There was probably no job in the world more complicated than being an astronaut.
When Project Mercury first started, NASA recruited more than a hundred elite pilots from the military as astronaut candidates. In the end, only seven of them were selected for the first-generation manned spaceflight project.
This was especially true in the early days of human spaceflight. No one knew what would happen once they left Earth. In theory, anything could happen. In the vast universe, there were only astronauts and spacecraft. Ground control was thousands of miles away, and there was no one to rely on. This meant that astronauts had to be able to cope with all kinds of emergencies as much as possible.
That was the purpose of the training.
Even though every day was packed to the brim, to the point where even breathing became a luxury, Zhang Heng had to admit that there were some interesting parts, such as the weightless training on the Vomit Comet, which allowed him to float and spin freely in the air. He tasted space food for the first time, even though it didn't taste all that great. He also learned how to maneuver and use tools in the swimming pool …
The latter was also Zhang Heng's favorite part. Wearing a spacesuit, he dived into the water. When he looked up, he could see the sparkling surface of the water and hear the bubbles coming out of the divers' mouths. He could also hear the sound of air flowing in his helmet and the sound of water splashing outside.
At this moment, the world seemed incomparably quiet. Although Zhang Heng knew that he wasn't in space, it still gave him an extraordinary feeling.
Of course, most of the time, the training was boring and exhausting. The cramming theory courses and high-load physical training had caused Jia Lai to lose a lot of weight. But what saddened him even more was the fact that after suffering so much and leaving the dungeon, the fat would still return to him.
And that wasn't the worst part. Other than that, there was also the sadistic part of the training.
The Johnsville Human Centrifuge could accelerate from a standstill to a speed of 200 kilometers per hour in seven seconds. This thing was definitely everyone's nightmare. It was said to test the astronauts' ability to maintain consciousness under extreme gravity. Compared to this, the experience on the Multi-Axis Trainer didn't seem that bad.
Of course, the scariest thing was the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. It was probably NASA's ugliest and most dangerous invention.
From the outside, it looked a bit like a mechanical flea.
NASA used the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle to simulate the lunar module landing on the moon. However, even NASA itself admitted that the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle didn't completely simulate the lunar module, nor did it simulate the cockpit. In fact, most of the time, it only put the pilot in danger.
In the virtual simulator, you could easily discuss the cause of the Lunar Module's crash with the trainer next to you. In the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle, however, you had to either land successfully or cause an accident. If you were lucky, you would be ejected from your seat at the moment of the crash. Otherwise, you would explode along with the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle.
In the beginning, NASA used four Lunar Landing Training Vehicles for experiments, and three of them crashed. The crash rate was as high as 75%.
"I wish someone could strap the engineers who built this machine to it and try out their own work," Fat Jarlai muttered.
However, no matter how much the players complained, the captain on the other side had already begun to call out names. "First up, Anthony."
The brawny man named Anthony raised his eyebrows. Obviously, he wasn't very happy to sit in this crazy machine. However, after a month of training, he had tried all kinds of weird training vehicles and machines, and his ability to accept new things had improved by leaps and bounds. Not to mention, the captain was in charge of grading them.
Anthony hoped to leave a courageous impression in front of the captain. After all, the evaluation of an astronaut wasn't just about physical attributes. Mental attributes were also very important.
Therefore, even though he had a considerable degree of doubt about the machine in front of him, he still carried out the order and sat in it.
The brawny man named Anthony fastened his seatbelt, and the staff beside him checked him. "The wind is a little strong today. Drive carefully."
"So … should I leave my last words in advance?" The brawny man named Anthony joked.
"The handle is under your seat. If you pull it in time, you will be ejected from the training vehicle. After that, the parachute behind you will bring you back to the ground safely."
"Understood."
The captain turned on the communication channel. "Let's begin when you're ready."
Although the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle wobbled like a drunkard, it eventually rose into the sky and reached the predetermined altitude.
"1,100 feet, exceeding the minimum distance to the ground," the brawny man named Anthony said in the communication channel.
"Roger that. You can start landing now," the captain replied. At the same time, the other players stood on the other side and looked up at the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle in the sky. From this angle, it looked like a flea flying in the sky.
As the front of the training vehicle was open, everyone could even see the brawny man named Anthony fiddling with the controls.
Landing the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle was a very difficult task. Even if it wasn't the most difficult training, it was definitely one of the top ones. Besides, the wind was relatively strong today, which would further increase the difficulty of landing.
"He might accidentally kill himself," the listless young man squinted his eyes.
The other players heard him and looked at him.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me that's not what you think. We all know that day will come, don't we? It's not a bad thing to have one less competitor, right? " The listless young man said leisurely, "By the way, I'm saying this for you. I've never seen this kind of trash as a competitor."
Although his words were harsh, it was hard to refute him. He looked like a sloppy delinquent, but to everyone's surprise, he performed very well in flight training and theoretical studies, second only to Zhang Heng. Although the specific results had not been released yet, it should not be a problem for him to get a place in the competition.
On the other hand, the others, especially those who didn't perform very well in the training, had to start thinking about the future. When the results of the first round of training were out, it would be time for them to turn against Zhang Heng.
The brawny man was still operating the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle, but everyone's attention was no longer on it.
Suddenly, the captain's voice sounded in the communication channel again. "You are going too fast. You need to slow down. I repeat. You are going too fast. You need to slow down. Try to increase your altitude before you land."
The brawny man named Anthony was sweating profusely, and he kept pulling the lever in his hand. However, the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle seemed to have lost control, swaying violently in the air. At the same time, it was rapidly closing in on the ground.
Everything happened too quickly. In just a few seconds, the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle had accelerated under the influence of gravity and crashed into the ground. Flames rose into the air, followed by thick black smoke.
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