by T I WADE
Five weeks later, the plasma thrusters were ready for testing on America Two. The work had been completed as fast as possible, and for the last two weeks Jonesy had given lectures to the team of astronauts up on the build station.
The crew was already living in America Two, and had been since launching up 14 days earlier.
The astronaut team comprised of the oldies: Jonesy, Maggie, Allen and Jamie, Michael and Penny, and Ryan and VIN as backup pilots. Kathy Richmond did not want to fly into battle. She considered herself too old, and she preferred to learn how to back up her daughter Lunar, who was now official Captain of the mother ship.
The “NextGeners” were excited, and ready to go into battle mentally. Saturn Noble was NextGen Flight Leader, and the astronauts were her husband: Mars, Shelley Saunders, Jane and Jenny Burgos, Lunar’s husband Mark, Pluto Katherine and her husband Gary.
Pluto Jane Saunders and Hillary Pitt, both pregnant were now the flight trainers for the kids in flight simulators back on Earth.
Lunar Richmond and her father were both happy that Jonesy and Maggie had returned. Over time the astronaut numbers was dwindling somewhat. Penelope Pitt was Vice President in Washington. Kathy Richmond felt too old to fly, and most of the younger Nextgeners were going through marriage and parenthood.
The Third generation, the youngsters were still a couple of years away from getting their wings, and Astermine had seven children in flight training, not counting the Chinese boy.
This mission was certainly the last mission for the OldGeners. If they hadn’t slept for fourteen years, they would all be too old to fly, and with five shuttles still active, and the two new mother ships, there certainly wouldn’t be enough astronauts to fly the Astermine fleet for at least a decade.
What was opposite down on Earth, was that pilots of commercial aircraft, as well as fighter aircraft were being phased out, and replaced by robots. These robotic pilots were no more than lumps of machinery in the forward part of the aircraft where the cockpit used to be.
Jonesy had been shocked a week before he had launched back into space when he had seen a new videoed program from Boeing on the new pilots of commercial flight.
The program for the news networks showed new aircraft which didn’t have a flight deck or cockpit. Instead there were no cockpit windows, and the entire area where the flight cockpit had once been, was now full of electronics. These electronics, didn’t even look like robots, but square blocks of electronics that were computers which flew the aircraft. There would be no more human hands on in case something went wrong. Like the drones in the days of VIN Noble’s military career, these aircraft could be flown from the ground if necessary.
“No more pilot pay packets, eight hour flight maximum’s per day, or pilot unions, these new pilots an fly 24/7,” stated the news feed Jonesy was watching with the kids, the third class of Astermine astronauts. Many of the older crew were also in watching. Television, or video streaming was back, stations were cropping up across the country, and once again news was 24/7 as well. “Flights will be on time, no chances of pilot errors, and flight tickets will be cheaper again in the future. With the cheap tickets comes a higher cost for everything on board. At least the last remaining necessity will still be free on board all U.S. flights: going to the bathroom. Congress enacted a law today halting U.S.A. Air’s bid to charge passengers to go to the toilet during a flight. The airline has charged passengers for a month now, even on long flights, ten dollars a time to use the onboard bathrooms. In a unanimous vote, Congress deemed this as a right of any passenger to use free bathroom facilities on any mode of transport…”
“I would certainly be using the bathroom more if I had tin cans flying me round,” stated Jonesy, and making the youngsters laugh. “You guys might be the last known human pilots, so respect your opportunity.”
Apart for certain topics on the news these days, the news was mostly good. The new Chinese boy, Jon Lee Jong saw his parents in Washington on an official visit to the city, and being toured around by the country’s Vice President Penelope Pitt.
Relations with most of the world’s countries was on the mend. The USA and China had just completed a plan for ten years of growth together. Russia and the Republic of Korea with Korea whole again for the first time in nearly a century, were visiting each other. Israel were talking peace and assistance to much of the Middle East, and even the continent of Africa was on the mend.
Apart from communication satellites going up on a monthly basis, the only other machinery heading up into space were military “Watchdogs”, new cameras heading into orbit to monitor the planet for problems. These “Watchdogs” as they were known, were not only for military purposes, but also to survey the planet for every purpose one could imagine. Most of the “Watchdogs” made in Israel, Australia and Canada were sold to companies checking on acid rain, ozone, pollution and air and sea temperatures for weather.
As usual, some were armed and some were not, and as Astermine’s astronauts launched into Low Space Orbit, each time they had more and more traffic on their radar monitors.
“It’s getting like a Walmart parking lot up here,” stated Jonesy as he and Maggie flew their old and faithful shuttle, SB-III into space for the first time since returning from Mars.
“What is a Walmart parking lot?” several of the kids who were watching Jonesy’s launch telemetry on inboard and outside shuttle cameras from their classroom as he and Maggie headed into space.
“Something even I don’t know what it is,” stated Pluto Jane Saunders, their NextGen instructor.
“An old style American supermarket chain before the large stores and malls all became motels and apartments for communal living,” explained Dr. Smidt who was also in the classroom, and watching the video feed of the Jones’ ride into space.
“Right kids, I’m powering the thrusters down to 27 percent as we enter into our orbit. Young James Richmond Price, what is our altitude, and expected altitude, boy?”
“Current Altitude 93.7 miles, expected altitude 17 minutes into launch: 95 miles, Commander Jones, you are out by over 1 mile,” young James, now 12, replied.
“My cockpit computer states 16 minutes 47 seconds flight time, boy,” stated Jonesy coldly.
“Flight time now 17 minutes, what is my altitude young Richmond Price?”
“Exactly 195 miles Commander,” replied the boy sheepishly.
“That is what accuracy means future astronauts,” Jonesy lectured. “For every mile you are out on any part of your flight means extra fuel usage to get you back in track, understand?” stated Jonesy into his camera and monitor placed so he could see and hear the lesson. In turn the kids had direct to access to the astronauts as no helmets were being used on launches anymore.
The blue shields were well used, and never seemed to get old. Pete had told Jonesy before launch that new progress on their own production of the blue shields was happening each month.
“Expected orbital forward speed at mile 119 altitude, young Mikey Noble?” Jonesy asked his own grandson, who was a year older than James Richmond Price.
“Exactly 21,970 knots, sir,” replied the youngster looking at the readouts. “Your speed is seven knots over, Commander Jones,” the small boy replied.
“Always remember, more speed the better at the beginning of a long flight. It will slowly bleed off in time without too much side-thruster fuel usage. Young Noble, why do I have my speed higher than expected?”
“To get ahead of the space shark, Commander Jones?” interrupted young Titan, only seven and in his second year of astronaut lessons. Jonesy smiled.
“Yes, and to get ahead of the space shark, young Titan Richmond Darwin, but Mikey Noble, an answer to my question please?”
“Always stay ahead of the plan. You tell us all the time,” replied the young future astronaut.
“Remember pilots, it is always easier to slow than to speed up. Less fuel and less time, but as my co-pilot would say, it is maybe better to be on time. That is
the tiny difference between my flying and Captain Maggie Jones’ flying. Both ways are as good as each other in my book, and you only fail flight test if you’re behind the time, understand?” lectured Jonesy to the class of eight, 120 miles below him.
Life aboard America Two was comfortable, roomy and the perfect setup to keep the astronauts used to Earth’s gravity conditions.
On each shift, of which there were three a day, the crew ran around the corridor of the wheel. Since the centrifugal force of the rotation was 80 percent of Earth’s gravity, it was a good run. At any time, any member of the crew could head out of their apartment and see a group running.
For the newbies, it took a few rounds to get used to it. Everybody ran on the corridor floor, which was the roof, upside down and their heads faced the Bridge and engine room in the middle of the ship.
Jonesy and Maggie were running 5 miles a day. Each astronaut had to run at least 3 miles per day and complete an hour of bicycle riding and an hour workout in the gym.
For the OldGeners keeping fit was becoming harder and harder. To keep up with the NextGeners was near to impossible, and every day Saturn and Mars swept by their parents at least twice per run.
Even Ryan was slowing up, and the OldGeners knew that their time of space travel in command of vessels was coming to an end. They were just getting too old.
The mechanics fitted the new thrusters to the mother ship, and then the testing began. At the same time, Asterspace Three, the smaller mining vessel, and now a student flight trainer in its blue shield was heading up and down with liquid hydrogen for the mother ship.
This was what the two oldest students, Little Mikey Noble and James Richmond Price were getting their first real flights into space in under the Captaincy of Shelley Saunders and the Burgos sisters.
Martin Brusk, although a busy man wasn’t letting up on his first space flight, and was piloted up into orbit by a proud ten-year old under training. While the pregnant teachers taught down in the classroom, the astronauts had a student as a co-pilot, and once a week, launched up with 2 tons of fuel.
Martin Brusk, Little Mikey and James were aghast at seeing for the first time the size of the mother ship floating around in space. Both young astronauts would go on to become very famous astronauts one day, in entirely different careers.
Even while the fuel savings of liquid hydrogen by using the cold fusion plants was incredible, the ten plasma thrusters at 50 Megawatts apiece were thirsty beasts.
Hydrogen fuel, with an oxidizer usually oxygen, was the old form of thrust. The speed of the ignited hydrogen exiting the thrusters was the force that moved the ship forward.
An electric rocket used electrical power from 10 of the 23 onboard cold fusion power plants to accelerate the hydrogen, the propellant, out of the back of the engine. The exhaust speed of the hydrogen propellant was far greater in electric rockets, making them much more efficient, but the level of thrust was much lower and restricted their operation for use only in space.
By using the hydrogen with a far greater exhaust speed, the use of the hydrogen fuel was, comparing electric engine size to non-electric engine size: 85 percent more efficient. With more than twice the engines needed for space travel, the use of liquid hydrogen was reduced by only 55 percent, due to far higher and quicker travel speeds obtained with double the needed power.
That meant that America Two still needed its fuel tanks full, and the large tanks were also meant to refuel the five shuttles, which still used the old-type engines.
All the shuttles had brought up their cargo bays filled with bladders of fuel or supplies on each launch, and life aboard the mother ship was becoming as routine as it had been during the decade long Odyssey in America One.
“So when can we leave,” Jonesy asked to Ryan in the bridge a week after his last arrival. As usual, Lunar, the ship’s Commander, Ryan, Martin Brusk learning space flight, Igor and Boris were on the Bridge working out all the travel scenarios possible. Jonesy entered early and to grab a freshly made pouch of coffee. As it often happened, the astronauts drank so much coffee that the pouches usually ran out and more pouches had to be filled in the cafeteria rotating on the wheel above.
“Distance to Mars is now shortening daily,” Ryan stated to Jonesy. “The two planets are getting closer, but we are on the opposite side of the sun to Mars.”
“As usual Earth is chasing Mars down since we are closer to the sun, and have a shorter circuit,” added Igor “but we must first catch up and get on the same side of the sun as Mars is.”
“We have a possible scenario that we could activate in 8 weeks’ time,” stated Boris. “Once we get to a certain distance behind Mars, we could head out and angle between the two planets instead of going directly across space to Mars during the time of the Opposition’s open window and that would mean leaving in five months’ time.”
“What are the travel times?” Jonesy asked as the rest of the astronauts entered for the morning’s briefing.
Ryan did cover that, and explained the two opportunities to the crew once they had tied themselves into the conference chairs on the Bridge.
“With the extra thrust and speed of these new plasma thrusters,” Ryan added “we have two scenarios. Scenario One: we can extend the Opposition travel window by one month either side and have an eight month window every 26 months. What is important with this increase in time is that with the expected reduced fuel usage due to the new thrusters, we can travel to Mars, and return within the same window with a realistic amount of fuel. Before we needed to wait it out for the next Opposition. This also gives us a 109-day journey as the new window opens, or a 47-day journey at the most opportune time. Both time frames will use the same tonnage of fuel. Scenario Two: If we extend the window a further month either side, we will then have a ten-month window out of 26 months between Oppositions. Again, with the second expansion of travel, our travel time increases, and we will double our fuel usage for a 139 day journey either way.” Ryan paused for a mouthful of coffee.
“Better than what Captain Pete and Dr. Nancy, and Mags and I did,” commented Chief Astronaut Jones, and VIN Noble rolled his yes. VIN Noble was wondering how long Jonesy could stay quiet.
“Thank you Mr. Jones,” replied Ryan still happy to have Jonesy, and his mouth back. “These two scenarios give us a 20-day period to offload and on-load cargo. This means that once America Three is operational, a ship could leave each planet cross on their journeys to the other planet, drop off and load up cargo for the return flight, and return to its base every Opposition. This was my dream when I was a kid—to have an annual spaceflight to and from each planet. Now, going back to Vitalily’s, and Max’s ideas about stopping these attacks. Since the Matts had attacked the Retreat three times, and still we haven’t received any loss of life, we all believe we have some time to get there. Vitalily believes that since no movement or retaliation from us has been seen by the Matts from our base as yet, they don’t even know if we are inside, and will back off until they do see movement. As from yesterday, I have given Vitalily the OK to set a trap for the Matts by using Mars Noble’s armed robots. Their non-vacuum spacesuits do not give them the chance to enter and invade our base, even if they do see movement on the plateau and want to actually attack. Our crew are totally safe.
“So our idea is to use Scenario Two: the ten month window around the next Opposition, and sort out our problem. We will have 20 days to sort out the Matts before the mother ship needs to return to Earth. Now going back to our test flight. We will complete our test flight around the moon, return to orbit around earth, and then use all our smaller craft to refuel the mother ship. If our plasma rockets test flight is a success, we could leave for the red planet at the beginning of Scenario Two: in 8 weeks’ time, or to be more precise: 57.5 days from now.”
“Once we are up to cruise speed in the mother ship, we can continue fight training in the shuttles on the way,” stated Jonesy.
“Yes, once our cruise speed is attained by the m
other ship, in about two weeks of acceleration to an estimated 130,000 knots, it was still seem that we are not moving, and our shuttles can fly around like bees in a hive,” Ryan smiled.
“Unfortunately, since we are turning the mother ship around, and using full reverse thrust to brake for ten days before meeting the red planet” added Igor “the shuttles will need to be re-connected to America Two for the complete braking period.”
“My astronauts are ready, but we must train just to keep our reactions as fast as possible,” stated Jonesy.
As usual, any flights back to Earth were for fuel, and with liquid hydrogen now in abundance on Earth, the price had dropped considerably, and the gold reserves from the last mission were paying for what fuel they needed.
The new thrusters were ready to be tested, and under full power, and with two of the five shuttles connected to the mother ships’ docking ports, Lunar Richmond, Commander of America Two accelerated towards the moon 170,000 miles away.
It was far too short a distance to get the ship up to any cruise speed America One had achieved, but from the acceleration graphs, the distances to all the planets in the solar system could be easily computed.
As usual there was no sense of movement inside the ship as it accelerated from 27,000 knots to 41,000 knots before the ship was turned around to begin braking for three orbits around the moon.
Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin would have appreciated the speed and comfort Ryan’s crew achieved during their ship’s maiden flight to the Moon and back, Ryan Richmond and Martin Brusk reckoned.
Martin Brusk was commended by Ryan once the ship re-entered a LSO around Earth 20 hours later. For the first time ever, humans had flown to the moon and back within one day.
The fuel burn was analyzed and they had enough aboard for the return trip to Mars and back, as well as each of the five shuttles having 20 hours of flight time at full burn.