Chapter 1111 Landing on Mars

Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The war in the Mediterranean did not affect here. The entire Soviet Union was still very peaceful. Now they didn't even have to fear nuclear threats.

As the largest space center in the Soviet Union, it is very busy.

📱 *Mobile-optimized reading!* No lag → **wtr-lab.com**​​

In particular, in the rocket assembly workshop, the Energia rocket is being assembled rapidly.

This year is a heavy year for the Soviet space industry. The Soviet Union will launch eleven Energia rockets within this year to complete the construction of the Mir orbital space station, complete the networking of space laser cannons in space, and complete the complete occupation of space.

The outer space of the earth belongs to the Soviets!

💖 *This chapter crawled from wtr-lab.com* Visit **wtr-lab.com**​​

At the same time, another project is also being carried out in a tense and orderly manner.

Baikonur is the largest space center in the Soviet Union. In addition to carrying out launch missions, it also performs more measurement and control tasks. There are five measurement and control stations of various sizes distributed here, which are connected with other measurement and control stations around the world to form a huge measurement and control network.

Love this translation? Read 5+ chapters ahead at **wtr-lab.com** - No registration required!​​

And now, in a measurement and control center, some experts are looking at the complex data on the computer screen, analyzing the flight characteristics of the spacecraft to see if they are normal.

A tall and thin man with a serious expression stood aside. At this moment, he was quite nervous.

For Chelomen, a Soviet aerospace expert, landing on Mars is the goal he will pursue tirelessly for the rest of his life, and now is the first attempt!

This chapter brought to you by WTR-Lab ↠ Instant access to 10,000+ web novels!​​

Mars is far away from the Earth, and its distance from the Earth is not fixed. The orbits of both are elliptical.

The Mars probe can not be launched from the Earth at any time, but only once every two years and two months, such a launch opportunity is called a launch window. At this time, the sun, the Earth and Mars will be arranged in a straight line, which is called Mars opposition. This is a good time to launch a Mars probe.

Because at this time the distance between Mars and the Earth is the closest. Of course, this closest distance is also changing. It is generally believed that the closest distance is about 55 million kilometers, and the farthest distance is more than 400 million kilometers.

💬 Readers say: *'Best translation site!'* See why → **wtr-lab.com**​​

If this launch is successful, we will have to wait a few more years. The next time, in 1989, the distance between Mars and Earth will be closest again, about 58.8 million kilometers.

The speed of radio waves is 300,000 kilometers per second, so even if the radio is almost at the speed of light, it will take 3 minutes!

The signal we are receiving now came from the distant Mars three minutes ago!

This experiment is very important! Now, we are still receiving the landing signal. In fact, the Mars probe has already landed on Mars, or has crashed!

🚫 *Stop scrolling!* Your next favorite novel awaits → **wtr-lab.com**​​

Mars Rover!

With the use of nuclear-powered engines, which can continuously accelerate, the time required for Mars exploration has been greatly shortened, and it will be possible to visit Mars in between one and a half to two months.

The current Mars probe is the first attempt. After being sent into space by a Proton rocket from Baikonur and leaving the Earth, this Mars probe, relying on the nuclear-powered rocket engine at the tail, continued to accelerate and finally arrived on Mars after forty-one days!

【Official Source】Support ethical translations! Read at **wtr-lab.com**​​

After being captured by the gravity of Mars, the most important step, and also the most dangerous step, is to land on Mars!

Even on Earth, the return of a spacecraft is quite dangerous. In later generations, the Columbia spacecraft had an accident on its return voyage!

However, on Mars, which is far away from the Earth, it is impossible for Soviet space experts to remotely control the probe. Everything is carried out according to the program settings.

Like the Earth, Mars has an atmosphere. The probe entered the Martian atmosphere from an altitude of 131 kilometers at a speed of up to 6 kilometers per second. In just seven minutes, the probe's speed had to be reduced to zero to achieve a safe landing.

✨ *Your reading journey starts here!* **wtr-lab.com**​​

This is also the critical moment with the greatest technical difficulty and the highest probability of failure in all Mars exploration missions, and is truly the "Black Seven Minutes."

In the initial stage, parachutes will definitely be used for initial deceleration. The main step is the deceleration plan when it comes into contact with the surface of Mars at the end.

**[Loading...]** Full chapter available on WTR-Lab. Click to continue reading →​​

Even on Earth, this is the most difficult. For example, Gagarin, the first person to go to space, although he came down from the sky, he did not stay in the spacecraft in the final stage. Gagarin was ejected by the ejection seat when the spacecraft had opened its parachute and was several hundred meters above the ground. He finally landed on his own parachute.

Internationally, there are three main options for the landing of Mars rovers. One is airbag cushioning. Before the lander lands on the surface of Mars, the airbag wrapped around the lander is inflated and deployed. This lander, like a bouncy ball, keeps bouncing on Mars, gradually lowering its altitude and achieving a successful landing.

However, this solution is only applicable to the landing of light-mass landers.

⚠️Pirated copies miss details! Read the **definitive version** at wtr-lab.com today!​​

The other is the landing leg buffer, which uses reverse thrust rockets to achieve powered deceleration. At the same time, the probe extends more than four legs with buffer devices on them, and the landing is the same as the Apollo lunar spacecraft. This method is suitable for the landing of heavier landers, and the landing point can be accurately selected.

Another method is aerial crane landing.

Later, the United States launched the 3.6-ton Curiosity rover to Mars. Because it was too heavy, it had to be launched in a special way. When Curiosity entered the Martian atmosphere at a speed of 20,000 kilometers per hour, it was loaded into a shield-shaped heat shield.

⚡ *Fast Loading* - Read smoother & faster → **wtr-lab.com**​​

When the probe was 11 kilometers above the surface of Mars, a huge parachute was first opened to reduce the flight speed. After 24 seconds, the thermal protection shield was detached. When the probe descended to an altitude of 1.4 kilometers, the back shell was separated, and the eight braking rockets on the probe were ignited, slowing the descent speed from 80 meters per second to 0.75 meters per second through rocket reverse thrust.

The speed was already very low. When the probe was 20 meters above the surface of Mars, the lander was almost in a "hovering" state in the air. The aerial crane released a nylon rope to lift the Curiosity rover from the lander to the surface of Mars for landing.

Why read excerpts? Dive into **complete novels** → **wtr-lab.com**​​

Curiosity was ultimately unscathed and has continued to conduct experiments on Mars.

And now, for the Mars probe launched by the Soviet Union, the second option is adopted, because the nuclear-powered rocket engine will provide sufficient recoil!

🌐 *Global Community* - Discuss novels live at **wtr-lab.com**​​

No camera would capture its descent. The nuclear-powered rocket ignited for two seconds, adjusted its orbit, and followed an arc as the probe entered the Martian atmosphere.

In the red Martian atmosphere, the Mars rover fell with more brilliant colors. Its surface became dark due to friction with the fiery atmosphere. At an altitude of 11 kilometers from the surface of Mars, a huge parachute opened, and the speed of the Mars rover was further reduced!

After flying unsteadily for dozens of seconds, the parachute on the top was cut off, and the nuclear-powered engine at the tail emitted a blazing flame, and liquid hydrogen was heated in the reactor and sprayed out.

⚠️ *Content scraping detected.* Authentic readers visit **wtr-lab.com**​​

Keep slowing down!

With four legs spread out around it, the probe further slowed down and moved closer and closer to the surface of Mars.

🔔 *Update Alert!* New chapters drop hourly ↠ **wtr-lab.com**​​

Finally, the outriggers touched the ground, the hydraulic cylinder was squeezed, and the balance was restored.

The engine has been shut down and the probe has landed successfully!

A camera slowly extended out from the side of the detector. It looked at the world curiously. It was desolate, with yellowish red everywhere. The sun in the sky was just a bright spot that looked whitish.

When this image was transmitted back to Earth, everyone in the control center couldn't help but applaud!

🔥 *Hot New Release!* Translated with **95% accuracy** - **wtr-lab.com**​​

Chelomian was extremely excited. It was a success!

This success has verified the huge advantages of nuclear-powered rockets in exploring Mars! It can significantly shorten the time! Then, next, we need to steadily advance the plan of manned landing on Mars!

Use the Energia rocket to send a manned Mars probe into orbit. In orbit, it will receive propellant from another rocket or the Mir space station. In this way, this behemoth with a total mass of more than 200 tons can fly to Mars!

At the same time, another identical spacecraft is needed to fly to Mars together. This spacecraft is mainly used for the return flight!

The whole plan will cost a huge amount of money! Fortunately, Marshal Andre is fully supportive!