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Chapter 225 225: Test Flight of A-001
The "Orbital Ring" was a massive runway constructed on the exterior of the mothership. Carefully positioned by the Engineering Division, it sat just above the outer edge of the main hull.
Because construction could only begin after the mothership dropped out of sub-light speeds, this colossal project had been saved for last.
According to the blueprints, the ring was approximately 40 kilometers in circumference and 1.3 kilometers in both width and height. Its top surface housed numerous multi-level docking facilities, boasting a staggering total area of 19.47 square kilometers!
Building this true megastructure required nearly 90 million tons of steel and concrete. Moving forward, various large spacecraft would be assembled directly on this orbital ring.
It wasn't just a runway; it was a fully functional, compact shipyard!
The sheer mass of materials ejected to build this ring was the primary reason the mothership's velocity had decreased so rapidly.
This external structure perfectly solved the issue of the mothership's internal docking bays being too small. From now on, any large spacecraft exceeding 30 meters in length would dock at this multi-level facility.
Since outer space was a zero-gravity environment, the orbital ring relied entirely on electromagnetic locking and superconducting magnetic levitation technology. Every new spacecraft was designed and manufactured with these specific support systems in mind.
Today marked the maiden test flight of the military's new A-001 spacecraft.
Jason reviewed the report from the military division, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach.
"Austin, this kind of manual test flight is incredibly dangerous. Especially since the mothership is moving so fast... 24 kilometers per second is no joke."
Austin shook his head. "Theoretically, the technology is fully mature, and their daily training is more than enough. Being a soldier always comes with risks. If you back down the moment things get dangerous, what kind of soldier are you?"
"We can't wrap our troops in bubble wrap forever. Sometimes, we have to take necessary risks!"
Jason opened his mouth to argue but ultimately stayed silent. He looked back down at the datapad in his hand.
A pilot named Matthew Beach would fly the A-001 spacecraft to complete this "fully manual" test flight.
Matthew had the highest overall performance scores among the Special Forces operatives, boasting top-tier reaction times and flawless training records.
Despite Austin's tough words, he was secretly just as nervous. For high-speed spacecraft, the pilot's technical skill, physical endurance, and psychological fortitude were paramount.
The sheer velocity of the craft pushed the absolute limits of human neural response times.
Race cars on Earth were considered fast, right? They could hit speeds of three or four hundred kilometers per hour. But compared to a spacecraft, they were practically crawling!
The absolute minimum cruising speed of the A-001 spacecraft was approximately 1,000 kilometers per hour, or roughly 300 meters per second—three to four times faster than an old-world race car.
And that was just the minimum speed!
Its maximum velocity could reach a staggering 300 kilometers per second. The distance it covered in a single second was equal to what a race car would cover in an hour!
The landing sequence was particularly brutal, making mid-air jet refueling look like a children's game. Although the orbital ring was 1.3 kilometers wide, that margin of error meant nothing at such extreme speeds. A single second of distraction would result in a catastrophic crash.
In the event of a collision, the fatality rate was 99.99%. There was zero chance of survival, and ejecting was impossible. The pilot wouldn't even have time to register the error before they died.
To mitigate these horrific risks, spacecraft were typically unmanned, relying on automated computer systems for takeoff and landing.
These autopilot programs had already achieved flawless results across hundreds of unmanned tests. The software was incredibly refined and reliable.
However, computers were not infallible. No one could guarantee that the system would never crash, and the military needed to be prepared for the day when manual piloting was the only option. Therefore, a fully manual test flight was required—simulating a worst-case scenario where the autopilot completely failed, forcing a human to take the stick.
"Commence operation!"
Taking a deep, steadying breath, pilot Matthew Beach stepped into the cockpit. His emotions were a tangled knot of adrenaline and absolute focus.
The A-001 was designed to carry over 500 passengers, but today, he was alone in the cockpit, tasked with flying the massive vessel by hand.
He had run these exact simulations thousands of times over the years. He knew every step so intimately he could execute them in his sleep. He was tense, but his mind was crystal clear.
He was securely strapped into his power armor, custom-fitted so it wouldn't restrict his finger dexterity or field of vision. This was his absolute last line of defense. The suit was equipped with emergency life-support systems that might—just barely—increase his survival odds if things went terribly wrong.
Naturally, he prayed he wouldn't need to find out.
Matthew engaged the primary power switch and stated his vocal authorization code. The spacecraft's thrusters flared to life, spitting pale blue ion flames as the vessel began to accelerate. The orbital runway's electromagnetic acceleration grid activated simultaneously, providing an immense secondary thrust.
The entire sequence was closely monitored by the mothership's sensor array, with automated drones tracking and recording the flight path from above.
Technology had evolved far beyond the primitive broadcasting of the old world. High-definition visuals of the accelerating spacecraft were projected onto massive display screens throughout the mothership. To boost public morale and inspire confidence, the military had opted to broadcast the test flight live to the civilian population.
This was, after all, the fastest manned spacecraft humanity had ever built!
It wasn't just the official news anchors watching. Countless citizens had flocked to the public observatories to watch the launch in person, streaming it across civilian networks.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, our mothership is currently traveling at approximately 25 kilometers per second. This A-001 spacecraft must take off from, and eventually land on, a platform moving at extreme speeds. The margin for error is razor-thin."
"Alright, liftoff achieved! The particle engines are firing, and velocity is climbing rapidly. The estimated g-force on the pilot is around 3G. Calculating the acceleration curve,
... roughly 31 seconds until... Yes! The A-001 has successfully broken away from the orbital ring and entered the void of space!"
"At the helm is one of the military's absolute elite, our top-ranking Special Forces operative and a veteran pilot from the old world... Matthew Beach. Let us remember this man's name!"
The commentator was a seasoned journalist. He spoke with rapid-fire precision, his passionate delivery electrifying the audience. Of course, all this hype hinged entirely on Matthew returning in one piece.
"Excellent! The A-001 has successfully entered open space and continues to accelerate via its ion thrusters. Current velocity: 25.6 kilometers per second. According to the flight plan, he will bank and return once he hits 50 kilometers per second. This is simply a manual safety test, not a stress test of the ship's maximum limits..."
"The entire operation is expected to take one to two hours. If everything goes smoothly, the risk should remain low. Don't go anywhere, folks! Coming up next, Captain Marcus from the Security Division will break down the specific combat capabilities of the new A-001 class..."
Meanwhile, inside the main command center, Jason and his senior staff were glued to the telemetry screens. Dozens of scientists frantically analyzed the incoming data, checking for any minute anomalies during takeoff that might signal danger.
If any unpredictable variables arose, they needed to warn the pilot instantly—or order an immediate abort. The power armor he wore provided enough life support to keep him alive until a rescue drone could reach him.
"Status report!" Jason demanded immediately.
"All systems nominal!" the team leader replied, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
Everything was completely normal—exactly what they wanted to hear!
Glancing up at one of the secondary monitors, Jason was surprised to see Marcus on the live broadcast. The Captain looked visibly miserable, forcing a stiff, awkward smile as he read from a teleprompter.
"Wait, why is Marcus on TV?" Jason asked, bewildered. "Since when does he agree to press interviews?"
Without taking his eyes off his datapad, Austin snorted. "I ordered him to do it. His written exam scores were lower than some of my raw recruits, and he wouldn't stop complaining about the studying. I figured he'd be much more useful acting as a talking head for the PR team!"