Chapter 725 Stepping Into the Starry Sky

Since Apollo 17's lunar mission ended in December 1972, no one has ventured beyond Earth's orbit, and no one has set foot on the Moon's surface. The Xiangrui sailing on the cold and dark earth-moon transfer orbit is like a solitary boat in the sea, bearing the baptism of loneliness.

It was pitch black outside the porthole, a kind of dead silence and coldness completely different from the night on Earth. This kind of darkness seems to come from another world, as if diving ten kilometers under the sea, staring at the invisible abyss below.

After nearly forty hours of sailing, the dark gray planet finally gradually approached.

Looking at the slowly approaching planet, Nie Yun, holding the joystick, took a deep breath slowly.

"This is Xiangrui, we have entered a 12-hour orbit and are approaching the moon..."

Sitting in the passenger seat in the back row, also staring at the planet that was getting closer and closer, Liu Zhengwen felt his heart beating faster.

Partly from excitement, partly from a feeling he couldn't describe himself.

After about five minutes, he suddenly remembered something, and subconsciously said.

"Speaking of... who will go up first?"

When Liu Zhengwen asked this sentence, his face felt a little hot. Although he didn't mean to grab credit or covet fame, he always felt that he who asked this sentence was doing it. In fact, he just felt that it would be better to ask about this kind of controversial matter before the mission started.

However, Nie Yun, who heard these words, smiled indifferently.

"You can come first."

Liu Zhengwen said with some embarrassment.

"No, you should come first."

After all, he also drove the Xiangrui.

Nie Yun said with a smile: "I have to stay on the Xiangrui and watch, I'm afraid I can't go up with you."

During the mission to the moon, the main driver must stay on the Xiangrui to ensure that the systems on the Xiangrui are operating normally. After all, although it can be switched to cruise mode and automatically circles on the established track, the machine is not so reliable at all times, and an experienced driver must stay on it at critical times.

So at this glorious and great moment, he can only watch them plant the national flag on this land from the sky.

But it doesn't matter, he himself doesn't particularly care about this.

Liu Zhengwen asked a little nervously, "Am I going up alone?"

Nie Yun raised his thumb and pointed to Nie Han who was sitting next to him: "Don't worry, she will go up with you and take charge of bringing you back."

Liu Zhengwen immediately said: "Then she should go up first."

"Don't worry about me, it doesn't matter if I go up first and second," Nie Han said with a smile, "Anyway, no matter what, I'm the first woman to step on the moon."

Nie Yun glanced at her unexpectedly: "Are there no female astronauts on the Apollo?"

Liu Zhengwen: "...it doesn't seem to be. The 12 astronauts in my impression are all men."

Nie Yun nodded slightly in amazement.

"I see."

No wonder the above asked to select a female astronaut.

The significance of the space race, apart from investing in the future, is to grab the first place.

However, does this count as taking advantage of the Yankees?

...

Even if the moon is close at hand, it is impossible to drop the lunar module at the current speed of the Xiangrui aerospace plane.

After running for a week in the 12-hour orbit, Nie Yun drove the Xiangrui, and with the help of the ground command center, quickly completed the orbit change from 3.5 hours to 127 minutes. At the same time, the trajectory of the Xiangrui around the moon has successfully become an approximate circle, and the speed and direction have also been adjusted to a relatively safe level.

Reaching out and pressing on the helmet, Nie Yun took a deep breath and said.

"...This is Xiangrui. We have successfully entered the 127-minute orbit and will arrive at the sky above the landing site in 25 minutes. We request approval to deliver the lunar module."

"This is the ground command center, and the moon landing is approved."

"receive!"

After the communication ended, Nie Yun looked back at Liu Zhengwen who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Landing on the lunar surface in 25 minutes, you go and prepare."

"OK!"

After unlocking the environmental control and life support system, the two astronauts helped each other put on extravehicular spacesuits, and under the supervision of Nie Yun, checked the condition of the spacesuits.

"The feeding device is activated!"

"Check the oxygen level."

"Oxygen balance is 100%, enough to maintain 4 hours of extravehicular activities!"

"Testing the active injection system."

"Yes!"

According to what he learned during training, Liu Zhengwen hooked the hook on his waist to the crossbar next to him, and then stretched out his hand to press the button on his left arm. The backpack behind him made a slight sizzling sound, and a gentle force pushed him forward.

However, this gentle force did not push him too far, and with the help of the fixed hook lock, he quickly stood upright.

"...The active injection system is normal!"

Nie Yun nodded, and turned his gaze to Nie Han who was standing beside him.

After completing all the testing procedures, Nie Han nodded and responded, "Everything is normal."

Nie Yun nodded.

"Begin boarding, good luck!"

"necessary."

With a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, Nie Han stretched out his fist to touch his elder brother, and then stepped across the cabin door gracefully.

Liu Zhengwen nodded to Nie Yun, and then closely followed Nie Han's footsteps.

Looking at the closed hatch, Nie Yun with a solemn expression was silent for a while, then slowly raised his right hand as a military salute.

Then he said solemnly in a voice that only he could hear.

"Take care of yourself!"

Success or failure is here.

After five minutes of sailing, the Xiangrui arrived at the target airspace. As the hatch opened, a pitch-black egg-shaped object separated from the belly of the aircraft from the bottom of the Xiangrui.

The flames flickered slightly, and with the help of two pairs of chemical fuel engines, the falling lunar module was like a meteorite, drawing an arc over the moon and falling on the barren lunar soil.

Rolling moon dust kicked up.

Whether it was Nie Yun sitting on the Xiangrui, or the people in the command center on the ground 380,000 kilometers away, staring at the aerial images with a delay of more than one second, all of them clenched their fists at this moment. The strings are tightly stretched.

Slowly, the hatch of the lunar module opened.

A figure stood at the cabin door.

Everyone held their breath.

Except for Liu Zhengwen, who was standing at the door of the hatch, took a deep breath.

Then, he jumped lightly out of the cabin.

The body is as light as a goose feather, falling down together with the floating moon dust.

The moment the soles of his boots lightly touched the lunar soil, he felt that the blood in his whole body was boiling, as if it was burning.

At the same time, the moment he stepped on the moon, deafening cheers broke out in the command room more than 380,000 kilometers away.

People hugged each other and tears filled their eyes.

They did it!

Successfully landed on the moon!

At this moment, they wrote history!