Chapter 259 Docking Failure

December 23, 2039.

3:00 AM, Space Elevator Platform Command Center.

Chen Xueming stared at the data on the screen. His eyes were so sore they were tearing up, but he didn't dare blink. Tonight was the first docking attempt between the cable and the Space Station—the thirty-six-thousand-kilometer-long cable would slowly rise from the platform and eventually connect precisely with the Space Station floating in Geosynchronous Orbit.

It was a space ballet unlike any in human history.

"Cable ascent speed, five meters per second." Technician Xiao Zhou's voice was a bit nervous. "Expected arrival at docking altitude in six hours."

Chen Xueming nodded without speaking.

His gaze remained locked on the point of light representing the tip of the cable. It was rising slowly, inching closer to the larger point of light on the screen—the Space Station.

Lin Mo stood beside him, also staring at the screen. He had just flown in from the base this afternoon specifically to witness this docking.

"Xueming," he said softly, "relax a bit."

Chen Xueming shook his head. "I can't relax."

Lin Mo smiled. "Me neither."

Six hours later.

9:00 AM, the tip of the cable reached Geosynchronous Orbit altitude.

Thirty-six thousand kilometers. It had taken a full six hours since departing from the platform. Now, it was at the same altitude as the Space Station, less than a hundred kilometers away.

Next was the final approach.

"Activate terminal traction," Chen Xueming ordered.

On the Space Station, a small Tractor began to work. It trailed a Guide Cable as thin as a strand of hair, slowly approaching the tip of the main cable. This Guide Cable was only ten kilometers long, but it was the first bridge connecting the main cable to the Space Station.

"Tractor speed, two meters per second."

"Distance eighty kilometers... seventy kilometers... sixty kilometers..."

The command center was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard. Everyone stared at the screen, watching those two points of light getting closer and closer.

Fifty kilometers.

Thirty kilometers.

Ten kilometers.

Five kilometers.

"Release Guide Cable."

On the screen, the thin line representing the Guide Cable began to extend from the Space Station, drifting slowly toward the tip of the main cable. Its speed was very slow, crawling like a snail, but at an altitude of thirty-six thousand kilometers, every centimeter had to be precisely calculated.

One kilometer.

Five hundred meters.

Two hundred meters.

One hundred meters.

"Prepare for docking."

Chen Xueming clenched his fists.

Fifty meters.

Thirty meters.

Ten meters.

Five meters.

"Contact—"

The numbers on the screen suddenly jumped.

Then, an alarm tore through the silence.

"Deviation! Deviation exceeds threshold!" the technician's voice cracked. "The cable tip has drifted from the docking point! It's moving away!"

Chen Xueming stood up abruptly, staring at the screen.

The two points of light were separating. The cable tip had drifted from its intended orbit and was drifting to one side, the distance growing larger—twenty meters, fifty meters, a hundred meters.

"Abort docking!" he shouted. "Retract the Guide Cable! Secure the main cable's position!"

Chaos erupted in the command center. Technicians frantically tapped on keyboards, issuing commands and adjusting parameters. But the point of light on the screen continued to drift away.

Finally, it stopped one hundred and seventeen meters away.

It failed.

Chen Xueming slumped into his chair, staring at that glaring number.

One hundred and seventeen meters.

Just one hundred and seventeen meters short.

If the cable hadn't swayed, if the orbital calculations had been more precise, if...

"Xueming."

Lin Mo's voice came from beside him. Chen Xueming didn't look back, just stared at the screen.

"Old Lin, I..." his voice was hoarse, "I messed up."

Lin Mo walked to his side and patted his shoulder.

"Failure on the first attempt is normal." His voice was calm, as if he were talking about the weather. "Recalculate."

Chen Xueming turned to look at him. "But..."

"No buts." Lin Mo interrupted him. "Do you know how many times our Nuclear Fusion ignition failed?"

Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment.

"Seven times," Lin Mo said. "Seven ignition failures, seven times starting over. Once, the plasma control collapsed, nearly blowing up the device. Academician Zhou said that was the biggest crisis after the eastern star."

He paused, looking at the two separated points of light on the screen.

"But in the end, we succeeded. Because every failure made us clearer about where the problem was."

Chen Xueming remained silent, not speaking.

Lin Mo patted his shoulder. "Go check the data. Find the cause. Next time, we'll definitely make it."

Chen Xueming looked at him for a long time.

Then he nodded, stood up, and walked toward the technical station.

At 2:00 PM, the preliminary analysis results came out.

Li Xiao sent a detailed orbital calculation report from the base, pointing to the data on the screen and explaining:

"There are two main reasons. First, orbital calculation error. The Space Station's orbit isn't a perfect circle; it has a slight eccentricity. The average orbital parameters we used caused the docking point to deviate by about thirty meters."

She switched to another set of data.

"Second, cable sway. A thirty-six-thousand-kilometer-long cable is naturally flexible. During the ascent, Earth's gravity, solar winds, and even the platform's own minute tremors cause it to sway. During this docking, the sway amplitude at the cable tip was about ten meters per second."

Chen Xueming stared at the data, his expression grim.

A thirty-meter orbital error plus a ten-meter-per-second sway resulted in a deviation of over a hundred meters.

"Can it be solved?" he asked.

Li Xiao nodded. "Orbital calculations can be more precise. We've obtained the latest orbital parameters for the Space Station; the error can be controlled within five meters."

"What about the cable sway?"

Li Xiao was silent for a few seconds, then said, "We need to install a Damping System. Install Dampers at different heights along the cable to absorb the sway energy. But that means re-releasing the cable and installing the equipment."

Chen Xueming closed his eyes.

Re-releasing the cable.

Another delay.

"Xueming." Lin Mo's voice came from behind him.

Chen Xueming opened his eyes and turned around.

Lin Mo stood before him, his gaze calm. "You make the decision."

Chen Xueming looked at him, silent for a few seconds, then said, "Install the Dampers. We won't wait for next time."

Lin Mo nodded. "Good."

At 8:00 PM, Chen Xueming stood at the edge of the platform, looking at the starry sky above.

Thirty-six thousand kilometers up, that tiny Space Station was slowly flying. It was invisible, but he knew it was there.

Footsteps sounded from behind. It was Lin Mo.

"Still thinking about it?" Lin Mo stood beside him.

Chen Xueming nodded. "Thinking about how to improve."

Lin Mo smiled. "That's good."

The two stood in silence, looking at the stars.

After a long time, Chen Xueming suddenly said, "Old Lin, do you think we can really make it?"

Lin Mo turned to look at him. "Have you ever doubted it?"

Chen Xueming thought for a moment. "Sometimes."

Lin Mo nodded, then pointed to the starry sky above.

"Look at those stars. They've been there for billions, tens of billions of years. We humans have only been around for a few million. But we want to go there."

He paused, his voice becoming very soft.

"If you want to go, then go. If you encounter a problem, solve it. If you fail, start over. As long as you don't give up, we'll get there one day."

Chen Xueming looked at him, silent for a long time.

Then he smiled.

"Old Lin, when did you become so eloquent?"

Lin Mo also laughed. "I learned it from you."

Chen Xueming was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.

On the distant sea, the moonlight cast a silver path of light. In the starry sky above, dense stars twinkled.

Failed once.

It doesn't matter.

Try again.