts were killed in action. The astronauts reached the moon, orbited it, and successfully returned to Earth.
A 100% success rate. The entire Apollo Program’s only astronaut fatalities were on the ground, caused by a fire during ground testing.
In the original spacetime, a 1967 ground test fire killed three astronauts. Two years later, Armstrong successfully landed on the moon, and no more astronauts died in moon landing missions thereafter.
Those holding moon landing conspiracy theory viewpoints believe this is too counterintuitive. Your safety is even higher than that of passenger airplanes.
But at this moment, in the Control Center at Cape Canaveral, after the astronauts safely returned, everyone in their hearts had only one thought: thank goodness for the professor.
Whether instantaneous orbital calculation, burning calculation, or the solution for the sudden drop in carbon dioxide, all came from Lin Ran’s hand.
If there were no professor, they simply didn’t dare imagine what the outcome would be.
Lin Ran turned to Lyndon Johnson, who looked like he had survived a disaster, and said, “Mr. President, we can now hold a press conference and face those reporters.”
Over these three days, from television stations to newspapers, the biggest news was the Apollo 13 accident, with astronauts facing death in space.
This story overshadowed Hoover’s death and Nixon’s election, becoming the focus of attention for all Americans.
If Aldrin had died, the consequences would be unimaginable.
NASA and White House spokespersons held small press conferences, briefly explaining the situation and expressing confidence in solving the problem.
But the outside world didn’t believe it. Like conspiracy theories, with an oxygen tank explosion and such a major accident in space, safely returning to Earth seemed counterintuitive.
For the past two days, all newspapers’ front-page headlines were about the Apollo 13 malfunction. TV programs discussed whether the professor’s magic was gone and if Aldrin could safely return to Earth.
Inviting experts for interviews, the vast majority of experts expressed pessimism.
“Apollo crippled by explosion; astronauts face danger”
“Aldrin fights for life in crippled spaceship”
“Apollo 13 struggles to return home from danger”
“The greatest crisis of the Space Age”
For three consecutive days, television stations provided nearly uninterrupted coverage, including simulation animations showing the spaceship’s trajectory, inviting experts to discuss backup plans, and interviews with astronauts’ families.
But the TV program hosts did not blame the cause on Lin Ran; instead, they pointed the finger directly at Lyndon Johnson.
They unanimously believed it was because Lyndon Johnson was too unlucky, that his bad luck overwhelmed the professor’s divine power, leading to such an accident.
(Indiana Logansport News Journal front-page headline report on the Apollo 13 malfunction)
Lyndon Johnson naturally saw these reports too. Seeing them, he was speechless. Blame me for the assassination attempt? Now the spaceship malfunction—not blaming NASA or the professor, but blaming it on me?
He felt his current situation was almost identical to Nixon’s after losing the 1962 California election, being targeted by the media in every way, with every pot thrown on his head.
Sometimes quitting isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Lyndon Johnson thought.
In the makeshift press room at Cape Canaveral, reporters from around the world gathered. They had received news that the astronauts successfully returned to Earth, with none of the three killed in action. Photos of Aldrin exiting the hatch had been repeatedly broadcast by major television stations.
But reporters were still eager to interview Lin Ran and ask about the story behind it. Reporters wanted to know, and readers wanted to know even more.
So when Lin Ran and Lyndon Johnson entered the interview hall, magnesium lights flashed nonstop, and reporters stood to applaud the successful rescue.
America’s hero astronaut Aldrin did not meet a tragic end like the Soviet Union’s first person to land on the moon, Yuri Gagarin.
In this spacetime, Yuri Gagarin no longer performed aerospace missions. After transferring to clerical work, he couldn’t change his drinking habit. Although he did not die in a plane crash, he ultimately died in a traffic accident.
At the funeral, Lin Ran sent a couplet to Yuri Gagarin.
“Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I’m happy to tell everyone that Apollo 13 has safely returned to Earth. The astronauts are already on the recovery ship heading back to American soil. Their conditions are all good, vital signs stable. This was a failed Apollo moon landing, but also a successful space rescue.” Lin Ran said.
First suppress, then raise—anyway, I didn’t fail!
“This is a miracle, and also a testament to NASA’s organizational power and our wisdom and courage.” Lin Ran continued.
Another round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. Reporters were very excited. Astronauts escaping death, space rescue—everything was so dramatic.
After Lin Ran finished, Lyndon Johnson continued: “I’m very fortunate to be at Cape Canaveral and witness this miracle firsthand. This is the greatest successful failure in aerospace history to date. Thanks to all participants, from astronauts to engineers, and most importantly, the professor.
In the Control Center, I personally witnessed the professor’s outstanding command from the accident to the astronauts’ successful return to Earth throughout the entire process.
Today, no other person could have achieved that outstanding command.”
Lyndon Johnson personally applauded Lin Ran, leading to another round of applause from the reporters below.
Lyndon Johnson then smiled and said: “Thank you, professor, for ensuring my presidential career doesn’t end in tragedy.”
When saying this, he appeared especially relaxed.
After this, he was just waiting to hand over and clock out, then return to Texas for hunting and retirement.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
I have less than a month left before leaving the White House.” Lyndon Johnson concluded with words from the Bible.
The reporters below responded with polite applause.
Lin Ran thought to himself: “At this moment, Lyndon Johnson surely won’t recall Vietnam’s polluted land, the murdered civilians, the destroyed villages. Since the world has no fairness or justice, the anger of the lowly grows harder to reach the high with technological progress. Justice is not delayed—it’s just self-consolation for the oppressed.”
Lin Ran then thought, what right does he have to accuse Lyndon Johnson? Over these years in Washington, his own thinking has long been transformed. He’s no longer the simple student of the past—he’s a cold-blooded politician, an ambitious figure hoping to reshape the world according to his will, a superman with outstanding abilities.
Were all the guards providing security for Hoover truly unpardonable? Did they all really have to die? Hoover deserved ten thousand deaths, but those guards? Lin Ran thought of this and helplessly shook his head. He wouldn’t blame himself or dwell internally; he just sighed at how things change. Compared to the past, he had changed too much.
Those in power are not accused—Lyndon Johnson can apply this, so why not himself?
Under the NASA press secretary’s arrangement, reporters took turns asking questions.
“Professor, I’m reporter Klaus from the Washington Post. I just saw you shaking your head. Are you dissatisfied with President Johnson’s answer?”
“Of course not. I was just sighing how fast time passes. I always feel like President Lyndon Johnson just took office.
When I first came to the White House, President Johnson was my direct superior. At that time, his title was still vice, later becoming president.
We helped American astronauts land on the moon, completed the reusable rocket, and the GPS satellite system is showing initial results. We thoroughly won the space race. Our cooperation has been so pleasant and highly effective—pleasant enough that I forgot we’ve shared so much and cooperated for a full eight years.”
Lin Ran’s answer satisfied Lyndon Johnson. The professor is too good at speaking. After I step down, there must be an aerospace center renamed Johnson Space Center.
Reporters thought the professor’s flattery skills were too strong.
This is just short of saying big T is America’s only advantage in the artificial intelligence field—words even Lin Ran couldn’t imagine saying.
“Professor, how did this accident occur? Does it indicate loopholes still exist in NASA’s production management? And do you think this shattered your myth of never failing?” Reporter Klaus continued.
Lin Ran answered: “This explosion mainly stemmed from a wiring fault, which caused circuitry short-circuiting and fire, leading to the oxygen tank explosion.
We still have issues in production management, areas that are not rigorous enough, but that’s inevitable.
We will subsequently adjust and optimize problems in the production management system because wherever people are involved, loopholes are inevitable.
So I don’t consider this a failure; on the contrary, this was a success!
Just as President Johnson said, this is the greatest successful failure.
Though we failed, we also succeeded!”
No reporters below refuted, not even showing puzzled expressions. How can failure be success? Normally, someone would question it.
Considering it was Lin Ran, the professor, speaking, the reporters on site easily accepted his statement.
Lin Ran thought, damn, mastering scripture interpretation authority is awesome. No wonder in the 2020 spacetime, China struggled so much in the public opinion offense and defense war with America—you win and it’s a loss, they lose and it’s a win; no wonder you can’t win.
Though Lin Ran had been in the White House and Washington for so many years, his thinking was still traditional Chinese thinking. Sorry, he couldn’t win to the point of numbness out of thin air; he still had to explain why failing was also winning:
“The reason I say this is because this incident fully proves safety.
From a system management perspective, there’s no way to guarantee 100% error-free. Where there are people, there are mistakes, and possible oversights in checks, from production to testing to inspection—loopholes are inevitable.
Even fixing loophole A might cause loophole B to appear.
But this successful failure fully proves one thing: our safety is sufficient. Safety and redundant design, rigorous engineering design, repeated testing, and backup systems can rely on each other with strict production processes.
Even if one link fails, the redundancy and safety from other links are enough to ensure astronauts face no life-threatening danger.
So I say this moon landing failed, but we also succeeded!”
New York studio, Apprentice program site. Big T’s signature outfit: red tie, black suit, massive build, and a face much younger than in later generations.
Fred continues as New York State congressman. He didn’t become a congressman either, staying in the interview program’s studio as a talk show host, affectionately called Big Mouth Boy by New York City residents.
Why call him that? Because he’s too good at bragging, and New York City residents found out.
The other is America’s most famous news anchor Cronkite, hailed as “America’s most trusted man.” Big T got a completely opposite nickname.
Moreover, Big T realized things were bad—such an impression of Big Mouth isn’t good for local elections. He’s now working hard to reverse this impression.
Big T sat in a slightly exaggerated chair, with Lin Ran opposite him. Just back in New York City after Christmas holiday, he came specifically to support his godson.
Lin Ran was furious: How could New York City residents say that about my godson! Though you’re quite right.
On the screen behind them, Pacific Ocean waves surged, with the recovery ship Iwo Jima welcoming the lunar module falling from the sky.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Big T’s voice echoed through the microphone: “Apollo 13 has safely returned to Earth. The command module Odyssey ultimately splashed down in the South Pacific, just 3.5 miles from the recovery ship.
This isn’t an ordinary return; it’s the greatest escape story in space exploration history. Let’s applaud to welcome today’s guest, the greatest contributor to this escape incident—even I can say unreservedly, the only contributor!”
In the studio control room, technicians quietly applauded.
The image switched to the splashdown site: helicopters buzzed hovering over the sea.
Astronauts were hoisted up, their faces pale yet blooming with tired smiles.
Aldrin murmured: “We’re home. Everything’s fine.”
Big T narrated in front of the screen: “They look exhausted, but alive. Thank God, they’re alive!”
“Let’s go back to that terrible moment,” Big T continued, his eyes fixed on the camera as if making eye contact with every audience member. “Flight hour 55 minute 55, service module oxygen tank explosion—astronauts reported ‘Cape Canaveral, we have a problem.’
Power outage, oxygen shortage, moon landing dream shattered—but this wasn’t the end; it was a test of human wisdom.”
He paused, turning to Lin Ran: “Professor, this wasn’t a failed moon landing, but a successful rescue! We achieved an unprecedented miracle.”
