Chapter 453: Chapter 414: Jordan Plays Table Tennis Chapter 453: Chapter 414: Jordan Plays Table Tennis The propulsion system of Japan’s “Hope” spacecraft bizarrely activated, and the International Space Station suddenly shifted its position.
The engineers at the Houston ground control center were busy at their computers, pulling up a three-dinsional structural diagram of the Space Station. They planned to use the remote control system to shut down the propulsion system, but no matter what they did, they couldn’t shut it off. They had no choice but to start another propulsion system to counteract the first one, thereby maintaining chanical balance, and preventing the Station from tilting excessively.
The old International Space Station couldn’t handle the upheaval. This small mishap could trigger countless chain reactions. In regular tis, it might be patched up and kept running, but the situation was different now. A high-risk surgery had to be completed.
In a crisis, any flaw can be amplified indefinitely, and that was exactly the case with the International Space Station right now.
Richard sighed with relief, the Space Station finally stopped flipping, barely retaining its balance, but it was still tilted at 45 degrees.
This balance was temporary. To achieve true stability, the cause of the problem had to be identified and both propulsion systems had to be shut down.
Richard angrily cursed, “David Hollis, help them investigate what happened!”
He had little trust in allies capable of making a mistake even in asuring height. He wanted David Hollis to find out the reason as soon as possible.
Richard connected to the Japanese module where the astronaut feigned ignorance: “I have no idea what happened, I was resting in my sleeping bag the whole ti, I didn’t touch anything.”
“Could it be that your snoring was too loud? Did the sound waves activate the propulsion system?” a engineer couldn’t help but joke.
No one knew if this engineer was serious or just making a sarcastic remark.
Richard angrily responded, “That’s impossible! It’s not a voice-activated switch. You guys proceed with remote diagnostics. Last ti when their ‘Hope’ sprung a leak, they also claid they hadn’t done anything.”
Luckily, Yang Ping had quickly retracted the guidewire earlier. If it was still inside the blood vessels and it plunged further in abruptly, such instability could lead to surgical failure, and failure would an the loss of Steven’s life.
“Coordinate with David Hollis, find the cause and shut down the propulsion systems together.”
Richard commanded the Japanese astronaut.
—
The doctors’ team at the ground control center just had a close shave. The guidewire had faced many obstacles and branching paths on its path to the network of blood vessels in the skull. But, just as it was moving further in, an accident occurred.
Yang Ping swiftly retracted the guidewire. This retraction is not a re yank out, if he did that, the blood vessels in the skull would be seriously damaged.
This retreat is exactly the reverse of the guidewire’s advancent. It’s just that Yang Ping was familiar with the route back, thus he retracted it at the fastest speed and safely withdrew it despite nurous branching paths.
When the guidewire was entirely retracted from the blood vessels, they had dodged a bullet. John Ansen clapped excitedly.
In a real remote surgery, if a problem arises, there would be no one present to manage the ergency. It requires the surgeon to have extrely profound surgical skills and psychological quality.
For a surgery to succeed, one only has one shot. If a problem arises midway, there would be no way to redy.
While in regular robotic surgery on the ground, if a problem arises, the doctors who wait on standby and the whole hospital can provide the redial action and rescue. On the Space Station, Susan was the only doctor, a general practitioner; apart from CPR, she wasn’t capable of offering any other powerful resuscitation asures.
“Did he get scared?”
Massimo was still in shock. He managed to suppress his wildly fluctuating emotions and seed to have found an excuse.
The world-leading United States, Johns Hopkins’ genius, the unbeatable Massimo in the field of dical intervention all over the world was shockingly overtaken by a young Chinese doctor. What’s more ironic was that the Chinese doctor’s major field was orthopedics, and interventional surgery was rely a hobby for him.
John Ansen knew that arguing was pointless: “Dr. Yang isn’t scared. During surgeries, he is calr than anyone else, but during high-risk surgeries, the people watching the operation are scared. I’m scared, you would be scared too. These operations would drain us of our adrenaline.”
Massimo touched his forehead and found it sweaty, but he pretended not to know it. John Ansen glanced at him and just smiled inwardly.
On the screen, the angiogram of the cranial blood vessels spread out like black fireworks. The aneurysm, like a balloon, has swelled much larger than before, and they didn’t know how much longer the thin blood vessel wall could hold up.
“Hurry up! He won’t last till dawn, the vessel could burst at any mont!” Yang Ping’s voice resounded through the broadcasting system.
Everyone in the control center could hear it, Jim Basa heard it the clearest.
“It’s expanding like a balloon, constantly expanding!” Massimo swallowed heavily.
A balloon always bursts when it is continuously inflated.
The heart rate on the ECG monitor continued to decrease, and the myocardial depression beca more prominent. Such a minute pressure evoked such a significant reaction; if a rupture occurs, the pressure from the blood would cause sudden death.
“Steven’s heart rate is still dropping!”
Susan was staring at the monitoring screen; the problem hadn’t been resolved, and the surgery couldn’t proceed. They didn’t know how long they would have to wait like this.
“The propulsion system of the Hope spacecraft can’t be manually shut down right now.” David Hollis reported.
Unable to shut down?
How could sothing like this happen at a crucial ti like this? Richard thought and said:
“Use the ergency chanical switch, the propulsion system must be shut down, both at the sa ti.”
They had initially activated the propulsion system to balance the one that had accidentally turned on. If only one was turned off now, the Space Station would tilt due to the exerted force.
“The Russians have already co to assist them.” David Hollis decided to stay put.
With the Russians lending a hand, things would be much easier as their experience was far superior to that of the Japanese.
“I’ve reached the Hope, I’m preparing to flip the chanical switch of the propulsion system.”
“Let’s do this together, are you ready?”
9-8-7—
Okay, shut it down!
The space station adjusted slightly to regain balance. The aging International Space Station usually wouldn’t be an issue with a few patch jobs, but once an ergency like this occurred, problems arose in a multitude.
“The voltage is unstable!”
The sudden tilt of the space station may have interfered with so old equipnt in the power system, causing poor connectivity.
Ah! The International Space Station is severely aged, like a thatched hut in the storm, wind leaks here and water leaks there.
Richard, troubled and anxious, said, “Unstable voltage could cause the remote surgery system to crash. Hurry, find out why.”
David Hollis in person is an engineer. Very familiar with these, after hard troubleshooting: “Multiplexer-de-multiplexer (MDM) malfunctioned, one has stopped working, and one is unstable.”
“Replace it! Quickly!”
Richard was now having a splitting headache. One accident sparked so many problems. It would take two hours to replace the MDM, which would require a spacewalk.
The MDM, weighing 23 kilograms on Earth and only the size of a small microwave oven, controls important components of the space station such as radiators, solar panels, and cooling circulation systems.
The station is equipped with two of these devices. Now that only one was working, if it malfunctioned again, it could endanger the lives of the astronauts.
“Remote troubleshooting shows that the other one is only having unstable voltage, and it can continue to work for at least three months.” The ground engineer checked the space station’s equipnt logs.
What if? What if this one malfunctioned unexpectedly? Without a backup, the people on board would be in danger.
Even if we’re not worried about unexpected events, this kind of unstable voltage seriously affects the surgery. Should the robotic arm lose control at the crucial mont, everything would go back to square one.
“I intend to exit the cabin for inspection and repair, and I need a helper.” David Hollis decided to leave the cabin.
“Ask the Russians for help.” Richard could only ask the Russians for help as the others lacked experience in spacewalks.
“I just checked the stock of spare parts on the space station, and there are none!”
Oh, my God! Steven,
“There’s a power failure, no MDM spares, urgent delivery would take eight hours.” The engineer reported anxiously to Richard.
Richard could only ask for help from Jim Basa. Jim Basa composed himself: “Is there any temporary solution to keep the voltage stable, even if it’s just for an hour?”
“I don’t know. It would require David Hollis to do a spacewalk and hope for a fix.” Richard had no confidence.
“Proceed from both directions. David Hollis leaves the cabin for maintenance while I coordinate an urgent shipnt. We can only ask the Russians for help since they can complete resupply in just over three hours, while we need at least eight. They also have spare parts.”
No choice, the Russians’ Union Rocket is fiercer than Falcon Nine. The Union Rocket, launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, could dock with the International Space Station in just over three hours.
“Ask Dr. Yang if there are any dical materials that need replenishing. Let’s send them together.” Jim Basa was about to get in touch with the Russians.
Yang Ping sat in front of the remote surgical system control panel. With this voltage, the risk of surgery was much higher. It would be troubleso if the machine went out of control halfway through surgery.
“Ask them to get so tea. We could do with a few cups of tea.”
Yang Ping wanted a break. By the ti they prepared the basic conditions for surgery, Steven should be able to hold on for a few more hours.
Yang Ping wasn’t interested in the coffee that the Aricans had prepared. Even with sugar, the bitter drink was hard to take.
“Get so tea. Brew a few cups and we can rest. That’s Dr. Yang’s habit.” Old Cheng told Collins.
Tea, there should be so in the Space City. But Collins wasn’t sure.
However, anything Dr. Yang wants is trouble.
“The good stuff, West Lake Longjing or Anxi Tieguanyin would do. Just don’t get sothing too low grade!” Old Cheng urged Collins to hurry.
Old Cheng’s beca animated when it ca to drinking tea. If he had his way, he would set up a tea tasting session here.
Collins knew he wouldn’t manage to find the top-notch tea, but the uniford police officers outside should have a way to get hands on it, especially the FBI. They always had tricks up their sleeves.
Drinking a few cups of tea should lighten up the atmosphere. As soon as the conditions for surgery were suitable, they could go right ahead.
—
“Dr. Yang just requested so tea. They need so to rest and drink.”
Soone whispered into John Ansen’s ear.
John Ansen suddenly rembered he had premium Harney & Sons tea that he had intended to gift Dr. Yang, but it wasn’t with him.
He’s got the mood to drink tea?
Massimo was both amused and baffled. This sense of leisure seed so out of place amidst the current tense atmosphere.
He was sweating with nerves, yet he was clamoring for tea.
“Is intervention really his hobby?” Massimo still didn’t believe John Ansen and thought that Ansen was being sarcastic.
After so thought, John Ansen said: “Strictly speaking, it’s a hobby within a hobby. For Dr. Yang to do intervention is like Jordan playing ping pong.”
Massimo glared at John Ansen, furious.
John Ansen shrugged: “Sorry, but you forced to tell the truth.”
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