Amid a suffocating mix of tension and anticipation, the interior of the launch control center (MDC) was buzzing with urgency.
"Gas and propellant pressure are within normal parameters!"
"The guidance and control system is operating normally."
"All subsystem sensors are functioning without issues!"
Yoon Jin-gu, the division head, stood with his shirtsleeves rolled up and a headset on, his nerves stretched taut as he listened to the reports coming in one after another from the heads of each unit.
"There aren't any moving objects entering the restricted navigation zone, right?"
A researcher seated in the front row turned around and answered,
"Yes. Both the sea and the air within a five-kilometer radius are clear."
"Good."
Amid the taut tension, Yoon Jin-gu and the researchers proceeded with the launch sequence as calmly and steadily as possible, exactly as they had practiced through hundreds of simulations.
The single-minded determination to successfully launch the Republic of Korea's first domestically built space launch vehicle bound everyone together.
Standing at the back with his arms crossed so as not to interfere, Seok-won watched everything unfold. When he saw that the numbers displayed on one side of the main screen had already dropped to two digits, he swallowed hard.
[60 seconds until launch.]
With the automatic launch program running, there was no longer any room for human intervention.
Uranus, the first son born of Gaia, the primordial goddess of Greek mythology, and the embodiment of the sky.
People stared at the main screen showing the space rocket bearing that name, their faces tight with anxiety.
[30 seconds remaining.]
"!"
Now that the launch was truly imminent, everyone inside the center held their breath.
"Please…"
"Damn it. I'm shaking too much."
Some clasped their hands together and closed their eyes, while others stared as if they could bore holes through the console screens, desperately praying for a successful launch.
Seok-won also widened his eyes, feeling the fist he had clenched tight grow damp with sweat.
[10, 9, 8....]
As the pre-recorded countdown echoed through the speakers, the tension reached its absolute peak.
[3, 2, 1, engine ignition!]
In that instant, the four engines at the base of the first-stage rocket ignited all at once, spewing crimson flames as if in an explosion.
As tens of thousands of liters of cooling water sprayed beneath the pad vaporized into massive clouds, the ground hold-down devices (VDH), which had been gripping the rocket like giant arms to keep it from toppling, released one by one.
Although there were several kilometers between the launch pad and the control center, it felt as if the immense energy and resonance pouring from the engines were traveling through the ground and reaching them all the way there.
On the main screen, vivid orange flames burned brightly through the clouds of steam that completely engulfed the launch site.
Kuuuuuh!
Soon, the massive Uranus rocket, weighing a full 145 tons, slowly rose into the sky, defying gravity.
Like a child cutting the umbilical cord and emerging from its mother's body, the Uranus rocket surged upward with overwhelming force. Mesmerized by the awe-inspiring sight, Seok-won stepped forward, gripping the railing tightly with both hands, unable to take his eyes off the main screen.
"Wooooah!"
"It worked, it worked! The rocket lifted off!"
The researchers watching the scene also burst into cheers, their faces filled with emotion.
They hugged one another and jumped in place, sharing the joy, but just then, Yoon Jin-gu's firm voice cut across the control center.
"Everyone, focus. It's not over yet!"
As if cold water had been poured over them, the heated atmosphere instantly cooled.
Snapping back to attention, the researchers reminded themselves that even a single minor mistake at this moment could lead straight to failure. They turned their eyes back to the consoles and monitors, carefully checking the rocket's status as it was transmitted in real time.
"Altitude control system operating normally!"
"Communications status is good!"
"All subsystems functioning normally!"
Defying gravity and shooting straight up from the launch pad, the Uranus rocket had already climbed so far that the flames at its base looked no bigger than a dot.
[-54 seconds to supersonic breakthrough!]
"Nice."
"Let's keep it going like this!"
As everything proceeded without deviation from the scheduled timeline, everyone clenched their fists tightly.
If the rocket showed any signs of abnormality or strayed from its proper trajectory, the launch vehicle would have to be destroyed for safety, so Yoon Jin-gu kept his eyes fixed on the main screen without relaxing his tension.
"What's the current altitude?"
"It just reached the 59-kilometer mark!"
At the researcher's reply, delivered while watching multiple monitors, Yoon Jin-gu swallowed hard.
The first major hurdle, the separation of the first-stage rocket, was about to take place.
[First-stage engine burnout.]
When the announcement that should have followed immediately did not come through, a sense of foreboding flashed through Seok-won's mind.
"Is first-stage separation supposed to take this long?"
"No. Under normal circumstances, the first stage should separate the moment the engine burnout ends…"
CEO Choi Tae-ho trailed off, his face stiff with tension.
Woo Byeong-ho, the executive director standing beside him, also looked pale, as if he sensed that something had gone wrong.
When Seok-won looked back toward the control center, the atmosphere that had been buoyant with confidence just moments earlier had turned icy, as though doused with cold water.
In the midst of it all, Yoon Jin-gu's urgent shout rang out across the room.
"Check whether the first-stage rocket has separated!"
The propulsion team lead replied with a face drained of color.
"There's no first-stage separation signal!"
Yoon Jin-gu snapped, his eyebrows shooting up as he barked the order.
"What do you mean by that!"
"It appears the separation detonators aren't activating."
"Then switch to manual and trigger them!"
The team lead shook his head, his expression helpless.
"We've already tried, but the charges aren't detonating."
"Damn it."
Clenching his teeth, Yoon Jin-gu muttered a curse under his breath.
Just then, another researcher sprang to his feet and screamed,
"The rocket is losing thrust and falling off its intended trajectory!"
Failing to shed its first stage and unable to ignite the second-stage engine, the Uranus rocket could not fully escape the atmosphere and was now plunging back down.
If it continued to fall off its intended trajectory, it could potentially crash into a civilian area and cause massive damage. Yoon Jin-gu squeezed his eyes shut and issued the order.
"Blow up the rocket. Now."
"…Understood."
A researcher standing nearby lifted the transparent plastic safety cover with a rigid expression.
Hesitating for a moment as he saw his own fingertips trembling, he clenched his teeth and drew in a breath. Then, as if steeling himself, he pressed the red button firmly.
At the same time, the main screen filled with the sight of crimson flames bursting outward like an explosion, slicing through the cloudless blue sky.
As the Uranus rocket, launched with everyone's passion and hope, detonated in midair and scattered into countless fragments, the researchers let out anguished sighs.
In an instant, the control center was engulfed in a heavy silence.
As if the joy and hope that had filled the room just moments ago had been a lie, deep despair swept over everyone.
People stood there in a daze, staring at the main screen, which vividly showed rocket fragments plummeting amid swirling black smoke and fire.
"Ah…"
"This can't be happening…"
"Hah. I thought it was going to succeed."
Yoon Jin-gu took off his headset and held it in his hand, lowering his head weakly.
All around the control center, the shoulders of researchers clutching their faces trembled quietly, and some sank into their chairs with vacant expressions.
After pouring in enormous funds and working day and night for so long, the space rocket launch had ended in failure right on the brink of success. The sense of emptiness was beyond words.
Seok-won, too, could say nothing, feeling as though all the strength had drained from his body as he watched the Uranus rocket disintegrate before his eyes.
"…I'm sorry, Chairman."
At the trembling voice, Seok-won turned his head and snapped back to his senses at the sight of CEO Choi Tae-ho and Executive Director Woo Byeong-ho bowing their heads like guilty men.
As low groans and muffled sobs echoed here and there, and despair hung heavily over the scene, Seok-won slowly released the railing he had been gripping tightly.
Then he straightened his back, took a deep breath in and out, and spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Lift your heads. You didn't do anything wrong, so why are you acting like this."
Expecting at least a reprimand, or some sign of disappointment, CEO Choi Tae-ho reacted to the unexpected response by shrinking his shoulders and cautiously lifting his eyes.
Seok-won deliberately raised his voice so that everyone could hear.
"Even including Europe, there are only six countries in the entire world that have succeeded in launching space rockets with their own technology. That's how difficult it is. If we expected to succeed at something that hard on the very first try, that would have been nothing but greed."
As Seok-won's words echoed through the control center, researchers who had been mired in deep disappointment and despair began lifting their heads one by one to look at him.
Walking forward slowly, Seok-won lightly patted Yoon Jin-gu's slumped shoulder and said.
"Failure is only natural, so there's no need to lose heart. In fact, we safely succeeded all the way through the first-stage launch, so that alone is a major achievement."
Seok-won met the eyes of each researcher around him, one by one, and put even more strength into his voice.
"Even though we lost the first rocket, we gathered an enormous amount of data that money can't buy before we initiated self-destruction."
Seok-won's gestures and demeanor gradually sank into the hearts of the researchers.
"Today's launch wasn't a failure. It was simply a lesson that lets us take one more step forward."
He shrugged his shoulders and added jokingly,
"The tuition fee is pretty expensive, sure, but my wallet is thick enough to pay that much without any trouble, so there's no need to worry."
That prompted soft chuckles to break out here and there.
The atmosphere that had been heavy with frustration gradually began to loosen.
"I know how much effort and passion all of you have poured into this for today. It's just that space is a demanding opponent that doesn't open its doors easily."
Seok-won paused, then looked around at the researchers watching him and raised one fist in the air.
"Still, no matter how strong an opponent it is, I'm confident that if we stand together, even if we get knocked down ten times, a hundred times, we'll eventually bring it down and make our way into space."
At Seok-won's words, which rekindled the passion that had shrunk away, the researchers regained their vitality as if they had never fallen into despair at all.
Clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause rippled outward, and a fierce determination to successfully launch a rocket blazed in the researchers' eyes.
Waiting for the applause to die down, Seok-won formed a gentle smile and said.
"Don't think about anything today. Get some proper rest. Then we start again from the beginning, and next time, we send our rocket even higher."
At that, thunderous applause poured out once more.
"The Chairman is right!"
"If it didn't work this time, we'll succeed on the next attempt!"
Seeing the researchers brimming with renewed motivation, Seok-won gave a small nod.
When he turned his gaze back to the main screen, only a clear blue sky was displayed, as if the rocket explosion had never happened at all.
"It won't be an easy challenge, but I will never give up."
After murmuring that quietly to himself and turning around, Seok-won saw CEO Choi Tae-ho bow his head, his face flushed with emotion.
"Your words were truly moving."
"The aftereffects of the launch failure could have lingered for a long time, but thanks to you, Chairman, those worries have been eased."
Executive Director Woo Byeong-ho also spoke with a visibly relieved expression.
"Instead of wasting time on pointless things like assigning blame to those in charge, let's accurately analyze the cause of the failure and make sure the same problem never happens again."
"Understood."
"Then I'll head up first. Please take care of the cleanup."
"Yes."
Seok-won looked at the two of them with eyes full of trust, then headed outside together with Manager Han Ji-sung.
For some reason, Seok-won's retreating figure looked unusually large and solid today.