Reinforcement Panel: Tech Wars

Chapter 106: Self-Destructing Satellite
In the vast space, the art of disintegration is performed from time to time.

After the satellite was cut off, the thrust generated by the propellant leakage pushed the satellite debris to roll and fly around in space.

These are not the scenery that Wei Jiang wants to appreciate.

"That's three. The next satellite is in a 36000-kilometer synchronous orbit?"

A synchronous orbit generally refers to a satellite orbit at an altitude of 36000 kilometers above the equator of the blue planet. A satellite in this orbit takes about 24 hours to orbit the blue planet, thus ensuring that the satellite is constantly above the target area.

Therefore, the synchronous orbit is an ideal design orbit for high-resolution reconnaissance satellites.

「Altitude 623km」

“It’s been a long journey.”

Wei Jiang couldn't help but sigh that a circle around the equator is only 40000 kilometers.

"Go and see."

After setting the manta ray's flight course, Wei Jiang checked the key information related to the Ugly Eagle satellite.

This satellite was just launched last year and is part of a new project of Ugly Eagle in recent years - Silent Buck.

The project aims to establish a surveillance system for other forces' space vehicles. Surveillance targets include but are not limited to communication satellites, navigation satellites, ballistic missiles, and spacecraft.

The Silent Buck system is planned to have not only surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, but also strike capabilities.

Carry out round-the-clock surveillance of other party's space vehicles and carry out strike missions when necessary.

Seeing this, Wei Jiang clicked his tongue.

"I have to admire that Ugly Eagle has great ambitions."

While the University of Tokyo was still researching space strike methods, Ugly Eagle had already begun building a space strike system.

This is indeed a level ahead of the University of Tokyo.

"Bad luck has come. This system cannot be established."

Wei Jiang stood up from his chair after unilaterally declaring the Ugly Eagle's space system dead.

After a long period of acceleration, the manta ray's speed has stabilized and he no longer needs to sit still in the seat cover.

Floating in the cockpit wearing the Dark Star suit, the porthole was empty and dark.

The boundless universe was nothingness in Wei Jiang's eyes except for the light of distant stars.

"It's so monotonous."

"Now I can understand the importance of Blue Planet to mankind."

The darkness and emptiness outside the porthole, the high temperature, low temperature, and radiation, the environment is too harsh.

Ordinary people simply cannot survive in such an environment, considering the mental illness that may occur if they live in such an environment for a long time.

All this determines that before humans establish extraterrestrial settlements, interstellar travel will never be an activity that civilians can participate in on a large scale.

"Fortunately, I can always come for a short cruise."

With a proud sarcasm, Wei Jiang's body floated quietly in the cockpit, enjoying the freedom after being free from gravity.

Dudu!

The alarm sounded, and Wei Jiang, who had opened his battle suit visor to look at the scenery outside the porthole, turned his head to look at the control screen.

Wei Jiang supported himself with his arms on the inner wall of the cockpit and floated his body to the driver's seat and fixed it there.

"Unknown target approaching, current distance 1572km"

Once in outer space, without the obstructions of air and mountainous terrain, manta rays have a wider detection range.

Wei Jiang clicked on the screen to expand and enlarge the alarm information.

The unknown target is in a high orbit and is approaching the manta ray's flight path at a very fast speed.

According to the detection signal, the target is not large, a small aircraft about 10 centimeters long and wide.

"what is this?"

"What else in this damn place wants to harm me?"

Humans currently have nearly 6000 man-made spacecraft in space. If defunct spacecraft and space vehicles are included, the upper limit is 40000.

It sounds like a lot, but considering the vast environment of space, it is not easy to encounter a human aircraft in space.

In the vast space, it is definitely not an easy task for a flying vehicle to actively approach a manta ray.

Wei Jiang opened the manta ray detection data and two minutes later, he finally had some guesses about this unknown approaching aircraft.

The unknown small aircraft came from the synchronous orbit, and the manta ray did not detect any other information.

"Only two or three forces in the entire Blue Planet can manipulate satellites in orbit or release sub-satellites."

It should be impossible for the University of Tokyo, and White Bear can't care about these things now, so there is only one possibility.

"Negotiation is the best way to resolve conflicts! Please cherish our last goodwill."

After seeing this message, Wei Jiang realized that Chouying’s patience had run out.

From the moment he sent the bomb emoji to the other party, he destroyed three high-value satellites of Ugly Eagle.

A rough estimate of the direct net economic losses is around 140 billion US dollars!
The Ugly Eagle has been able to endure until now and has even sent a request for negotiation to the Manta Ray, which shows that it is making a last-ditch effort.

"Talk about chicken!"

"The last act of kindness is just a small thing. You think too highly of yourself."

Wei Jiang casually turned off the Ugly Eagle's message sending function and sat back in the driver's seat.

It is not wrong to be cautious before knowing the Ugly Eagle's means of attack.

More than 10,000 kilometers in space is completely different from the same distance on the blue planet.

The evaluation standards for the flight speed of aircraft in space are the first cosmic velocity and the second cosmic velocity. For a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers, a few minutes are enough as long as the flight direction is correct.

10192km!

The target spacecraft descends from a high orbit, and its gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, causing its speed to increase continuously.

The manta ray's orbit was also rising at a fast speed. The two sides were moving towards each other and the distance between them was rapidly closing.

6297km!

3072km!

As the distance got closer, the manta ray gradually detected the target aircraft's shape design information.

The single solar wing is located above the tail of the small satellite. The power part is square in shape, and in front of the square is a regular cube with a smooth surface that looks inconspicuous.

"What on earth is this thing used for?"

Wei Jiang certainly couldn't understand the shapes drawn by simple lines on the screen.

Now he just hopes to see what this micro-satellite is capable of.

A micro-satellite of about 10 centimeters can make the Ugly Eagle think that it can threaten the manta ray.

"Don't let me down."

"I, a country bumpkin, also want to see the methods of interstellar war."

1081km!

600km!

"The target appears from the left front, the estimated shortest distance when we meet is 500 meters."

The manta ray terminal diligently calculated the state of the two sides when they met next.

500 meters, with no obstructions in the vast space, Wei Jiang could even observe the opponent's traces with his naked eyes.

He was looking forward to it.
-
"Countdown to 10 seconds."

"9!"

"8!"

Almost all the senior officials of Chouying were paying attention to this special mission which took place at the Chouying Space Force Headquarters.

This is the biggest test and biggest loss suffered by the Ugly Eagle Space Force since its establishment!
Not only did the other party reject their request for negotiation, they even sent them emoji expressions to provoke them!

Satellite loss +1, -50 billion!
Satellite loss +1, -30 billion!
Satellite loss +1, -60 billion!
Another 140 billion loss!
Huge threats and dangers are unstoppable, and the outcome that the top leaders of Ugly Eagle most hope to see is a handshake and peace.

Faced with the opponent's flying vehicles that can travel freely in space, there are really not many countermeasures they can take.

There are too many restrictions to take action, and it is unclear whether it will be effective.

The satellite that is now approaching the other side is one of them.

"Better not move! Blow it up!"

"Let it die!"

"Go to hell!"

Such curses were heard in the meeting rooms, offices and hearts of many people in Chouying.

Amid their curses, the countdown continued.

"5!"

"4!"

As the leader of the Ugly Eagle people, Chuanqi ignored the team members sitting next to him.

The images displayed on the monitor in front of him came from the Space Force Headquarters.

He had just taken office and had not yet had time to make his first major move when Chou Ying suffered a series of setbacks in the military.

The strangest thing is that there is no clear hostile party behind these events.

"Die! For my mission!"

The countdown sound from the speaker next to it continued, and it reached the last crucial few seconds.

"2!" "1!"

"Launch orbital shrapnel strike!"

At the Space Force Headquarters, after the mission commander's instructions were synchronized, the black and white footage that appeared in the upper right corner of the display was directly interrupted.

The black aircraft in the center of the black and white screen was stuck in the picture, and after a while the screen showed that there was no signal access.

The signal shows that the attack program has been completed, but the attack effect cannot be confirmed yet.

"Reconnaissance team, report the results of the strike effect reconnaissance!"

Information collected by high-orbit reconnaissance satellites is displayed on the screen of the headquarters.

The black aircraft signal is still there and the flight speed has not decreased.

This doesn’t mean the crackdown didn’t work!

Damage to aircraft components or modules is equally fatal, consistent with expectations of damage from an attack.

Everyone in the command center knew that the shrapnel strike they were carrying out this time was a physical damage attack.

Similar to a space version of a tracking grenade attack, it explodes next to the target aircraft, ejecting special shrapnel pre-installed in the self-destruct satellite at extremely high acceleration, causing intensive physical damage to the target.

It’s not that it’s particularly sophisticated, but it has the advantage of a simple structure and low cost of building a self-destructing satellite.

"Report! The target aircraft's speed has not decreased, and its course has not changed! No signs of disintegration or fire were found!"

There were whispers in the command center. The lack of signs of disintegration or fire meant that the target was most likely not seriously damaged.

As for whether other injuries occurred, they were unable to evaluate due to the lack of assessment methods and data.

The sound of the discussion in his ears made the task leader very annoyed.

"Quiet! Quiet!"

Amid the rage, the headquarters quickly quieted down.

"Report! The target aircraft's flight trajectory has changed and its flight speed has increased again!"

The engineer who was previously responsible for intelligence reconnaissance reported the latest reconnaissance results at an inappropriate time.

The change in trajectory and the increase in speed sounded to everyone like the self-destructing satellite did not cause much damage to the target!

They even have enough energy to speed up!
Inside the white house, Chuanqi glanced at the expressions of the people next to him. As a businessman, he reacted quickly.

The first attack launched by Ugly Eagle in space orbit was declared a failure!

He unbuttoned his suit and pushed his bright red tie aside. His fingers kept moving, indicating that he was very uneasy at the moment.

"Continue to initiate negotiation application!"

"Damn it!"

"We give you tens of billions every year, and now you are more fragile than a pig!"

"Oh my god! Kill me! Being your boss is such a torture!"

After Chuanqi finished complaining, he picked up the glass Coke bottle on the table and took a sip.

The cold carbonated drink stimulated his throat, making him feel a little better.
-
At an altitude of 18839 km in space, Wei Jiang's earlier nervousness had dissipated.

During the close encounter with the Ugly Eagle microsatellite, he had been tracking and observing with an optical lens.

The appearance of the microsatellite is basically consistent with those previously detected by manta rays.

The front of the satellite is wrapped with golden insulation material, and it is easy to observe in space with the help of sunlight.

When Wei Jiang saw the micro satellite for the first time, he was a little confused.

Before he could think about it, the satellite hundreds of meters away exploded!
Immediately afterwards, Wei Jiang heard a bang bang sound like hail hitting tiles outside the Manta Ray cabin, and the sound was very dense!
Wei Jiang didn't count how many times it rang in total, but he noticed an extremely tiny white scratch on the porthole in front of the driver's seat!

You know, the manta ray portholes are made of high-strength materials that can withstand 9 times the speed of sound!

"Damn it! What's going on!"

Wei Jiang immediately understood the attack method of the Ugly Eagle micro-satellite.

"Fortunately, the manta ray is tough enough. If it were an ordinary satellite or aircraft, it would definitely be destroyed if it were hit like this."

To be on the safe side, Wei Jiang took a look at the progress of the manta ray enhancement mission.

[Enhancement Mission 1: 19km/6782 millionkm]

[Reinforcement Mission 2: 0.2 tons/1000 tons.]

"Panel, repair Manta."

A blue arc of light flashed by at a rapid speed for an instant, and the progress of the manta ray enhancement mission was reduced a little bit.

The corners of his mouth, which had been pursed, opened and he chuckled.

"Nothing!"

"With this little destructive power, keep going! Don't be afraid."

Now that he knows the power of the Ugly Eagle self-destructive satellite, Wei Jiang is more at ease.

The farce ended, but Wei Jiang did not forget his main task.

In an orbit 36000 kilometers high, the satellite launched last year was still waiting for him.

Push the putter to the bottom with your left hand and rush up!

"Got it, please reply! Were you attacked? Are you safe?!"

He casually replied to the message sent by the East China University of Technology military.

It seems that the University of Tokyo also witnessed the suicide attack that just happened.

"It's nothing, but in the future, the country's satellites will need to guard against attacks from Ugly Eagles in space."
-
In Dongdabeidu, Tang Wu finally felt relieved when he saw the message sent by Hongxing.

The attack occurred in an orbit tens of thousands of kilometers high, and the University of Tokyo observed it after the attack had already occurred.

In terms of high-orbit small-sized aircraft reconnaissance, the efficiency of the Dongda reconnaissance system is still slightly lower than that of the Ugly Eagle.

When Tang Wu discovered that the micro-satellite had disappeared, his sensitivity as a soldier told him that the matter was not simple.

Only then did they immediately contact Hongxing to confirm the other party's personal safety and the safety of the aircraft.

Is that micro-satellite the Ugly Eagle's means of space attack?

"Save the data we just scouted separately!"

"Yes!"

After receiving the reminder from Hong Xing, Tang Wu immediately decided to save the data.

The emergence of an unknown means of space attack will inevitably pose a security threat to Todai’s facilities and aircraft in space.

Todai must conduct a thorough study and establish its own countermeasures.

"It seems that the ugly eagle can't sit still anymore."

"Attack the Red Star directly, humph!"

"Attacks within the atmosphere didn't work, and orbital attacks are limited, so how can you expect to succeed?"

"We failed this time. What else is there to do next?"

Tang Wu looked down at the several red crosses on the A4 paper.

These red crosses represent that the marked satellites have been destroyed by the red star.

There are a total of 23 reconnaissance satellites, 8 of which have been destroyed by Red Star!
By eliminating these reconnaissance satellites, the pressure of being detected when performing certain actions by the University of Tokyo will be much less.

"Report! NROL-107 satellite disintegrated!"

"Red Star, he did it again!"

The engineer in front of him shouted happily and woke Tang Wu up.

He laughed a few times, picked up the marker and drew another cross on the A4 paper in his hand.

"Nine now, tsk tsk."

"It feels so good to hug these thighs."
-
"Damn it!"

"Are you guys just going to sit here?"

"I signed the document agreeing to the establishment of the Space Force, and this is how you repay me?!"

Chuanqi yelled at a group of people in military uniforms in the office.

Every satellite destroyed not only represents economic and military losses, but is more like a slap in the face of someone, harsh and loud!
"I hate this feeling!"

"Great, that's not the case!"

"Gentlemen, are we just going to sit there and watch that damn thing attack us?"

Chuan Pi sat down in the office chair, feeling helpless.

He had been a soldier, he had been a businessman, he was an administrator, he was not a scientist!

Faced with this situation, he could not save Ugly Eagle's expensive satellite.

"Mr. Leader, we are basically unable to stop the other side from doing anything."

"But we are not powerless to fight back."

"The bird-catching plan is basically ready."

As the person in charge of the bird-catching program, Cliff was invited to participate in the closed-door meeting.

Seeing the hopeful looks in the eyes of others, Cliff said with a serious face:

"The web is woven, guys."

"Now we need a decoy to attract the birds into the net."

(End of this chapter)