It was night time.
The aerospace launch site was still brightly lit.
Most people had started to plan their vacations and look forward to the new year. However, there wasn’t an ounce of festival vibes here.
The ground crew was busy walking around the take-off runway. They were doing a final inspection of the launch site and Skyglow’s hardware.
The launch plan was finalized, and the launch was set at 12 o’clock midnight.
Based on the weather observational data provided by the meteorological department, this was the most suitable time for the launch mission.
The astronauts and the launch site staff members were working at their respective positions.
Inside the astronaut resting room.
The atmosphere was quiet.
The launch was in three hours, and they had to board the spacecraft in an hour.
Nie Yun sighed and broke the silence.
“Are you ready?”
Nie Yan smirked and bumped his fist with his chest.
“I was born ready.”
Nie Yun was infected by her enthusiasm, and he couldn’t help but smile.
However, that smile only lasted a few seconds.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
“… You should think about this seriously. This is different from the last launch mission. We have no idea what is waiting for us on the Moon.”
Nie Yan smiled and jokingly said, “What’s the point of thinking about it? It’s not like we can find other astronauts to fly instead.”
Nie Yun said, “We have backup astronauts.”
Nie Yan said without hesitation, “Don’t even think about it.”
Nie Yun knew what type of person his sister was, so he didn’t try to convince her.
Actually, because they were related, they couldn’t fly the spacecraft together. Therefore, Nie Yun was selected as the only pilot for the flight.
However, Nie Yan asked her superiors for permission to fly as well. Because of her outstanding performance in the military, her superiors approved her request.
Nie Yun didn’t think this was a good idea.
Because if anything were to happen, their parents would be devastated to lose both of their children.
In addition to the siblings, there was someone else flying.
He was different from the other two astronauts; he wasn’t an ex-military pilot. He was a researcher at the Institute of Geochemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and used to work at the Chinese Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, working in planetary exploration and research. He passed multiple rounds of interviews and tests before he was finally selected to join the moon landing project.
Prior to this, he had only received two months of professional training. He didn’t realize how serious this was until his senior officer asked him to write a will…
Nie Yan noticed his hands were fidgeting, so she asked, “Hey, what’s your name?”
The man was startled by her voice, and he replied while stuttering, “Liu… Liu Zhengwen.”
“Nervous?”
“Yeah… Kind of.”
Liu Zhengwen forced a smile. He took a deep breath and looked at his fist. After a while, he said, “I thought I was prepared, but now… I’m afraid of dying.”
Nie Yun said, “Everyone is afraid of dying, it’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
“Are you scared as well?”
Nie Yun nodded, then shook his head.
“Being scared and afraid are two different things.”
Suddenly, a bell rang was heard in the astronaut lounge.
It was time for them to head to the locker room and put on their spacesuits with help from other staff members.
Nie Yun stood up and quietly walked next to Liu Zhengwen. He reached out and patted him on the shoulder.
“Relax, there are millions of people praying for us.
“We got this.”
…
The launch site was filled with military troops. Barriers had been set up on nearby highways to prohibit all vehicles and personnel from entering the area. Some people were taking photos nearby, and they were warned and escorted by police and military personnel.
The launch site was like a fortress; not even a cockroach could sneak in.
Inside the launch site.
A CTV van was parked at the launch site. It had obtained filming permits.
A camera was aimed at the three pilots who were walking toward the spacecraft. An excited reporter lady spoke loudly toward the microphone.
“… Right behind me on the runway are the three astronauts who are about to board Skyglow. In less than an hour, Skyglow’s second flight will begin. According to the staff at the Jinling launch site, the spacecraft will reach the Moon’s orbit. Our astronauts’ footprints will be on the Moon! They will wish us a happy Chinese New Year from the Moon!”
The reporter lady took a deep breath.
If everything went well, the footage recorded by the camera would be broadcasted on the news channel tomorrow.
If something went wrong…
She had no idea what would happen.
The only thing she could do was to pray.
On the runway, a tall boarding platform slowly connected with the aerospaceplane entrances.
Lu Zhou stood on the boarding platform and watched the three astronauts boarding the plane. He smiled and waved at them.
Director Li was standing behind Lu Zhou with a serious look on his face. Even though the boarding platform was disconnected from the spacecraft, he still kept his eyes on Lu Zhou.
Director Li really was a man of his words. He had been following Lu Zhou for the past hour, even to the bathroom.
At least he didn’t go into the stalls with Lu Zhou…
Lu Zhou looked at his nervous face and sighed.
“… I thought about it.”
Director Li said, “Thought about what?”
Lu Zhou awkwardly said, “The lunar module can only take two people. So one person is going to stay on the spacecraft alone.”
“… So?”
“It’s pretty boring for them to be there alone. We should fly with them so that we can play cards with them.”
Director Li’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Lu Zhou almost began to worry about his blood pressure.
“I’m just kidding… Go… Let’s head back to the ground command center. The show is about to begin.”
Before Director Li could answer, Lu Zhou dragged him toward the command center.