118: Chapter 118 A New Beginning: The First Earth-Moon Ferry

The madness of Craig and the thunderous counterattack of Long Zhantian were like two stones thrown into the long river of history, the ripples of which would eventually subside.

Meanwhile, on the far side of the moon, the focus of the Guanghan Palace Base had long since transcended the strife on Earth, turning toward a more pragmatic field concerning the future—how to reduce dependence on Earth's supplies and truly realize a closed loop for the Earth-Moon economy.

Utilizing local lunar resources to build the first spacecraft that belonged entirely to the moon was placed on the highest priority schedule.

This task fell upon the shoulders of Dr. Liu Xin, a materials scientist who had just experienced the shock of lunar surface exploration, and her team.

Project codename: "Moon Shuttle".

The concept was extremely bold: the hull structure would primarily utilize the abundant aluminum, titanium, iron, and other elements in lunar soil, refined and manufactured through the base's "Nuwa" platform and specialized metallurgical modules; the power core would directly use Helium-3 mined and refined on the moon as fuel for a miniaturized version of the "Jinwu" fusion reactor—the "Zhulong Micro Fusion Core"; the navigation and control system would naturally rely on the quantum navigation network that already covered the Earth-Moon space and the assistance of the "system".

This was no longer just building a simple transport ship, but replicating a miniature, self-consistent industrial system on the moon.

Dr. Liu Xin's team practically lived in the base's industrial zone.

The design blueprints were repeatedly optimized with the assistance of the "system", and the material formulas underwent thousands of tests in the "Prometheus" laboratory.

The first batch of special alloy plates smelted from lunar soil was used to construct the keel, with strength and toughness far exceeding expectations; the first "Zhulong" micro fusion core manufactured entirely in the lunar environment successfully ignited, steadily outputting surging power.

The construction process itself was a technological feast.

Inside the massive shipyard, intelligent robotic arms, like skillful hands possessing life, precisely welded the alloy plates produced on the moon to form a sleek and sturdy hull.

Pipeline laying and equipment installation—all processes were orderly under the unified scheduling of the "system".

Several weeks later, a spacecraft about thirty meters long, with sleek lines and a body presenting the unique silver-gray color of lunar metal, stood quietly in the center of the shipyard.

It had no flashy exterior decorations, yet it radiated a sense of solid, reliable power, with the eye-catching flag of the Dragon Kingdom and the designation "Moon Shuttle-001" painted on its hull.

"All systems final self-check completed!" an engineer reported excitedly, "Structural integrity 100%, power core running stably, navigation system connected to the quantum network without errors!"

Zhao Xiaopeng, Dr. Liu Xin, and all the members involved in the project stood on the observation platform of the shipyard, gazing at their masterpiece.

At this moment, there were no earth-shattering cheers, only a heavy sense of accomplishment and infinite longing for the future.

"Reporting to Command Center, 'Moon Shuttle-001' Earth-Moon ferry, construction complete, requesting to conduct maiden flight test!" Zhao Xiaopeng's voice was transmitted back to Earth via quantum communication, carrying a hint of imperceptible excitement within its steadiness.

At the Earth Command Center, Elder Chen looked at the spacecraft on the screen that had been built entirely on an alien world, tears glistening in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and solemnly ordered: "Approve the maiden flight test! Wishing 'Moon Shuttle' a successful maiden voyage, opening a new chapter for the Dragon Kingdom's space autonomy!"

Once the order was given, the fusion engine of "Moon Shuttle-001" emitted a low and powerful roar, and the deep blue exhaust plume spewed silently in the vacuum environment.

The spacecraft lightly detached from the fixing frame, and under the precise guidance of the port navigation tower, it steadily sailed out of the shipyard and entered lunar orbit.

It first performed a series of basic maneuvers, verifying the spacecraft's controllability and stability.

Subsequently, following the pre-planned route, it flew to a preset logistics transfer point tens of kilometers away, simulated a cargo mission, successfully returned to the port, and completed an autonomous docking.

The entire maiden flight test process was flawless!

The success of "Moon Shuttle-001" marked that the Dragon Kingdom had truly mastered the ability to utilize local resources to build complex industrial systems on extraterrestrial celestial bodies.

The transportation cost between Earth and the Moon would be significantly reduced, and the Moon Base's self-sustaining capability and strategic value would be qualitatively improved.

The internet was boiling again, and people called this the "Wright Moment on the Moon".

Inside the "Zhulong" safe house, Lin Mo watched the flight data transmitted back by "Moon Shuttle", and the system interface quietly updated:

【Civilization autonomous space industrial capability verification successful. Associated technology tree 【Extraterrestrial Industrialization】 unlock progress + 20%.】

【Hidden task "stardust Autonomy" completion rate: 25%. Reward points: + 6000.】

This small ferry, its significance far exceeded itself.

It was a starting point, a signal, declaring that human civilization was no longer a prisoner bound by gravity, but truly possessed the ability to imprint its footprints among the stars.