Great warships

Chapter 1296 Qin Xue: I'll wait for you on Mars!
2025, Qiongzhou, Starship Corporation base.

The huge stainless steel rocket sparkled in the sunlight. It was the masterpiece of Starship Corporation and the largest rocket in human history!

It is the same thickness at the top and the bottom, with a diameter of nine meters. The bottom is a super-heavy rocket with a height of seventy meters, and the top is a starship with a height of fifty meters. This starship will send people to Mars!

With the starship as the background, Max excitedly stood in front of the microphone and introduced it to countless reporters.

"Twenty years ago, our Starship Corporation decided to develop the Starship MK2 rocket. At that time, we issued billion shares of stock at yuan per share, and then we got billion yuan in funding. We said at the time that within years, we would send humans to Mars. Now, we solemnly announce to the world that our Starship Corporation has done it! Now, we are going to send humans to Mars. This will be a new beginning!"

There was warm applause from below.

"Of course, this is just the last step. 26 months ago, our first batch of starships set off. Now, they have all arrived on Mars and are functioning well. Mars is already capable of supporting human life. Just last month, our equipment finally succeeded in extracting the first batch of liquid oxygen and methane!"

Max has been insisting on developing liquid oxygen-methane engines, not only because this type of engine will not leave any residue and can be used many times, but also because the fuel needed for this engine can be manufactured using the Martian atmosphere. If it is just to send people up there, that is easy to say, but if you want to send people back, the fuel must be synthesized on Mars. It is absolutely impossible for humans to bring fuel there and bring fuel back!

It is precisely because all these technologies are available that Starfleet Corporation decided to send the first batch of humans up there.

The more important reason for the 26-month interval is that the Earth and Mars are too far apart, and the spacecraft must be launched before they are closest to each other.

Both Mars and the Earth revolve around the sun, but their orbital radii are different, and so are their orbital periods, which means that the two are not synchronized.

To put it simply, sometimes the Earth and Mars are on the same side of the Sun, and even the three stars are in a straight line. At this time, the distance is the shortest. Sometimes, the Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the Sun and are still in a straight line. At this time, the distance is the farthest.

It must be launched on the same side, and it must be launched in advance, so that when the spacecraft passes by, Mars will also have flown to that position, which saves the most fuel.

The first batch of unmanned rockets were launched 26 months ago as a precursor to landing on Mars. Now, we are finally going to land on Mars!

"Next, I will announce the candidates for the landing on Mars." Max said: "This time, I will lead the team to land on Mars!"

When they heard the news, the people below became excited again.

Max is actually going!
"Back then, I made a bold statement that I would be the first person to land on Mars. Over the years, our Starship Corporation has been working towards this goal. So, I must go to Mars. I must do what I say, so that I can have credibility!"

Starship Corporation is a private aerospace company that has not taken a penny from the government and completely follows the path of a market economy. Therefore, they must do what they say. If they lose their credibility, will they be able to raise funds in the future?
"Next, I will introduce the candidates for this trip to Mars. In addition to me, there are nine other people. The commander of this flight mission is our young and beautiful Qin Xue!"

The crowd cheered instantly, and some even shouted slogans.

Qin Xue, Qin Xue, Qin Xue!

Qin Xue is the third batch of astronauts from Starship Corporation. This batch of astronauts was trained together with the national team, but they did not benefit from the national team and did not spend a penny of their money. They were trained entirely by Starship Corporation themselves!
When Qin Xue was in junior high school, she aspired to become an astronaut and started various trainings. After entering high school, she was officially selected as an astronaut of Starship Corporation. At the age of 1, she flew into space for the first time on Starship MK, and then made ten more flights and became the commander.

When selecting astronauts to go to Mars, Qin Xue ranked first in comprehensive scores, so she became one of the first astronauts to fly to Mars, and also became the commander!
After that, she received long-term training, for example, she flew for a full year on the national team's space station and lived on the lunar base for two years. She is currently the astronaut with the most space experience in the country, and she is also a female, so she quickly became the most popular astronaut in the country. She can be said to be the mascot of Starship Corporation.

However, as long as you see Qin Xue go up, you will understand why Max has to go up.

Qin Xue is President Qin's beloved daughter. She wants to pursue a career in aerospace and President Qin supports her. However, if she gets into any danger, Max will be in trouble.

Going to Mars is still risky. Max certainly knows that there is a certain chance that he won't be able to come back. If Qin Xue can't come back...

Why not just go with them? If you can’t come back, we can just live together on Mars and wait for subsequent rescue!
Thinking of his previous bold words, Max decided to let himself go completely and go to Mars with everyone!

Amid the cheers of the crowd, Qin Xue walked up to the podium with brisk steps.

Qin Xue is not yet 30 years old this year. For the sake of aerospace, she has never been in a relationship or married. In the eyes of many people, her life seems too hard, but she has always enjoyed it.

Qin Xue was slim with short hair, and her every move resembled Zhao Ling. She looked at the people below with a smile. She knew that there were many more viewers watching her in front of the TV, including her parents.

In this era, internet celebrities are not popular. They can get countless rewards just by twisting their waists, dancing, and speaking in a coquettish voice. To be precise, there is no such platform as live streaming.

Maybe it happened before, but after a few incidents of disconnection, network outages, and restoration after beautification, the profession of internet celebrity disappeared. Many people believe that the Minnesota Group is behind it, but well done.

This era requires an uplifting force and people need to have faith, especially the young generation. Their dreams when they grow up can be to become a scientist, a worker, or a novelist, but they definitely cannot be an internet celebrity!
People like Qin Xue who pursue their dreams have received a lot of attention on the Internet. It can be said that scientists, practical people, and people who work hard to pursue their dreams will become Internet celebrities, real Internet celebrities.

Qin Xue smiled and said, "Everyone, thank you for your continued support!"

"Since I was a child, I have lived in a powerful country. Our country has become the strongest in the world. So, will we still focus all our energy on the earth like some powerful countries in the past? Relying on various means to plunder other people's wealth, even at the cost of launching wars, creating viruses and famines? No, of course not!"

"We are different from them. Our strength means the strength of the entire human race. When humans become stronger, they will not be confined to the Earth, but will fly out of the Earth and explore the wider universe!"

Those people in the past had too narrow vision. However, if such people are allowed to hold power, they are destined to have no lofty ideals. In essence, they are just a group of businessmen and vampires.

"When I get to Mars, I may not be able to reply to your messages in time, but please believe me, I can definitely survive on Mars and live well. I'm on Mars, waiting for your arrival!"

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. Qin Xue hesitated and looked behind the crowd.

Two people appeared there, holding hands, they walked over.

"Mr. Qin!"

"Mr. Qin is here!"

The crowd dispersed spontaneously. Qin Tao and Zhao Ling walked to the front of the podium together but did not go up.

"We are on Earth, waiting for your triumphant return. When that time comes, remember to sign for me." Qin Tao said, holding up a book in his hand, "From Astronaut to Astronaut."

This book was written by Qin Xue. It is a true portrayal of her struggling first half of life and countless astronauts!

As for the difference between astronauts and cosmonauts, there are many opinions.

The first person to enter outer space was Gagarin. The Russians were the first to name this profession in English as Cosmonaut. Cosmic means universe, and it has been used until now.

It was the Americans' turn. They couldn't follow the Russians' lead, or they would suffer. So they created a new word: Astronaut. Astro is a Greek word meaning space, ladder, or something like that. In short, astronauts from the United States and the Soviet Union used their own names and had different titles. Therefore, in many English newspapers and magazines, you can tell at a glance whether someone is American or Russian.

Now it’s the East’s turn, how should we use the word?

The famous Mr. Qian gave a definition: Since we have aviation and navigation, we must of course have aerospace!
Aviation is within the atmosphere, and aerospace is outside the atmosphere to the solar system. Once you leave the solar system and enter the universe, that is aerospace.

Therefore, now everyone is an astronaut, and there will be cosmonauts in the future. This book written by Qin Xue is to record herself, and at the same time she is looking forward to truly leaving the solar system and flying into the vast space!
Seeing her parents coming over in person, Qin Xue's face was full of smiles: "Dad, Mom, don't worry, I will definitely come back safely!"

"Well, we won't bother you anymore, just continue with the press conference!"

Don't bother me anymore? Qin Xue looked at Qin Tao and Zhao Ling, very surprised. Since they were here, why didn't they take a closer look? Were they going to continue their trip? Hey, is this appropriate for you to do?

"Let us now introduce the passengers on board. We will have four more passengers on this trip to Mars. They are..."

This is also the characteristic of Starship Corporation, taking a market-oriented approach and carrying passengers every time it launches. This way, the launch costs are saved, and even a lot can be saved. Otherwise, relying on the additional stocks issued that year, it would not be enough and would have exceeded the cost long ago. But now, there is still a surplus!

Four wealthy people from all over the world came up and greeted him enthusiastically. This was actually just a chance to show their faces, and they loved this kind of opportunity to show their faces the most.

After Qin Tao and Zhao Ling left, Zhao Ling said quietly, "I really want to go up with Xue'er."

"Together? Do you know how much a ticket costs?" Qin Tao said, "If you go up, Starship Corporation will lose money on this launch. If the financial report doesn't look good, Ocean will get angry and curse at you."

Zhao Ling said helplessly: "Haiyang is becoming more and more like you. Next, let's go back to the villa. The view there is the best. I want to watch the rocket take off."

"it is good."

"Tell me, can we squeeze ten people in there?"

With a diameter of nine meters and a height of sixty meters, the internal space is more than 15,000 cubic meters, of which 10,000 cubic meters are used to store fuel tanks, engines and other equipment. There are more than 5,000 cubic meters of space, which can be divided among ten people, so each person has more than 500 cubic meters of space!
A small house of 90 square meters, multiplied by a height of three meters, is only 270 cubic meters. The space for each person is equivalent to a large house of 160 to 170 square meters. Is it not enough to live in?
This first flight is absolutely presidential suite-level treatment. Everyone has their own independent space and can bring their favorite things to Mars. They will definitely not be alone during the long flight to Mars.

As for Qin Xue, when she had free time on the spaceship, she would of course continue writing books.

"According to Max's plan, each starship will carry 100 people in the future. Now it's just the first launch, and it's only transporting 10 people." Qin Tao said: "One person takes up the space of 10 people, so what's not enough?"

At this time, Max is still making long-term plans.

"Our future goal is to transport one million people to Mars, so that they can truly live on Mars. By that time, even if you don't have money, you can still get a loan to go to Mars. Once you're there, you can use your salary to repay the loan!"

Rich people have their own way of traveling, and poor people have their own way of traveling on a budget. If you don't have money but still want to go to Mars, you can get a loan. This is also the latest business launched by Starship. Anyway, you have to work when you go there, and the salary for working in a place like Mars will definitely not be low.

There was another cheer from below.

"Our launch mission is scheduled for tonight. Now, the press conference ends here. We need to prepare for takeoff!"

In the past, preparations for space flights had to begin several days in advance, but as it became easier and easier for humans to enter space, preparations before takeoff became easier and easier, and preparations only half a day before takeoff were enough.

In the afternoon, liquid oxygen and methane began to be added, and the final check before launch was carried out. At five or six o'clock in the evening, the astronauts began to have their last dinner on Earth.

"After this meal, we will leave the Earth. The next time we eat on the ground, it will be on the surface of Mars. Come on, everyone, let's toast!" Max raised his glass.

Taking a sip before takeoff is no big deal, after all, we are just entering space.

"It's a pity that our nuclear fusion rocket has not yet been developed to maturity, otherwise our flight time to Mars could be shortened to one hundred days. Now, we have to spend a long two hundred days in space." Max said.

"This is even better, it means our ticket is worth it." A passenger said with a smile: "It reminds me of the sea voyages back then. It also took a long time to cross the ocean. Whether it was Columbus discovering the New World or Magellan's circumnavigation of the world, the time spent sailing on the sea was often measured in years."

"Yeah, we don't mind. We can just enjoy the scenery along the way."

"You don't care, but I do. You will eat half more food during the journey." Max said, "Do you know how expensive it is to transport food? After we go up, we must open up a farm as soon as possible."

It only takes two or three days to get from the Earth to the Moon, so you can go there and back quickly and bring everything from Earth. But it is different to Mars, as the one-way trip takes more than 200 days. Therefore, it is impossible to bring all the supplies from Earth, and they must be planted on site.

There is already a mature planting plan in the lunar base. Their advance team needs to go to Mars to experiment whether it is suitable. If they can grow qualified food, they may be able to stay on Mars for a longer period. If they cannot grow it, they will have to consider returning after 26 months.

In any case, we will have to stay on Mars for 26 months and wait for the next launch window.

This will be an unforgettable journey.

When passengers mentioned Columbus and Magellan, they were actually encouraging themselves. They were also opening up new continents, but not on Earth, but on Mars!

The meal time was short, yet seemed very long. Finally, the launch time was getting closer!
One hour before launch, the ten people began to make preparations for takeoff, which were similar to those for flying to the moon or space station, and everyone was very familiar with them.

Half an hour later, everyone started taking the elevator and entering the starship above. Qin Xue sat in the commander's seat, holding the documents in her hand, and began to carry out various verification work before takeoff.

The ship's interface was as simple as ever, except that there was a dedicated touch screen in front of her, and the others watched the holographic projection directly to help check.

Ten minutes before takeoff, do a final physical check to confirm that all features are stable.

The countdown finally began. At this moment, not only the people at the scene, but also the audiences in front of TVs all over the world were looking at the screen and shouting along.

"Ten, nine, one!"

ignition!

Hot flames emerged from under the starship, and ten Raptor engines ignited at the same time. The thrust of 8,000 tons pushed the 7,400-ton starship slowly upward.

In front of the TV, Zhao Ling was very excited: "It's taking off, it's finally taking off. It will take a few years before I can see Xue'er again. I..."

At this point, she choked up again.

"Yes, it takes too long. Once our nuclear fusion engine is developed, it will be faster to fly to Mars. Then, we can go to find her together and travel to Mars. Wouldn't it be better?" Qin Tao was very generous.

"Uh-huh."

The rocket continued to rise into the sky. Before leaving the atmosphere, the super-heavy rocket below began to separate, then entered the atmosphere and returned to the launch pad.

The first batch of spacecraft launched previously used multi-use super-heavy rockets, and many of their surfaces began to become dilapidated. Max is still using them, but the one launched this time is a brand new super-heavy rocket, and it is the first time to go up.

The starship's six engines continued to ignite, pushing the starship out of the atmosphere and flying to the predetermined refueling point in space. Only after refueling in outer space can it fly to Mars!

The docking and refueling went smoothly, and soon the starship was on its way to Mars.

　PS: Let me know what extra chapters you want to see, because tomorrow there will be an extra chapter about a joint military exercise between two wealthy dogs. If you don’t have any other requests, our book will be completely finished!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)