The Federation's proud missile defense system's ability to intercept the meteors is unknown to Chen Xin; he only knows that this time, nine times out of ten, the meteor is really going to come down.
Although the female host on TV, who was excitedly talking about Lucia's spacecraft guiding nuclear missiles to destroy the meteor, is still trying to maintain her composure while saying the same thing, her expression has now become very serious, even with a hint of tension and panic.
After all, more than twenty nuclear missiles were originally prepared for a meteor with a diameter of four kilometers. Although there was a suspicion of overkill, it was enough to block the meteor's impact.
But now, Lucia's task with more than twenty nuclear missiles remains to intercept the meteor. However, the target they need to intercept has changed from one four-kilometer-diameter meteor to three five-kilometer-diameter meteors, and these three meteors are under gravitational pull, moving in a chaotic three-body motion, dramatically increasing the difficulty of the interception mission.
In this situation, even if Chen Xin's knowledge of astronomy is not very professional, he feels that the chance of Lucia successfully intercepting all three meteors is slim.
They might be able to knock out one or two, but taking out all three is incredibly difficult for the Lucia responsible for guiding the nuclear missiles at this moment.
In the previous broadcast, to boost public confidence in this nuclear interception, the host specifically explained that the trajectory of all the nuclear missiles had been calculated and adjusted to ensure that all the nuclear missiles could arrive at the interception point at roughly the same time, and then be terminally guided by Lucia's spacecraft to achieve a one-time precise hit.
But this also meant that Lucia could only aim, and then launch all the nuclear missiles in one wave.
If the target was only one, then no problem, just go for it.
With two targets, as long as they are not directly in front of each other, it is possible to take both out.
But now, Lucia faces three targets, still performing Brownian motion, with absolutely no predictable trajectory, only knowing they will hit Blue Star!
It's important to note that several nuclear warheads will arrive simultaneously from both sides. If one meteor blocks the other two, all the nuclear missiles will hit one meteor, leaving the other two unscathed!
In such a situation, if Lucia can take down two meteors, it would be the best outcome, an incredible stroke of luck!
As for the four-kilometer meteor heading towards North America, Chen Xin is already too apathetic to care. Whether the Federation's proud missile defense system can intercept it is a question that doesn't even need to be asked.
The missile defense system was not originally designed to intercept meteors, but to intercept ballistic missiles launched by other countries.
Although a ballistic missile is undoubtedly more difficult to hit than a four-kilometer-diamete meteor, you only need one ordinary missile to hit the former, while the latter requires a saturation bombing with high-yield strategic nuclear missiles to destroy it. In terms of interception difficulty, the latter is clearly an order of magnitude more difficult than the former.
Moreover, this system was designed to intercept missiles, and its core interceptors are just ordinary missiles, not ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads. The Federation's ability to intercept in time is questionable, let alone using high-yield nuclear missiles in low Earth orbit!
That would scatter radioactive dust from the meteorite's debris throughout the atmosphere! Especially since a single nuclear missile can't blow up the meteor, the Federation, to ensure the destruction of the meteor, will certainly use a saturation strike strategy and use multiple nuclear missiles.
If lucky, it might only pollute a North American area, but if unlucky, the entire world might end up in a nuclear wasteland scenario.
Faced with such a situation, even if Chen Xin is hopeful that humanity can withstand this crisis, he can only prepare for the worst.
Packing up the television, wrapping it with the last blanket he had for sleeping, and tying it securely with a rope, Chen Xin took one last look at his home, said his final goodbye, and headed resolutely towards his underground shelter.
With the meteor impact, it is very likely he won't have the chance to return to this house anymore. Even if he can return, he probably won't live here again.
This thought made Chen Xin somewhat sad, but after reflecting for a few minutes, he picked up the already bundled blanket and television, locked the door, and left the house, carrying the items in his arms to his shelter.
In the coming days, that place would be his new home.
While walking toward the shelter, Chen Xin's phone continued to stream the live broadcast from the TV station. Lucia had already begun the interception, and the screen was filled with the flame tails of rockets carrying nuclear missiles, so dense that they even blocked the path of the gigantic meteor ahead.
Seeing this scene, Chen Xin couldn't help but stop in his tracks.
With so many nuclear missiles, maybe, probably, possibly they could blow up the meteor?
If the meteor is blown up, then maybe he won't have to hide in the shelter?
With this hope, Chen Xin made his final prayers, hoping that the so-called deities and fate would favor humanity, granting them good fortune in this last struggle of humanity against fate.
On the screen, the twenty-odd nuclear missiles, bearing humanity's hope, flew toward the three meteors, with the fate of the entire world now tied to these missiles.
The weapons that once symbolized destruction and slaughter now carry the hope of human survival. This is a great irony.
But at this moment, no one cares about that; everyone only hopes that the nuclear missiles can destroy the meteors, shattering them into pieces.
Carrying humanity's hope, the first nuclear missile made contact with the meteor, erupting in a brilliant and dazzling light, like a flower of hope blooming in the universe.
Chen Xin couldn't help but look up at the sky, where a flash of light appeared, caused by the nuclear explosion.
Soon, more flashes appeared, turning Chen Xin's phone screen a blinding white, while the most powerful weapon humanity ever created blossomed into the grandest fireworks in the sky above Chen Xin.
The light from the nuclear explosions connected across the sky, dazzling and bright as if a second sun had risen.
"Did it blow up?" Chen Xin's eyes were fixed on the dazzling white spot in the sky like a second sun, allowing the blinding glare to prick his eyes without wanting to look away for even a second, just to know the result immediately.