Chapter 110 - 106 Dawn Plan_1

Since the Dawn Project began, from 1972 to 2015, over the course of 43 years, there were too many debates and considerations about landing on the Moon – a conclusion was never reached.

However, after several days of expert group meetings, when the higher-ups were convinced that Lin Ju was not boasting and truly had the capability to send people to the Moon, they also had to address the issue with an unprecedented seriousness.

Even being outstripped by America and Europe was not a significant concern, but this was just a private company!

Based on the production capacity of the Xinyuan Company’s level B and C bases, the earliest Xinyuan could achieve a Moon landing was around May 2018; hence, the higher-ups, after much consideration, requested that the date for the Aerospace Agency’s manned lunar mission also be moved up to before May 2018.

The Aerospace Agency... agreed.

During the discussions of the manned lunar mission project, the higher-ups decided to inject 30 billion instead of 20 billion into the project.

months, 5 billion US Dollars – this was the largest budget the Aerospace Agency had ever allocated for a single project, but the mission was quite challenging.

The CZ-10 was a monster with a launch thrust of 4890 tons and a weight of 3600 tons; it was heavier than seven CZ-2F rockets and four times the weight of the CZ-5.

Fortunately, besides the maturity of the engine and rocket body technology, the development of the new-generation manned spacecraft testing vessel was also coming to an end – the lander and spacesuit were minor issues.

After a simple certification meeting, the higher-ups immediately convened an executive meeting to discuss the manned lunar mission.

At first, the executive meeting raised many doubts from various aspects, including economic viability, safety, and necessity, but the higher-ups overcame all objections with just one sentence:

Xinyuan Company has the capacity to achieve manned Moon landing by 2018, they have received sufficient funding, and the project is underway.

If they allowed Lin Ju to be the first to successfully land on the Moon, the impact was beyond their imagination – all other considerations were cast aside in light of this fact, and they agreed to start the lunar program earlier. However, beating Xinyuan to the Moon was an uncompromising prerequisite.

...

September 21, 2015, marked exactly 23 years since September 21, 1992.

That year, China’s manned spaceflight program was approved for implementation.

On the same day, 23 years later, the Aerospace Development Committee held a press conference to notify the media in advance, and then the aerospace agency’s spokesperson stood up with an impassive face and read the statement:

"Today’s press conference topic is: An important announcement regarding our country’s immediate implementation of the manned lunar mission and the plans for the supporting rockets and spacecraft.

Based on our country’s national strength and the mission requirements for the great rejuvenation, starting from the current state of the domestic aerospace industry, the government has approved the immediate undertaking of the manned lunar exploration program and the construction of a lunar surface research station. The project, codenamed Project 2921, with the overall lunar project called the Dawn Project, will be carried out using the CZ-10 heavy-lift launch vehicle currently in development, as authorized by the Aerospace Development Committee."

Below, journalists from various countries were stunned for a moment before erupting into commotion.

Sitting in the front row, the permanent liaison of Xinyuan Company who had not received any prior news: ? ? ?

The spokesperson looked at the noisy group of journalists for silence, then directly called up a CCAV reporter.

"Hello, may I ask why our country has suddenly decided to implement a manned lunar mission? According to the previous schedule, the original time was supposed to be 10 years later."

Spokesperson: "What you’re referring to is already a matter of the turn of the century. Due to our country’s rapid economic and technological development, a decision has been made to implement the lunar landing plan; it’s entirely reasonable and prudent. Next, please."

An ABC reporter shot up, a blonde woman with an exaggerated expression on her face:

"Mr. Spokesperson, NACA’s Artemis project also aims to send humans to the Moon within five years. Is China trying to reignite the space race and pull the world back into the Cold War?"

Spokesperson: "We have no intention of competing with anyone. The manned lunar mission has not been affected by any political factors and is completely for scientific exploration purposes. The Cold War is long over. Next, please."

Reporter from the Island Country: "Then, may I ask, Mr. Spokesperson, when will your country’s space agency implement the moon landing plan? Do you have a specific plan we can refer to?"

The spokesperson looked down at his notes, exchanged a quick glance with someone beside him, and then said resolutely:

"According to the planned schedule, our country will, before the year 2019, send no fewer than two astronauts to the surface of the Moon and safely return them."

Reporter: !!

Xinyuan liaison: !!!

The latter was just as shocked as the reporter, because how could such a big project not have been discussed by the Aerospace Development Committee before being initiated?

And this wasn’t even being called a space race, NACA said 2020, CASA you say 2019?

Not only the liaison, but the reporters also thought the same, their excitement bubbling over as they eagerly raised their hands to ask questions nonstop.

...

Outside the NACA gates, a young man clutching his cell phone was shouting and sprinting over, and the guards, recognizing he was Director Claire’s assistant, didn’t stop him.

This assistant, who seemed to have either won a million-dollar jackpot or married Kardashian, was singing and dancing like crazy, turning the normally orderly interior of NACA into a loud and tumultuous scene, all the way into Claire’s office.

At that moment, Claire was discussing with Montal from ISS how to use Ma Yilong’s Dragon Spaceship for manned missions when he heard the ruckus outside, which immediately soured his mood.

Then his door was abruptly slammed open with a "bang" as someone shouldered their way in, and a startled Claire realized his assistant had burst in disheveled and frantic, holding his cell phone:

"Director, Director, you have to see this, look at it!"

"So you’re high on something and bringing your hallucinations into NACA? This is an aerospace agency, not a family party! Pierre, I..."

Claire hadn’t finished venting his anger when he was interrupted by Pierre:

"China has announced they’re going to the Moon, they’re moon-bound in 2019!"

As soon as "moon-bound" was mentioned, the angry nerve in Claire’s brain seemed to flip a switch, and his complexion visibly changed as he snatched his assistant’s cell phone.

What appeared on the screen was a video just sent back to the newsroom by a BBC reporter, which the editor had forwarded to NACA without editing. The spokesperson in the video was speaking confidently:

"The 2921 Project aims to take our country’s space enterprise further and also constitutes a test of 23 years of aerospace development. The Aerospace Development Committee will take the lead, with the space administration as the main force, to send humans to the Moon before the year 2019..."

After watching, Claire swiped to watch again, still in disbelief:

"How could those conservative guys suddenly become so aggressive? Is there an alien spaceship on the Moon? Or is today April Fool’s Day!"

At that moment, the equally shocked Montal skillfully opened up the Chinese government’s official website, then incredulously handed over his cell phone.

An official document emerged on the homepage, which, once translated, confirmed the manned moon mission.

A red-letter document, formally issued, no falsehood.

Claire was stunned for a long time; anger and bewilderment slowly subsided, and he was overtaken by an unstoppable joy rising from the bottom of his heart.

Employees outside the office suddenly heard a piercing laugh breaking the silence, accompanied by the sound of furniture overturning and doors being kicked. They peeked out to see what was happening.

What they saw was a shocking scene:

Director Claire was trembling all over, shouting "Praise God," "Praise the Chinese people," while jumping high in the air, tearing open his own shirt to wave the torn fabric, and finally sliding into a kneel, crashing into a black cleaning lady, smashing into her tire-wide backside.

In the end, after venting his emotions thoroughly, Claire let out a loud cry:

"Back to the Moon, we’re going back to the Moon, folks!"