Chapter 924 Christmas Gift

God knows how noble Alan Wilson was when he rejected the affectionate friendship of his wife and sister-in-law and came to the Woomera launch site on Christmas Day.

Since World War II, British citizens have been in a state of confusion, and the past glory seems to have faded away. If the satellite can be successfully launched this time, it will be a huge encouragement to the UK, which is still looking for its own position.

At one o'clock at midnight GMT and ten o'clock in the morning local time in Australia, the entire Woomera launch site is under the warm sunshine. The entire test site appears quiet but orderly.

On the launch pad, the Black Arrow rocket has been prepared. The third-stage rocket carries an artificial satellite named Prosparo. There is no one near the launch pad.

In the command room in the distance, scientists from the British Interstellar Association and the person in charge of the Wumera launch site were gathered together.

The entire command room was silent. Against the background of the failure of the United States to launch satellites, no one regarded satellite launches as simple as drinking water. The countdown began, "Ten, nine, eight..."

Only the cold countdown echoed in everyone's ears and reached everyone's heart. The Black Arrow rocket was successfully ignited, slowly lifted into the sky in the eyes of everyone, and left the launch pad. It seemed to be very smooth.

Until the Black Arrow rocket disappeared from the sky, the entire command room could still hear the needle drop. The smooth launch was just the beginning. Not to mention the United States a week ago, the United Kingdom also had an off-track launch before.

The launch vehicle began to slowly change in the predetermined direction according to the predetermined procedure. More than 100 seconds later, at an altitude of about 45 kilometers, the first-stage rocket engine shut down and separated.

"The second stage rocket ignited successfully." Finally, a voice with relief made the nervous people feel relieved.

The second-stage rocket then ignites and continues to accelerate. At this time, the rocket has flown out of the dense atmosphere, and the satellite's fairing can be thrown away according to procedures. When the rocket reaches the predetermined speed and altitude, the third-stage rocket engine shuts down and separates, and the accelerated flight phase ends.

Once the second-stage rocket continues flying and begins its inertial flight segment, it reaches a position tangent to the predetermined orbit. At that time, the third-pole rocket will ignite, conduct the final short-distance flight, and release the artificial satellite attached to it. At this point, the satellite launch will be considered complete.

The United States a week ago and the United Kingdom, which launched once before, both had problems with the second-stage rocket.

So after the second-stage rocket was successfully ignited, people's worries were somewhat relieved.

In just ten minutes, in the eyes of those who experienced it, it almost seemed like a century.

The moment the third-pole rocket released the Prosparo satellite at an altitude of 560 kilometers, the signal released was detected by the launch city. In an instant, the command room, which had just been as calm as dead water, erupted like a volcano. Get noisy.

"Send a report to London to inform you that the artificial satellite has been launched successfully. I hope that British citizens can receive this Christmas gift." Alan Wilson's tense heart finally relaxed. In just ten minutes, he felt that memorable.

Christmas 1957 was destined to be an unforgettable day for the British. People wake up from their sleep and start their busy day. When they turn on the TV and radio, all the major TV stations are broadcasting the news about the successful launch of the Prosparo satellite by the British. This news also dominates the headlines of major newspapers. Headlines.

The whole of Britain was in an uproar. The news that Britain had launched the world's second, uh, free world's first artificial satellite became the focus of heated discussion among people from all walks of life.

The ruling Attlee cabinet officially confirmed this major news and considered it a milestone for the British aerospace industry. The confirmation of the Labor cabinet triggered public opinion around the world.

No one would have thought that when the Soviet Union began its journey to conquer space, the first person to respond would not be the United States, but the United Kingdom, which was considered to be a secondary player. Everyone was astonished and could not help but sigh at how skinny a camel was. Martha.

Even on the other side of the ocean, the news that the United States and the United Kingdom successfully launched artificial satellites caused a huge response.

The U.S. government expressed congratulations on the successful launch of the British satellite. Of course, only Americans themselves know whether they are willing to do so.

Harold Wilson, as the cabinet minister responsible for the space program, also rose to the occasion. With the help of this news, he was at the center of the entire public opinion. Of course, Harold Wilson could not waste this exposure opportunity. His killer instinct broke out and he expressed support for the British aerospace industry from multiple angles and levels.

"I am invincible in the world..." Whistling Alan Wilson, after celebrating with the scientists at the launch site, returned to Perth with great satisfaction and was in a state of excitement.

Historically, the United Kingdom did not successfully launch its first artificial satellite until 1971. This was because all the five permanent members had succeeded, except that the former world hegemon, the United Kingdom, was missing. The United Kingdom only invested in it for the sake of face.

It is now a full fourteen years earlier, following the Soviet Union in successfully launching a satellite. Isn’t this worthy of celebration?

In public opinion, people attributed it to the Attlee cabinet, and even Harold Wilson, the cabinet minister. But Alan Wilson knows that it's entirely his own fault.

So when he comes back, is it too much to ask the royal princess to ride on a rocket? As a matter of course, Alan Wilson's artificial satellite also successfully entered Princess Margaret's deep space orbit.

Her Royal Highness, hugging the man's body tightly, experienced the joy of riding a rocket and had fun with the British citizens.

"Your Highness, how does it feel to ride a rocket?" Alan Wilson, who was hugging Her Highness tightly, asked softly in Princess Margaret's ear.

"Your rocket has great thrust." Princess Margaret responded with satisfaction, her eyes full of nostalgia.

"Bigger is beautiful, more is better. Caliber is justice, and range is truth." Alan Wilson spoke enthusiastically, hugging Her Royal Highness's arms without letting go, feeling the aftermath of the aerospace industry.

"Bah, if I get pregnant, you'll be doomed." Princess Margaret rolled her eyes at her brother-in-law, threatening with anger.

"Fate depends entirely on faith." Alan Wilson held Princess Margaret's head and said pitifully, "Will you let your brother-in-law die? My brother-in-law has always been loyal to the British Empire."

"Look at how proud you are." Her Highness the Princess, who had already been imprisoned, could only whisper back at the Imperial Commissioner's ecstasy.

The success of the satellite launch has stimulated the imperial ambitions of British citizens that have gradually cooled down. This is a good start. Alan Wilson feels that this role is of great significance.

Britain could prove that it could respond to the Soviet challenge in the space field without relying on the United States. So since this can be done in the aerospace field, it can also be done in other fields.

The spiritual level of a country cannot collapse. The original historical Suez Canal War was the source of the collapse of the morale of British citizens. The significance of the Suez Canal War is equivalent to the Sino-Japanese War of 1884-88 in the late Qing Dynasty. The course of the war was different, but the outcome was similar.

After the Suez Canal War, Britain almost stopped struggling. It also changed its previous attitude of uniting with France and concentrated on being a follower of the United States.

This is similar to the significance of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 to the Qing Dynasty. In fact, the scale and impact of the two Opium Wars were nothing to the past dynasties. Strictly speaking, they were not even wars. At best, they were the harassment of the Great Wall by nomads.

The Sino-Japanese War was equivalent to breaking the Great Wall, and it was completely different from the problems encountered by the Qing Dynasty before.

The next day, holding the newspapers from various countries sent by his wife, Alan Wilson watched with interest the reports from various countries on the British satellite launch, and Her Royal Highness the Princess who was riding the rocket yesterday was also there.

"For a long time, the UK has not been paid attention to by so many countries." Pamela Mountbatten smiled and congratulated her husband. She knew that the reason why the UK was able to launch satellites so quickly relied on the blue-light missile project, and the launch of satellites It is the Black Arrow rocket that relies on the improvement of the Blue Light Missile.

All of this is what Alan Wilson has always insisted on. Without his persistence, even rockets would not exist, let alone launching satellites. Alan Wilson straightened his back, "If someone else said this, I might be humble. This is all under the leadership of the cabinet and I am just an executor. But since it is my lover who said this, I will not pretend to be innocent. ”

"I think it's not too much for the royal family to give you a title." Pamela Mountbatten nodded in agreement frequently.

"I don't care about that kind of thing." Alan Wilson said to his wife, "What's the point? It just sounds nice, Sir Wilson or whatever, it doesn't matter at all."

"It's still very important, especially the hereditary title." Pamela Mountbatten disagreed with her husband on this point, "Especially if you want to gain a foothold in Whitehall. You should fight for it. Margot and I Let Li Te inquire about it and see if the matter of the knighthood can be settled."

Pamela Mountbatten has made up her mind to help her husband settle the title issue sooner rather than later. It would be best to get things done within the last two years.

Compared with the congratulations from other countries, the joy of the United States seems insincere. This almost makes people doubt the leadership of the United States. After the British successfully launched satellites, the United States' emergency launches became more and more frequent.

At this moment, First Sea Lord Mountbatten submitted to the cabinet the distinction and construction plan for attack nuclear submarines and strategic nuclear submarines, and focused on the significance of the blue light missile project to strategic nuclear submarines.

Attlee's cabinet quickly responded to the plan submitted by Mountbatten, recognizing the important role of the nuclear submarine field in British security and asking the Admiralty to prepare a more detailed assessment report.