Chapter 213 - 207: Invitation_1

billion, what could that do in China? It could build an aircraft carrier, just the bare ship.

The executive committee approved 50 billion for the Dawn plan, partly influenced by America’s extravagant exchange of one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for a Saturn V rocket last century, feeling that it was worth it to spend the cost of an aircraft carrier to land on the Moon sooner.

As a result, the 909 project was slated to take away another 50 billion, and the Third Academy reported that the entire project plan would require at least 100 billion.

At least, meaning there will definitely be cost overruns.

The main reason for the high cost was the H2 spacecraft.

When Xinyuan Company received an inquiry from the military about pricing the H2, they did not quote a price immediately, because even they were unclear about the manufacturing cost of the nuclear propulsion version of the H2. It took some effort before they could provide an estimated price.

In the early stages, Lin Ju planned to build two conventional H2M spacecraft and two nuclear-powered H2 spacecraft, and after calculations, the manufacturing cost for the H2M was 3 billion, while the H2 was 4.5 billion, with the latter’s research and development costs coming to 11 billion per spacecraft.

The price of the H2 was about ten times that of the H1!

If they were to sell the H2, Xinyuan offered a ’friendly price’: 13 billion.

After communicating with the military, they learned that their demand was about five spacecraft, so with seven H2s sharing the R&D costs, the unit price would be around 6.4 billion. Even doubling the price for a profit margin could only be considered decent.

That is to say, purchasing 5 H2 spacecraft alone would cost at least 650 billion...

In the later stages, including spare parts, future upgrades, etc., the 909 project would invest about 3000 billion within ten years.

While it might seem like the government doesn’t blink an eye at investments of several hundred billion or even trillions in other fields such as automobiles and real estate, military procurement is different.

Investing 3000 billion in the automotive field drives a market worth several trillions, solves employment for millions along the industry chain, provides income for millions of families and tens of millions of people, and creates even more value around the increase in car ownership.

billion spent on military hardware, unless one manages to "beg" some of that amount from other partners, is just solidly spent without any economic benefit.

That’s why the authorities were bold in continuing the space race but had to be cautious about an arms race...

However, after the rapid implementation of the Dawn plan, the national economy seemed to be growing faster than expected last year, so the 909 project finally received approval to commence.

...

July 21st, 6 a.m. Capital time.

Lin Ju donned his cabin spacesuit, gave a lingering look at the space station, then passed through the tunnel into the Progress spacecraft.

days had passed, and it was time to return to Earth.

During this time, Lin Ju conducted three extravehicular activities, even carrying out maintenance on the space station’s solar panels, thoroughly indulging his astronaut cravings.

Every time he went outside the cabin, at least two astronauts accompanied him, with the longest of the three extravehicular activities lasting 70 minutes, all without any incidents.

Lin Ju had grown fond of the sensation of leaving the cabin, especially the feeling of floating alone in space, away from the space station.

When he first stopped touching the space station’s cabin modules, pushed himself away, and adjusted his posture with only the artificial objects around him as reference, he was nervous at first but gradually relaxed after adapting.

With no restraints on his limbs, he could spread them freely and relax in the most unfettered postures, almost as if he disappeared; without deliberate movement, he could even forget their existence.

Apart from the tether, there was nothing to leverage against, and if he did not tense up, in theory, he would be eternally trapped on orbit, becoming a low-earth-orbit satellite circling Earth, possibly decelerating and de-orbiting due to atmospheric drag after thousands of years, until he burned to ash upon re-entry.

This sensation was both terrifying and extraordinarily enticing, making it hard to resist.

If timed right, the sensory experience of being in space, with light that wasn’t overly strong, could make one lose sense of distance; one felt tightly enveloped by the universe, similar to how a mother’s womb encases a fetus—constricted but not claustrophobic.

Looking down at one’s feet in such moments, Earth would be right below, with a volume too vast to grasp with sight, staring at it could cause one’s legs to go weak, as if perpetually plummeting down.

This was an experience never attainable on Earth, no wonder humanity has an eternal yearning for space. If one could personally feel this sensation, one would understand: the tremendous human and material resources, the expenditure of tens or hundreds of billions of funds, years of effort, the stringent selection and training, the pressure of public opinion, all of it is worth it.

At least for Lin Ju, he felt such a profound belief towards space.

Deep in boundless space, with the blue planet below and endless sea of stars around, the Milky Way stretching tens of thousands of light-years pierced through reality, human society on Earth fast receding from him, his entire soul seemed to ascend to higher dimensions.

The starry sky, in any era, should be humanity’s ultimate and noblest pursuit.

No matter what the system’s purpose is, no matter how it unfolds events that could be called miracles, none of that should affect his belief in the exploration of the universe.

"Lin Ju, Lin Ju?"

It took Li Wei quite an effort to wake up the boss, who had been daydreaming while gazing out the window, and then floated over to help him buckle up, saying with a smile,

"Space is indeed worth longing for. We have ten more minutes before we part from the space station, and we’ll have more than an hour of deceleration before re-entering the atmosphere; there’s still plenty of time to look out."

"And you’ll have many more opportunities to come up here. You can come at least once a year without any problem."

Li Wei’s words betrayed a slight sadness. At over 50 years old, this space journey served as a roundup for him: fulfilling his dreams and completing the task from above.

Having ridden a spacecraft, piloted a space shuttle, entered a space station, and conducted extravehicular activities, he had no regrets in life.

No longer suitable for scientific tasks, chances to go to space remained precious, and should be reserved for the youth, the team members who hadn’t been yet, and the experts who could contribute more.

He never voiced these thoughts, but the people around him knew, and Lin Ju also knew, admiring him while inevitably feeling a touch of sadness.

Astronauts developed through enormous human and material resources shouldn’t have to step back after just a few missions.

"Captain Li, the first batch of selections for the Dawn plan’s lunar landing mission should be out, right?"

Li Wei was taken aback, not knowing why Lin Ju suddenly asked about this, but he nodded nonetheless,

"The official crew and the backup crew, a total of six people, have been selected. I can’t say who they are, though, and the selections might still change."

Lin Ju said, "I’m not asking who they are; I want to invite you to be the commander of the first crew for Xinyuan Company’s crewed lunar mission."

"Xinyuan’s team is relatively young, and we need someone experienced and composed to be in charge on the Moon. I think you’d be perfect for the role."