Chapter 431: Freedom Space Station
Every country needs its own winning studies performance.
The Soviet Union’s is their steel torrent, aircraft and cannons, and possibly some aerospace afterglow left by Korolev.
But it’s just afterglow.
The Kremlin side has decided to break the ice with China.
They hope to freeze controversial topics, reduce the intensity of border standoffs, and find new directions for cooperation.
What the Soviet Union hopes most is to use rubles to purchase Chinese goods, followed by exchanging oil, technology, and large industrial equipment, and finally US dollars.
They have also found their way to break the ice, which is cooperation in the field of aerospace.
Led by Kosygin, the team visiting China includes two familiar names: Pokrovsky and Glushko.
After Korolev’s death, the Soviet Space Agency, in order to catch up with America’s progress, once tried to find “professors” from China who could work for them.
They initially thought money would be the candidate.
But how could Qian, who is already the head of Area 51, possibly go to Moscow to work for them?
So China sent Wang Xiji, a young man with some experience, to take on this important task, and the Chinese side would provide assistance for his work.
The cooperation between the two sides started off very pleasantly.
Although the idea of a distributed control network proposed by Wang Xiji did not align with Soviet traditions.
But from the experiments, this set is effective for the N-1 rocket, it works, it has effects, and it shows a glimmer of solution.
Unfortunately, the rapid cooling of relations between the two sides caused the cooperation to not continue, and before success, Wang Xiji was forced to return to China.
Along with it, the technical route he insisted on was also burned to ashes.
The entire N-1 rocket’s research and development progress also stalled.
Consecutive launch failures, plus the increasing emphasis on semiconductor technology, meant the Soviet Space Agency received less and less funding, and the N-1 rocket project existed in name only.
Now, the Soviet side hopes to restart this project.
Both to return to the Moon and as the first step in breaking the ice.
This is not an easy decision for the Soviet Union.
In a sense, it is equivalent to admitting that we can’t do it and that Chinese people must take the lead in this project.
It shows how strong the Soviet Union’s determination is to repair relations under Kosygin’s operation.
1969, Moscow
After several years, Wang Xiji set foot on this frozen land again.
In his memory, Moscow has long winters, short summers, and almost non-existent springs and autumns.
This time it’s not winter, the temperature is very pleasant.
Combined with the artillery fire on the Vietnam War frontline, the public opinion conflict between America and the Soviet Union has intensified, and the political atmosphere is equally heated.
But he can still smell the cold air in his memory; this is a feeling, a awakening of his memory of Moscow.
He knows that this time, he is not coming as a guest, but as a returnee.
In the Soviet Space Agency’s meeting room, he sat at one end of the long table, facing his former colleague, Valentin Glushko.
Many years ago, they fought side by side for a common dream.
But in the end, the breakdown of relations between the two countries sent them their separate ways.
Valentin has aged a lot, and his once upright figure has become somewhat hunched.
However, their last meeting was not long ago in Yanjing.
Seeing Wang Xiji’s return this time, Valentin smiled: “Wang, we’re going to fight side by side again. This time, we believe we can ignite the big guy, just like Saturn V continuously sends American astronauts to the Moon; we too will send our astronauts to the Moon.”
Wang Xiji smiled back, his tone calm and sincere: “Of course, of course. In the past three years, I haven’t stopped. In theory and calculation, I have made sufficient preparations.
As long as our verification goes smoothly, I think we will succeed soon.”
Valentin opened his mouth wide; this was something he didn’t know in Yanjing:
“N-1, it is still our heart disease.
After you left, we tried many times, but failed every time.
The rocket always disintegrates at some stage after liftoff.
We used the most advanced centralized control system, but it always collapses in milliseconds when facing the complex vibrations produced by multiple engines working simultaneously.
You say now that verification is complete in theory and calculation; how is that possible?”
In Yanjing, they talked very broadly.
Now, they can talk about some specific content.
Wang Xiji said helplessly: “Didn’t I say when I was here that the difficulty of solving this problem with a centralized control system is 100, while with a distributed control system it’s at most 50.”
Valentin smiled bitterly: “In the Soviet Union, science is never just science.
You could propose a distributed control system, you were the project manager, you could push it forward, but we can’t.
You should know Lysenko, right?”
This refers to the debate between Lysenko and Vavilov.
The two sides endlessly argued whether biological traits are determined by postnatal environment or genetic inheritance.
Lysenko’s theory dominated during Nikita’s era in the Soviet Union, became the theory endorsed by Moscow, and was forcibly promoted into Soviet agricultural practice.
It wasn’t until Nikita was exiled to the Black Sea that Lysenko’s theory was overturned.
Now it’s Leonard’s time, Lysenko has been overturned, but this atmosphere hasn’t disappeared; the soil that shaped this atmosphere still exists.
Wang Xiji instantly understood, and he too shook his head helplessly, “Okay, I understand, I understand.
This is not something we can decide.
Back to the distributed control system.
We did a lot of work in the past; only some key issues remain unsolved.
In these three years in Yanjing, I have solved these key issues.”
Wang Xiji took out a thick stack of blueprints and calculation reports from his briefcase.
“Comrade Valentin, do you still remember what I said to you back then?” Wang Xiji asked, “I said, freedom is for better control.”
He spread the blueprints flat on the table; there was a detailed multi-engine parallel scheme.
“The 30 NK-15 engines in the first stage of N-1, we call it a rocket forest.
At the moment of ignition, each engine produces tiny thrust deviations, which accumulate to form sub-synchronous vibration.
And your centralized KORD analog computer cannot make effective adjustments in milliseconds when facing such a massive real-time calculation load, ultimately leading to the rocket’s disintegration.”
Wang Xiji pointed to a module on the blueprint: “In these years, we in China have had more advanced semiconductor technology.
We have used this technology to develop a digital distributed controller.
It can be integrated next to each engine to monitor and adjust thrust in real time.”
He continued: “Through a high-speed data bus, these controllers can achieve millisecond-level communication.
If one engine’s thrust is abnormal, adjacent controllers will immediately perceive it and, under the coordination of the central unit, dynamically compensate the thrust of other engines.
This is like the human nervous system; every part is independent, but they all obey the brain’s command.
When one part has a problem, other parts can quickly compensate.
This is what we need.”
Wang Xiji then took out a paper: “This is the PID control algorithm.
Each local controller will monitor the engine’s thrust deviation in real time and instantly calculate the thrust correction needed based on this deviation.
This calculation load is very small; for our digital processor, it’s negligible.
The role of the central control unit changes from an all-powerful calculator to a coordinator.
It only needs to handle a simplified model, like converting one engine’s failure into a global thrust compensation vector and allocating it to other controllers.
This distributed computing method completely avoids single-point failure and system overload issues.”
No one would question China’s civilian semiconductor manufacturing capability, but this is for use on rockets; it needs higher stability and to withstand extreme environments.
Valentin was still shocked by how rapid China’s progress was.
Wang Xiji then took out a semiconductor circuit from his briefcase:
“This is the distributed controller we developed.
It can be integrated next to each engine to monitor and adjust thrust in real time.
It uses our independently developed solid-state transistors and integrated circuits, capable of withstanding high-intensity radiation and vibration.”
Valentin thought of how the Soviet Union had invested funds into the semiconductor field in recent years but progressed slowly, which gave him a headache.
This had used up their Soviet Space Agency’s budget.
Then he became interested in Wang Xiji’s briefcase again: no, what kind of universal briefcase is this, how does it hold so many good things.
“Wang, take out all the good stuff to open my eyes,” Valentin teased.
Wang Xiji said: “Our remaining work also includes software development for the controller; we need to write a real-time operating system and control algorithm for it to ensure it can accurately and quickly respond to sensor signals and make corresponding adjustments.
Then there is the engine test stand hot-fire test; we need to install the new controller on a real NK-15 engine and conduct full-thrust ignition tests on the ground.
This will verify the response speed of the thrust control valve and the controller’s actual performance, ensuring it can work normally in a real environment full of vibration and noise.
We also need to build a multi-engine parallel test stand to simulate the rocket first stage’s ignition process and verify the actual effect of the distributed control system in dealing with sub-synchronous vibration.
We need to modify the rocket structure and redesign N-1’s internal structure to install a high-speed data bus, ensuring stable communication between the 30 controllers and the central unit.
At key parts of the rocket, we need to install new sensors to monitor vibration, pressure, acceleration, and other data in real time, and transmit this data to the controllers.”
Valentin reminded: “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Wang Xiji suddenly realized and took out a stack of information from his briefcase: “You mean the simulation experiment, right?
I already completed it in China.
We have used computers to simulate the N-1 rocket’s flight physics, engine dynamics, and external environment.
We have verified the stability and reliability of this control system.
Theoretically, it is definitely feasible.”
Valentin thought this took Wang Xiji a huge amount of work; in the past three years, he had been busy with the N-1 rocket’s research and development.
He thought to himself, what kind of spirit is this; he had already returned to China, and under the uncertain future of the N-1 rocket project, he did so much work. We said back then to find a professor; although Wang’s ability has a gap with the professor, this work attitude is truly impeccable.
Valentin was deeply moved inside.
In fact, this was self-moving.
This amount of calculation was just one day’s work at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ computing center.
As for the other work, that was incidental.
Valentin was full of ambition inside: “Wang, then let’s get started!”
Equally ambitious was Nixon.
The reversal of the declining situation on the Vietnam War frontline made his polls look much better, a big jump from the beginning of the year.
After all, whether it was Hoover’s death or the many doubts surrounding Hoover, they could all be blamed on the previous Donkey Party.
From Kennedy to Johnson, the Donkey Party stayed in the White House for a full eight years; you guys caused this.
Nixon’s main two strategies: first, blame the predecessor; second, emphasize how well he is fighting the Vietnam War.
Now, the third one is coming.
That is America’s first space station.
The space station was approved in 1962; at that time Lin Ran was still the White House Special Assistant for Aerospace Affairs, and during the NASA-related budget hearing in Congress, he proposed the related concept.
Then preliminary approval followed.
After a full eight years, it was finally to be assembled in 1969.
Starting from early 1969, the entire installation process took half a year.
The design of the entire Freedom Space Station was full of the style of that era.
It consists of three huge cylindrical modules: living module, experiment module, and docking module.
These modules were sent into orbit in batches by a modified Saturn V rocket and automatically docked in orbit.
Finally, astronauts led by Aldrin and Armstrong performed the final assembly through complex extravehicular activities.
When Freedom completed the installation of the last solar panel in orbit, its appearance in space was like a huge, metallic gleaming cross, symbolizing the arrival of a new era.
Cape Canaveral, a modified Saturn 1B rocket stands majestically on the launch pad, with the command module carrying three astronauts at its top.
Unlike previous Apollo moon landing launches that had no media attention, only reporters focused on aerospace and some major reporters doing routine work, this launch attracted too much media attention.
After all, moon landings have happened too many times; humans establishing a permanent home in space is the first time.
Commander Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and mission specialist Allen Spencer had gotten up at four in the morning.
They enjoyed the traditional steak and eggs breakfast, then put on their bulky spacesuits.
On the way to the launch pad, everyone was old partners; the past space construction was mainly done by these three.
So they had no extra words, just patted each other’s shoulders, as if this was just an ordinary task.
Lin Ran has to some extent changed the usage of astronauts; in the original world line, astronauts were one-time consumables.
After completing the mission, you become a mascot, enjoying people’s worship on Earth.
Including material satisfaction as much as possible, but if you want to fly another mission, no.
You are our hero; you can’t have an accident.
Lin Ran uses them as long as they are useful; Aldrin doesn’t even know how many times he has been to space or ridden rockets.
The number of times he has ridden rockets is more than 99% of Americans have flown airplanes.
After entering the command module, they were strapped into their seats, and the cabin was filled with the hum of electronic equipment.
The headphones transmitted the countdown from the ground control center: “Ten, nine, eight”
“Three, two, one, ignition!”
With a deafening roar, orange-red flames jetted from the rocket’s bottom, and the entire launch pad was enveloped in smoke and steam.
They were firmly pressed into their seats by the huge thrust.
Aldrin gripped the control stick tightly, his gaze locked on the dashboard, monitoring every tiny change in the rocket.
“Neil, although it’s not the professor commanding for the first time, I still feel very unaccustomed.”
“Yes, I feel the same; without hearing the professor’s voice, I always feel something is missing.
It’s like the morning steak without the chef adding rosemary; it’s strange.”
“Rocket liftoff,” Aldrin said calmly: “All normal.”
Having done it too many times, you would be calm too.
“We receive your signal, Apollo 10.5,” the ground control center’s voice immediately responded: “Maintain your flight attitude; we will monitor your trajectory throughout.”
In the next few hours, they will perform a series of complex orbital adjustments. They need to precisely calculate the rendezvous point with the Freedom Space Station, then perform multiple burns to ensure they can dock with the space station at the perfect angle and speed.
“Cape Canaveral, we have entered the rendezvous orbit and are performing the first attitude adjustment,” Aldrin said, looking at the data on the screen.
The ground voice immediately responded: “Received, Apollo 10.5; we see your adjustment, data is perfect.”
Docking is the most critical and dangerous part of the entire mission.
Teased by NASA engineers as the most precise dance in space.
But Aldrin has danced this dance too many times.
Docking was needed for moon landings, and for building the space station in the past.
This time it’s just routine.
He skillfully maneuvered the command module, slowly and steadily approaching Freedom.
When the command module was a few meters from Freedom, they could clearly see the space station’s metal shell and solar panels.
Allen Spencer was far less relaxed than the two beside him; he nervously monitored the data in the cabin, his voice transmitted via radio to Aldrin: “Distance two meters, speed 0.05 meters per second, angle three degrees left.”
In the final moment, Aldrin took a deep breath, threw all the data out of his mind, and maneuvered purely on his years of trained intuition.
“Almost, almost,” he said softly, as if talking to himself or to Freedom.
Finally, with a dull click, docking was complete.
“Cape Canaveral, this is Apollo 10.5; we have safely docked,” Neil Armstrong said flatly.
Ground control center instantly erupted in huge cheers.
They knew the hardest step was done.
Cape Canaveral, it was now the next day.
The rendezvous method here is traditional rendezvous, which generally takes two days to complete.
Because the spacecraft first enters an orbit slightly lower than the space station, then gradually raises the orbit through multiple burns to approach the space station.
This method saves more fuel and is safer.
Without special needs, generally no quick rendezvous in a few hours, even in 2020 spacetime.
Beside the launch pad, sea breeze lightly blowing, Nixon stood at the podium.
The rocket’s smoke had long dissipated, but the air seemed to still linger with that deafening roar.
Under everyone’s gaze, Nixon stepped onto the stage, his face with the usual seriousness.
He began speaking, his voice piercing the sea breeze, reaching everyone present, and also transmitted via radio and television signals to every corner of the world.
“My fellow Americans, today our astronauts have successfully occupied the first space station in human history.
While conquering the Moon, we will also conquer the sky above us; America’s flag will spread throughout the universe!”
His words rang out powerfully.
“This is not a simple journey; this is humanity’s another leap.
It tells us that humanity’s future in the universe will arrive faster than we imagine.
We will establish our outposts in space, and from there, explore the farther universe.
This is the victory of freedom, the victory of humanity.”
Nixon paused, his gaze looking into the distance, as if piercing the clouds to see the Freedom Space Station gleaming with metallic light in space.
“In the past centuries, our people have been exploring new horizons.
Our ancestors crossed the Atlantic Ocean and conquered this continent.
And today, our astronauts are conquering a brand new ocean, an ocean of universe without boundaries or end.”
He turned to face the crowd below, his tone full of passion.
“I promise you, America will not stop the steps of exploration.
We will continue to invest in space, continue to break the limits of science.
Because we know that conquering space is not just for science, but for humanity’s future.
It will bring us new technology, new energy, new ways of life.
It will give our people a better future.
Today, we witness the birth of a new era.
We witness humanity’s courage, wisdom, and determination.
We witness that humanity’s dreams can transcend any boundary.”
He waved to the crowd, feeling extremely relaxed inside; the Vietnam War is progressing smoothly, soon he can bring the soldiers back to Washington for Christmas.
North Vietnam is no match.
The space station is launched, having territory in the universe; this is something the Soviet Union hasn’t achieved.
“Thank you, and may God bless America!”
