Even though Mars was close at hand, it was still too early to celebrate their victory.
Soon, the moment it came into contact with the gravitational field of Mars, Xu Fu ushered in its most severe test since it set sail.
Unlike other small and exquisite spacecraft, this large and complex colonial ship was not easy to accelerate or decelerate.
Especially deceleration.
If they were too slow, they might not be able to catch up with Mars. If they were too fast, they might directly pass through the gravitational field of Mars. The window for Xu Fu to decelerate was very short. They had to reduce the speed to a size that could be captured by Mars' gravity.
Especially since Mars did not have an atmosphere, it was impossible to decelerate at the edge of the atmosphere like on Earth. They could only decelerate the spacecraft by reversing the thrusters.
Fortunately, for Star Sky Technology's ion thruster propulsion technology, this was not a difficult task.
The portable controllable fusion core was started, and the temperature in the heating chamber began to rise sharply. The propulsion working medium sent into the heating chamber was instantly gasified and ionized into active plasma.
The temperature in the reaction chamber and heating chamber was getting higher and higher, like a miniature sun.
As the power of the reactor continued to increase, the moment it finally broke through a critical point, the plasma engine suddenly ejected a blue arc of light, lighting up the entire second ring area at the tail of Xu Fu!
Xu Fu was pushed forward by the blue arc of light for a short period of time.
However, this situation did not last long. Soon, with the deployment of the rectifier, the plasma ejected out of the cabin began to change direction under the adjustment of the magnetic field. From the original straight rear angle, it gradually tilted to the front, like an open parachute. The Xu Fu that was rushing toward Mars began to slow down.
After waiting for about ten hours, Xu Fu, which had undergone several orbital changes, finally completed its deceleration when it entered the gravitational field of Mars for the last time. It was successfully captured by Mars' gravity.
At the same time, a clear broadcast sound came from above the heads of the people sitting in the cabin.
"Xu Fu has successfully entered the Mars system. The assisted landing mode will be activated in half an hour. Colonists, please put on the cabin spacesuit and go to the first ring area on standby."
Liang Youcheng, who was wearing a spacesuit, unfastened the seat belt on the space chair and stood up from his seat.
He looked back at his teammates who stood up with him and spoke in a serious tone.
"Is everything ready?"
Four voices answered him in unison.
"Ready!"
Liang Youcheng nodded approvingly and ordered loudly.
"Everyone, move out!"
The journey had entered its final stage.
The probes deployed on Mars had already scanned the basic landform into the database of the Jinling launch site. They had already decided on the landing site before they set off.
Xu Fu would not stay in orbit for too long. After arriving at the target area, it would immediately start the colonization process.
The second ring, including the propulsion system, and the main structure of the spacecraft would remain in orbit around Mars as a temporary space station and communication relay satellite. The first ring would separate from the spacecraft and fall toward the Martian atmosphere as planned.
The group passed through the narrow passage unhurriedly, followed the corridor outside the spaceship, and moved from the cabin at the front of the spaceship to the No. 1 ring area.
It was the core of the ship.
It was also their future home on Mars.
Liang Youcheng looked at the cabin door slowly closing behind him. He silently raised his right arm and gave a farewell military salute.
After doing all this, he turned around and took the other four astronauts to the buffer room on the outer edge of the No. 1 ring area.
This was the entrance and exit of the colony. It had the strongest shell and the most complete tools in the entire colony capsule. At the same time, this was also the place where they waited to land in space.
"Find a place to sit down and connect the life support system to the spacesuit.
"After confirming that the equipment is working properly, raise your hand and let me know if you will survive."
The teasing voice eased the tense atmosphere in the cabin a little. Many people's tightened brows relaxed into a smile.
Liang Youcheng looked at the four raised right hands and nodded. He reached out and pulled out the movable seat against the wall. He then methodically connected the seat belt and life support device to his spacesuit.
The previous deceleration was a test for Xu Fu.
In that case, their test would soon arrive.
After waiting for ten minutes in the quiet atmosphere, Liang Youcheng, who adjusted his breathing rhythm, could even hear his heartbeat.
Finally, a series of slight tremors came from the seats. All the astronauts sitting in the buffer room were refreshed.
Fan Tong put his hands on the armrests of the seat and said nervously.
"Captain, are we going to arrive soon?!"
Liang Youcheng tried to make himself look less nervous. He smiled and said in a relaxed tone.
"What's the rush? We just separated from the spaceship. Free fall is about to —"
Before he could finish his sentence, a familiar broadcast interrupted him.
"The separation procedure is starting. The colony capsule will separate from the Xu Fu colonial ship in one minute. The landing procedure will start one minute after the separation procedure is over …"
"I wish you all a pleasant journey."
The moment the voice fell, the shaking under the seat became more and more violent.
With a click sound along the alloy wall, the connection between the circular colonial cabin and the Xu Fu ship was completely removed.
At the same time, the four small chemical thrusters installed on the outer wall of the circular structure ejected flames and pushed the colony capsule away from the Xu Fu with weak power, sending it into the turbid and thin atmosphere.
Like a baby with its umbilical cord cut, the colony capsule separated from the mother's body spat out flames while decelerating toward the fiery red planet.
Soon, the most difficult part of the journey arrived.
The bumpy feeling was like bungee jumping up and down, making the nerves of the astronauts sitting in the buffer room tense to the extreme.
Liang Youcheng stared straight at the turbid atmosphere outside the porthole. He tightly grasped the armrest of the seat. Although this didn't make him sit more stable, it at least brought him a little comfort.
The periphery of the atmosphere was broken through, and the power of the engine suddenly increased!
For a brief moment, Liang Youcheng even felt that the nostalgic gravity of Earth seemed to have returned to his body.
However, that feeling of familiarity only lasted for a brief moment.
Soon, it gradually reduced with the continuous decrease in altitude, and finally, it was less than half of its original level.
It was as if something hit the sand. With the last violent tremor, all the uncomfortable feelings disappeared in an instant.
Looking at the flying yellow sand outside the porthole and the outline of the horizon buried in the haze, Liang Youcheng suddenly wanted to cry.
An indescribable excitement filled every corner of his chest.
Mars!
This is Mars!
They finally arrived!
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