While NASA was discussing and analyzing the propulsion system used by Xinghai, on the other side was Beijing.
In a not-so-tall building on Chang'an Avenue, after the Xinghai successfully entered orbit, a top-notch small meeting was being held in a not-so-large conference room.
In the conference room with a low-key and simple decoration style, a silver-white curtain clearly projected the Xinghai, which was already in low-Earth orbit and sailing in outer space.
In the conference room, people arrived quickly one after another.
When Yuan Zhouli, the leader of science and technology, arrived, he happened to bump into Liang Hongyi, the leader of industry and information.
This old man with completely white hair who once made major changes in the development of the aerospace field smiled and greeted the colleagues in front of him. The two nodded to each other and entered the conference room side by side.
Although the notice was received at short notice, those who are qualified to participate in today's meeting naturally know what the reason is, or in other words, why the meeting is organized.
After quickly entering the venue, Yuan Zhouli sat down in his seat and briefly flipped through the meeting report on the table.
The title he read made his pupils shrink slightly, and there was some thought in his eyes.
The meeting was presided over by the top bosses of each sect present. After everyone arrived, it started without a long wait.
The old man sitting at the head said a few words briefly and then announced the start of the meeting.
What started first was not the speeches of the leaders of various departments. On the silver curtain opposite the conference table, the Xinghai was launched from the space center, then tested in the atmosphere, climbed the gravity well, and broke through low-Earth orbit and entered outer space.
The short video played quickly.
The video of less than one minute is not long, but it completely records the launch process of Xinghai.
It wasn't until the aerospace video ended that the old man spoke again: "Everyone, the successful launch of Xinghai is not only a major breakthrough in the aerospace field. It is also a rare opportunity and development for the country."
"Last year, due to the breakthrough in controllable nuclear fusion technology, we discussed and decided on the development route of the space carrier. I asked Comrade Liang Hongyi, who is a leader in industry and information, to give a detailed report."
Hearing this, Liang Hongyi nodded, stood up quickly, and said calmly: "The aerospace carrier development route determined based on the breakthrough of controllable nuclear fusion technology is detailed on pages 7-12 of the report document before you.
I won’t go into details here.”
After a slight pause, when everyone at the conference table began to flip through the report documents, he continued:
"Regarding the development of the aerospace carrier, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Science and Technology, the Institute of Industrial Information, the Academy of Engineering and other institutions have jointly discussed and confirmed that it is feasible in terms of theory, technology, engineering and other aspects."
"Currently, relevant technology and research and development are already in progress. It is initially predicted that the detailed drawing design of the space carrier will be completed in 2025, and the overall design will be completed around 2030..."
The brief report was completed quickly. After the Industry and Information Committee finished their report, the old man nodded and said: "After the Xinghai successfully completed the launch, we already have a nominal aerospace fighter.
It can perform cruise work in the atmosphere and outer space."
"Based on this, we are now conducting repeated discussions on the development route of the 'space carrier' to determine whether the relevant route is still selected."
At the meeting, the old man's speech stunned everyone present.
In just over a year, we have been conducting repeated route discussions and decisions on a major project that has been decided on and can be said to involve the national sports level. We may even choose to veto this project...
To be honest, this kind of thing has never happened many times since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
But it has to be said that relevant discussions are indeed necessary.
After all, with the successful launch of Xinghai and the maturity of electric propulsion technology, aerospace fighters have been able to freely cruise within the atmosphere and outer space.
Its deterrence is no less than that of an aerospace carrier cruising in outer space.
For the former, they already have sufficient experience and technology accumulation. Even if they modify it according to the model of the Xinghai space shuttle, the feasibility of the aerospace fighter can be smoothly developed.
As for the latter, a space carrier with a diameter of more than 300 meters, although judging from the industry and information reports, they already have enough foundation to complete it. However, the time and investment required are unimaginable.
Sitting at the head table, the old man was also thinking.
In fact, he was not the one who proposed to re-discuss the development route of the space carrier at this stage.
But when an aerospace aircraft can replace an aerospace mothership in cruising in the atmosphere and outer space, whether it is worth spending a huge amount of manpower, material resources and money to build such a huge mothership is indeed a matter of debate.
Not only the investment, but also the related international impact are also things that need to be considered.
A space carrier that is as big as an aircraft carrier, cruising semi-permanently in low-Earth orbit in outer space, is this a bit too much for international pressure?
In the conference room, the discussion paused for a moment.
After everyone thought quickly for a while, a participant from another department stood up and spoke in cautious words:
"As for the development route of the space carrier, I think it is indeed necessary to carefully consider it."
"At present, the international situation is not optimistic for us. A space carrier with a size of more than 300 meters, comparable to an aircraft carrier, regardless of its investment for the time being, just faces the pressure brought by the international situation.
huge."
"Now that we have space shuttles that can freely travel between the atmosphere and outer space, further development of space carriers will easily cause major changes in the international situation."
Sitting opposite the speaker, Chief Yang Han from the Air Force Equipment Division stood up and spoke: "I think it's just the opposite."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "The maturity of the Xinghai space shuttle technology can more effectively drive our development and deployment in the aerospace field. The space carrier is an important force for national defense strategic deterrence.
, just like nuclear weapons, we can use them, but we can’t live without them.”
"Today, when other countries are developing aerospace weapons and aerospace equipment, we are the most fortunate to be at the forefront."
"I believe that with the support of space shuttle technology, the difficulty of building an aerospace carrier will be greatly reduced, and we will be able to complete the construction of the aerospace carrier as quickly as possible."
Sitting next to Yang Han, Qin Anguo, the former chief of science and technology, stood up and said: "I agree to continue to complete the construction of the space carrier."
"First of all, in the field of national defense, it can play an important role. Having no sword in hand and having a sword without using it are two different things. Even if we do not take the initiative to provoke conflicts, today, with the rapid development of the aerospace field, we should also pay attention to the development of aerospace carriers!"
After a pause, he continued: "Secondly, in today's competition in the aerospace field, a space carrier is enough to lead us to victory."
"In the aerospace field, which is increasingly developing and becoming mainstream in the future, even if it is not used for military purposes, the role of the aerospace carrier cannot be underestimated."
"In the future, whether it is the construction of lunar bases, the mining of related helium III and other resources, or even the development of Mars, if the space carrier can be built, it will undoubtedly play an important role."
In the conference room, the relevant discussions were quite intense.
The old man sitting at the head of the conference table gently knocked on the table after listening to many opinions and exchanges, interrupting everyone's debate, and spoke slowly.
"I agree with Mr. Qin's point of view."
"Apart from its deterrent effect in the national defense field, the space carrier is equally important in the subsequent competition in the aerospace field."
"Whether it is the construction of a lunar base or the development of Mars resources, we need stronger aerospace capabilities to be able to carry out it."
"As for international influence and pressure, it is indeed an issue that cannot be ignored. But we can also guide it. I think the first space carrier can be built as a ship dedicated to the aerospace field, rather than a ship in the military field.
"
"On the one hand, this can greatly alleviate international pressure and the sensitivities of other countries. On the other hand, building ships in the aerospace field first can accumulate experience for subsequent real space carriers."
"Moreover, ships in the civilian aerospace field can also shift the attention of other countries to competition in the aerospace field. To a certain extent, they can contain our competitors."
"In addition, a series of space activities, including manned spaceflight and lunar landing projects, are also of considerable value in themselves, and it is worthy of our investment in money and manpower to build a 'pilot' space carrier.
ship."
The old man slowly expressed his thoughts.
This is not entirely his idea, but also incorporates all the key points discussed by everyone here today at the meeting just now.
There are even some thoughts and ideas of the person far away in Jinling, which he is also organizing and summarizing.
After the completion of controllable nuclear fusion technology, he listened to that young and ambitious young man's suggestions and ideas about future development directions and technological layout.
And among those thoughts, there was one that shocked even him. No, it should be a shocking thought.
In that grand concept, second-generation, third-generation and miniaturized controllable nuclear fusion are only part of it. Even the development of manned spaceflight, moon landing, fire landing, lunar base, Mars colony and other undertakings are only part of it.
are all included in it.
He still remembered that the young man once said:
Even if controllable nuclear fusion liberates energy, the resources and land on the earth are still limited. And human beings cannot stop the pace of development, so in order to obtain more resources and land, sooner or later, their eyes will look to the sky above their heads.
starry sky.
There, there are endless resources and possibilities.
It is precisely because of this that he strongly supported the development of the aerospace field in the subsequent layout.
The success of the Xinghai space shuttle also proved the other party's views and methods.
After controllable nuclear fusion technology solved the problem of energy limitations on the earth, human beings have begun to look up to space.
As the moon closest to the earth, and Mars, which is the most suitable for human modification and habitation in the solar system, it is undoubtedly the bridgehead for human civilization to enter space and enter the universe.
Whoever can stand firm on these two planets and whoever can master them will have a future.
...
On the other side, the Atlantic coast.
At the headquarters of NASA in Washington State, many media reporters gathered here.
After the Xinghai manufactured by Xinghai Research Institute was successfully launched, the first people to notice the news, apart from space agencies such as NASA, were naturally the major media with a keen sense of smell.
After the CBS media reported the news about Xinghai and electric propulsion, these media with a keen sense of smell immediately arranged for reporters to go to NASA for interviews.
In order to obtain first-hand information, some media even arranged for personnel to rush to the NASA headquarters building and wait outside the building in the middle of the night when they obtained the news of the successful launch of Xinghai.
Faced with the siege of so many media reporters, it is impossible for NASA to turn a blind eye. After all, as time goes by, the voice of the outside world will only get louder and louder.
Last night, the Xinghai space shuttle reported by major media had completely caused insomnia for many people who stayed up late. This matter was discussed on almost all major social networking sites and forums.
As time went by and more and more people learned about the news after dawn, the Internet in the entire United States exploded.
Related news is being discussed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networking sites. Countless people are shocked and in disbelief. Many people are also wailing and lamenting.
If the failure in the field of controllable nuclear fusion is understandable, the United States is not too far ahead in the development of this field. Then the failure in the aerospace field is something that the American people cannot accept no matter what.
.
As a major space country, its glory has been engraved in the bones of Americans since the end of the competition in the last century.
Today, the country across the Pacific has broken this unparalleled glory.
Especially when they heard that the propulsion system used by the space shuttle was electric propulsion, countless people were shocked and unbelievable.
What the United States cannot do, the country on the other side of the Taiwan Strait can actually do it?
Especially after seeing the images taken and circulated by satellites, everyone fell silent when facing the space shuttle flying in the sky with red and purple tail flames swaying.
Faced with this situation, NASA, as the center of the U.S. aerospace field, cannot help but stand up and respond.
After arriving during working hours, the media reporters gathered outside the headquarters building were invited into the reception hall.