The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Kocho Trajchevski
maneuvers.
A radioisotope thermoelectric generator powered its systems.
The spacecraft weighed 478 kg and it moved through the blackness of space at a relative speed of 13.87 km/s. For almost three years it was slowly moving toward the distant dwarf world.
Only for other spacecrafts ever ventured this far in space. The Pioneer and Voyager probes that now were outside of the solar system. For ten years it traveled towards the most distant part of the solar system and it now lay at seventy eight AU.
Its antenna constantly sent back the images and measurements it took to its home world that was billion miles away. And it was finally close enough to start taking accurate pictures with its Long Range Reconnaissance Imager and its telescope. It sent its information to Earth via X band.
And what it sent raised the interest of everyone on Earth.
10 March 2017 15:00 hours
International Space Station Freedom
Major Connors looked at the rockets that were bringing the first part of the project Long Shot. He knew that this was only the beginning of the major project.
He brushed his black hair and looked at his image on the mirror. Grey eyes looked back at him. He could notice a few wrinkles that were forming on his forehead. His full lips formed a smile. Thirty years of age and he was living his dream. Before becoming an astronaut he was a pilot. He had high scores during his college years in mathematics and physics. That and the high pilot skills gave him the chance when he applied for this job. He looked at the blue world that stretched outside. He knew that that look was all he needed, all he ever wanted.
He knew that this are the last days before the real work will begin. The space station was finally finished ten months earlier and in just couple of days the first real project it had will begin.
He turned toward the computer that showed that the new information from the New Horizon was downloaded. He sat down and carefully looked at it. After the finishing of its primary mission with success the probe continued with mapping and taking pictures of several objects in the Kuiper belt. And one of them was the 90377 Sedna. After years of waiting today was the day when the first pictures arrived.
Shouts came from the other room to his left as the other astronauts talked about some parts of the project. The space station was timing with activity these days as the first ever built ship to be sent to another star was about to start being constructed. He smiled as he looked at the computer that started processing the information. But as he looked at it he almost chocked on the coffee he was drinking. He increased the images at maximum resolution and looked at them again.
“Dear God.”
Then he stood up and drifted to the other module. He looked at the Russian astronaut that was watching the computers that were their link with NASA.
“Yuri get in touch with NASA and send them the latest information from New Horizon and tell them…tell them that we have made contact. Send it on a secure channel.”
The Russian astronaut looked at his American friend with shocked eyes.
“What did you just say?”
“Send the copy and come and take a look yourself. And see if you can get me a video link with someone down there.”
After this Connors returned to his room and continued to watch the images.
Without saying another word the Russian did as he was ordered.
A minute later the angry and surprised face of Dr. Paterson appeared on the screen.
“What is it major? Why is there a need for a secure channel?”
“I think that the images that you should be receiving now will tell you the reason Doctor. I will need a secure link with Washington after this talk.”
As they talked he could see the face of the doctor turning white.
“O my God.”
“Why does he say that?”
The question came from Yuri. Connors turned toward the Russian astronaut and showed him the images that both he and Paterson
A radioisotope thermoelectric generator powered its systems.
The spacecraft weighed 478 kg and it moved through the blackness of space at a relative speed of 13.87 km/s. For almost three years it was slowly moving toward the distant dwarf world.
Only for other spacecrafts ever ventured this far in space. The Pioneer and Voyager probes that now were outside of the solar system. For ten years it traveled towards the most distant part of the solar system and it now lay at seventy eight AU.
Its antenna constantly sent back the images and measurements it took to its home world that was billion miles away. And it was finally close enough to start taking accurate pictures with its Long Range Reconnaissance Imager and its telescope. It sent its information to Earth via X band.
And what it sent raised the interest of everyone on Earth.
10 March 2017 15:00 hours
International Space Station Freedom
Major Connors looked at the rockets that were bringing the first part of the project Long Shot. He knew that this was only the beginning of the major project.
He brushed his black hair and looked at his image on the mirror. Grey eyes looked back at him. He could notice a few wrinkles that were forming on his forehead. His full lips formed a smile. Thirty years of age and he was living his dream. Before becoming an astronaut he was a pilot. He had high scores during his college years in mathematics and physics. That and the high pilot skills gave him the chance when he applied for this job. He looked at the blue world that stretched outside. He knew that that look was all he needed, all he ever wanted.
He knew that this are the last days before the real work will begin. The space station was finally finished ten months earlier and in just couple of days the first real project it had will begin.
He turned toward the computer that showed that the new information from the New Horizon was downloaded. He sat down and carefully looked at it. After the finishing of its primary mission with success the probe continued with mapping and taking pictures of several objects in the Kuiper belt. And one of them was the 90377 Sedna. After years of waiting today was the day when the first pictures arrived.
Shouts came from the other room to his left as the other astronauts talked about some parts of the project. The space station was timing with activity these days as the first ever built ship to be sent to another star was about to start being constructed. He smiled as he looked at the computer that started processing the information. But as he looked at it he almost chocked on the coffee he was drinking. He increased the images at maximum resolution and looked at them again.
“Dear God.”
Then he stood up and drifted to the other module. He looked at the Russian astronaut that was watching the computers that were their link with NASA.
“Yuri get in touch with NASA and send them the latest information from New Horizon and tell them…tell them that we have made contact. Send it on a secure channel.”
The Russian astronaut looked at his American friend with shocked eyes.
“What did you just say?”
“Send the copy and come and take a look yourself. And see if you can get me a video link with someone down there.”
After this Connors returned to his room and continued to watch the images.
Without saying another word the Russian did as he was ordered.
A minute later the angry and surprised face of Dr. Paterson appeared on the screen.
“What is it major? Why is there a need for a secure channel?”
“I think that the images that you should be receiving now will tell you the reason Doctor. I will need a secure link with Washington after this talk.”
As they talked he could see the face of the doctor turning white.
“O my God.”
“Why does he say that?”
The question came from Yuri. Connors turned toward the Russian astronaut and showed him the images that both he and Paterson
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