Chapter 1047
: The US's sloppy rescue, the two elderly people in space rely entirely on "pi
Everyone thought that after so much time had passed, even if the Eagle Tribe couldn't bring the two people down from space, they should at least have come up with a decent contingency plan.
But now, the two immortals on the International Space Station have been stuck there for several months.
So much time has passed, and the Eagle Tribe has held so many meetings, yet in the end they still sent out that old, outdated spaceship.
Moreover, this spaceship wasn't there to bring the two people back; it was simply to deliver some emergency supplies to them.
Such sluggish administrative efficiency and outrageous, defiant actions are simply not something a top-tier empire at its peak should be capable of.
After the news spread, the people who found it most unacceptable in the world were not the people of the Eagle Tribe, but the colonists who had been brainwashed by public intellectuals.
Many netizens on the Longxia tribe were overjoyed.
The Longxia tribe is rising, while the decline of the Xiong Ying tribe is an undeniable fact.
Even so, the Eagle Tribe remains the world's largest economy.
No matter how you look at it, such an outrageous thing should not have happened in such a vast empire.
Even many netizens from the Longxia Tribe, upon seeing this news, expressed not only concern for the safety of the two astronauts on the International Space Station, but also bewilderment at the Eagle Tribe's actions.
Such a thing would be unimaginable in the Longxia tribe.
First of all, it is puzzling enough that such a major flaw could occur in a manned space program.
Even if we assume that this accident was purely due to unforeseen circumstances, why wasn't it resolved immediately after it occurred?
Putting aside everything else, if this kind of thing happened in the Longxia tribe, at least several departments from top to bottom would be ruined.
Let alone having astronauts stay on the International Space Station for a full six months, even being a month or two late would likely draw a lot of criticism.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that cyberspace is the cause of the downfall of nations.
But now that it's the Eagle Tribe, a group of people have come out to defend them, looking for various angles to exonerate the Eagle Tribe.
However, this kind of rhetoric is now basically ineffective for netizens in the Longxia tribe.
Everyone seemed happy to be watching the drama unfold.
"Can any expert tell me when the Xuanming Elders from heaven will be brought back?"
"This is outrageous! How did the Eagle Tribe become like this?"
"Isn't it just launching a space shuttle to bring people down from space? Is it really that difficult?"
"You know what, you really can't believe it, there are only a handful of countries in the world that can accomplish this, and the Eagle Tribe is one of them, but now it seems that one of them will have to be removed from that list."
……
Countless netizens were overjoyed, quietly watching how the Eagle Tribe would handle the aftermath.
Fortunately, this launch went smoothly without any unexpected incidents.
Although the manned space shuttle was dilapidated and had many problems, it managed to deliver the supplies to the International Space Station with great difficulty.
According to information released by the Eagle Tribe, the supplies they carried were enough for an astronaut to use for six months.
This was portrayed as a victory by the Eagle Tribe's media.
Even some colonists and their wages started to be touted as high as possible.
"Look at the space transportation capacity of the Eagle Tribe! They can transport so many supplies up there in no time."
A few years ago, such words might have fooled some uninformed people, but now that everyone has come to their senses, they have immediately discovered the loopholes in the words.
"Let's put aside the issue of transportation capacity for now. You mean to say that the Xuanming Elders will stay up there for another six months?"
"No, is this all the supplies they're sending? How much stuff is there in total?"
"No way? No way, there really isn't anyone who didn't read the announcement from the Eagle Tribe? According to the data they released, these supplies are only enough for two people for two months. The six months they mentioned is the result of a strict rationing system!"
"And even if it lasts for two months, there will still be moisture, because the oxygen in the International Space Station simply cannot last for two months!"
Humans need to breathe oxygen to live, but the International Space Station is located hundreds of kilometers above the Earth, where the air is thin and it is impossible to maintain normal breathing.
That's right, there is actually some thin air around the International Space Station; they are not completely in a vacuum in outer space.
However, at that altitude, even though the International Space Station is in the atmosphere, it is not much different from a vacuum.
Therefore, the oxygen in the International Space Station needs to be transported up from the ground regularly.
The resources mentioned here are not simply oxygen, since oxygen, as a gas, is quite troublesome to transport and store.
Moreover, high concentrations of oxygen can easily cause an explosion if not handled carefully.
Depending on factors such as weight, a person needs about 500 grams of oxygen to breathe each day, which translates to more than 400 liters of volume!
Therefore, it is impossible to directly transport oxygen to the space station.
Anyone who has studied junior high school chemistry knows that electrolysis of water can produce oxygen and hydrogen, and the most convenient energy source available on the International Space Station is electricity converted from solar energy.
Theoretically, the International Space Station generally does not lack power, so most of the oxygen in the space station comes from electrolyzed water.
However, people need to drink water for normal life, so the only way to electrolyze water is to use the wastewater that astronauts use after washing and excreting. After purification and filtration, the wastewater is then electrolyzed again to become oxygen.
The problem lies precisely here: the Eagle Tribe did indeed provide a considerable amount of resources. Just considering the water resources needed to maintain vital signs, it was enough for the two astronauts to use for three months or even longer.
The two astronauts on the International Space Station not only need water to maintain their vital signs, but also need water to produce oxygen.
These two astronauts need to consume more than 30 kilograms of water every month just to produce oxygen.
This doesn't even include the various additional resources needed for water purification.
All things considered, even if the breathing resources available to these two astronauts are used as sparingly as possible, two months would probably not be enough.
While netizens on the other side of the ocean were gossiping about the gossip, the chief of the Eagle Tribe was also throwing a tantrum in his office.
"I asked you to do something, and this is how you do it for me?"
"Now look what's happened, the whole world is waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves!"
The chieftain was furious.
This happened just one year after his re-election; how could he possibly accept this?
From this perspective, if this matter cannot be properly resolved, he may be doomed in the midterm elections.
The chieftain wants to stay in this position for another two years and make more money, so how could he easily give it up?
The director of the space agency wiped the sweat from his forehead.
There's no way to explain this kind of thing.
The funds approved by Congress are first partially taken by the chief, and then subcontracted down the chain, with each department and individual taking a cut.
In the end, the amount of funds that actually reach practical use is probably less than one-tenth.
You think that's the end? It's far from over.
When the aerospace sector places orders with other companies, those companies also need to make a living; they would never do a losing business.
Okay, that's another cut. So people end up seeing bags of screws worth $8 and goats worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
To be honest, this matter was quite urgent, and the amount allocated to each department was relatively small.
Even so, it might not even be enough to repair the space shuttle.
Not to mention finding a solution.
"Well...we should probably, perhaps, start with public opinion."
Director Markson finally spoke.
"For example, we could have the two astronauts on the International Space Station regularly make calls to their families on the ground, or we could have them give interviews to the media."
"As long as we ensure that these two people claim to be in good health and have sufficient resources, we will have ample time to resolve this matter."
"public opinion?"
The chieftain sneered.
"Can public opinion feed me? Can public opinion solve my problems in the midterm elections? Can public opinion help me get through this crisis?"
The chieftain remained silent for a moment.
You know what, it actually works.
But things cannot be handled this way.
These two people in the sky are ultimately a problem. If he can't get them down, or even if their personal safety is compromised, then his position is truly over.
The chieftain tapped his fingers lightly on the office desk.
"How about this, allocate another budget to send a batch of supplies to these two people."
"This... I'm afraid it might be a bit difficult."
Maxon stammered.
"Our space shuttle encountered a major problem during this launch, and the repairs will likely take more than a month, so..."
"A month?!"
The chieftain raised an eyebrow.
Actually, letting these two people stay in the sky might not be a bad thing.
After all, if that were the case, there would be ample reason for Congress to approve funding to send supplies to these two individuals.
In this process, both upstream and downstream companies can reap huge profits.
Even he, the great chieftain, could make a fortune.
Although it's not much, who would complain about not having enough money?
As for the midterm elections... public opinion will naturally resolve everything.
"I don't care, I'll approve the funding for you. My only request is to send them an extra batch of resources as soon as possible, enough to ensure that these two people can live comfortably."
"Then we can have the two astronauts interviewed."
"If they have to stay in space for a longer period of time due to some unforeseen circumstances, there's nothing we can do about it."
"We need to work together to overcome these difficult times."
Maxon breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."
Presumably because the funding was in place, this launch went exceptionally smoothly, taking less than a month.
Just two weeks later, the Eagle Tribe launched another aircraft to deliver ample supplies to the two astronauts.
This batch of supplies is enough for them to use comfortably for another two months.
Even if they waste a little, it would be more than enough for them to last for more than three months.
After the successful launch, the media once again mobilized, successfully turning a failed rescue into a success.
Never mind whether those two astronauts came down or not, just tell me whether we won or not.
After in-depth communication with the two astronauts, they were finally willing to announce to their families and the media that they were perfectly safe and had no problems!
As for the time these two astronauts spend in space, which may be measured in years, and whether it will cause any irreversible damage to their bodies, none of that matters.
These men are willing to take a little less money for the sake of you two, can't you two overcome this difficulty?
As for whether these two people will receive any subsidies or overtime pay for staying in space for such a long time, don't even think about it.
You've been absent from work for so long without any reason, and the fact that we haven't made you two lose your jobs is already a sign of our great mercy.
They actually want overtime pay?
Of course, since it's a company problem, the responsibility can't be placed on the employees.
So if these two people come down, they'll probably get an extra subsidy of over a thousand dollars.
Yes, it's that outrageous.
These two people spent so long in space, and when they came back from the space station, they only received a little over a thousand dollars.
If such a thing didn't actually happen in real life, even if it were written into a novel, people would criticize the author for having no logic whatsoever.
It can only be said that reality is far more unreasonable than fiction.
Finally, after spending half a year in space, the two made their first public appearance in front of the media.
Mark and Elisa appeared very optimistic in front of the camera.
"People on Earth need not worry about our safety. The International Space Station has ample supplies, more than enough for our use."
When interviewed by the media, the two astronauts showed professional smiles.
Of course, it was a very wise choice for them to avoid discussing when they thought they would come down.
Seemingly to prove that the two astronauts were not lying, the Eagle Tribe also released video footage of them communicating with their families.
In conclusion, both astronauts are perfectly safe, and there is absolutely no need for anyone to worry.
As for when they will come down... I'm sorry, I can't tell you. We have our own arrangements.
As time passed day by day, the Longxia tribe launched its space station and satellites in an orderly manner.
Even the manned spaceflight mission has been completed.
The Longxia Tribe plans to enable astronauts on the International Space Station to communicate with people on Earth as the New Year approaches.
The astronauts also wished everyone a Happy New Year from the space station.
When footage of the interior of the Longxia Tribe's space was released, the Longxia Tribe's netizens were overjoyed. (End of Chapter)