Chapter 489 - 480 Publication_1

"It’s such a pity, with this rate of progress, humanity probably won’t be able to effectively develop the Moon’s resources until the next century," he said, "unless we hit the jackpot with a super open-pit mine, or perhaps United Mining will need to relocate."

Musk felt regretful. New Yuan’s determination for space resonated with him deeply. In his view, the future SpecaX must also forge ahead in these directions just like New Yuan. The setbacks faced by the pioneers could affect the determination of those who follow.

Although Tom had already known the research results, he still meticulously reviewed every page of the report and data, then let out an exclamation.

It was a recent paper from the Journal of Aerospace Development (JAD, founded by the Aerospace Development Committee) that caught his attention:

"On the Prospects of Nuclear and Hydrogen Bombs in Engineering Applications (Yu Min)"

While Tom didn’t know why this paper was included in Skylight II’s project report, he felt a strong desire to continue reading.

The content of the paper was straightforward, more like an article from a science magazine, devoid of any complex jargon.

The author first described how the former Union used nuclear explosives to extinguish oil and gas well fires and blast open reservoirs, proving the convenience and applicability of nuclear bombs in large-scale engineering, and then extended the discussion to mining.

The paper mentioned that space is filled with countless resources, and many materials valuable on Earth, such as gold and rare metals, exist in vast quantities. For instance, there are meteorites composed entirely of nickel-metal and especially well-known bodies like "Ceres" and "Lingxi Star," with reserves in the billions of tons, virtually inexhaustible.

However, mining these small asteroids poses great difficulties; their tough structure is impervious to standard engineering machinery and explosives. But hydrogen bombs can function as a "clean and efficient" method to easily strip large quantities of ore at a surprisingly low cost.

The paper naturally progressed to the buzzing topic of mining on the Moon, suggesting that using hydrogen bombs to blast open subsurface layers was quite feasible. In the vacuum of space, the power of a hydrogen bomb would be limited to a specific area, and with very low residual radiation, it was completely applicable.

He immediately showed this interesting paper to Musk, who, after reading, was also surprised. Recognizing the author’s name, Musk googled it.

"It’s Academician Yu, a scientist on par with Oppenheimer; it’s his paper, no wonder it was published in JAD."

Tom gasped, "According to Chinese habits, that indicates they are seriously considering this, really thinking about tossing hydrogen bombs onto the Moon!

My God, I can’t imagine how terrifying that prospect would be."

Musk: "emm..."

"Tom, I actually think this is a really good idea that suits aerospace very well."

...

Desert Base.

After completing its maiden flight 10 days ago, the Xuehu 1001 prototype underwent a comprehensive overhaul, getting ready for full performance testing.

One of the design and combat objectives of the Xuehu was to carry a 12-ton anti-satellite and anti-missile laser. This would not only require a supercapacitor but also mandated the aircraft to have substantial power generation capabilities.

In addition to more complex avionics, radar, and reconnaissance equipment, all of which were heavy power users, providing power for the three WCR-12s was quite demanding. The design of the Xuehu was indeed a challenge that took considerable effort.

Technicians from the 14th Institute completed the inspection of radar and distributed optoelectronic equipment. The equipment currently installed was only a prototype, with functions about one-fourth of the completed version, with most areas not yet finished and using counterweights in place of the actual gear.

The radar and optoelectronic equipment equipped for the Xuehu were also arguably the best in the world, even more advanced than those on the J-20B. The 14th Institute itself believed it would take another year to produce units meeting the specifications.

Now, the main task at Desert Base was to thoroughly test the Xuehu—which would be officially designated as the H-10 next year—and a gradual year-long improvement would be about right.

Lei Qing had already taken a seat in the cockpit. "Xuehu" was designed with side-by-side dual seating—a pilot plus a weapon systems officer, who could also take control of the flight for rotation and rest. During test flights, one test pilot was enough.

The strange gray aircraft was still in the hangar undergoing final checks, with about half an hour left before the flight.

Androff and Dou Ping, standing at the hangar door, were not discussing Xuehu but were instead talking about the hottest topic of the past few days.

"An, the idea of bombing the Moon with nuclear bombs must have been proposed by you guys at New Yuan, right?"

"That was United Mining! The news didn’t mention us, and you see, even Academician Yu wrote an article in support."

Dou Ping said disbelievingly:

"I think those guys at the Aerospace Development Committee wouldn’t dare to suggest such a bold idea, it must be one of your crazy ideas.

But if you ask me, it’s actually a good method. The SL-1A hasn’t been used in combat missions yet. If we were to bomb the Moon, it could be flown to lunar orbit to perform orbital bombing, we haven’t done such a test before."

Androff: "How can that be the same thing? Blasting a mine requires engineering calculations; being off even slightly can cause big problems."

Dou Ping: "I’m serious, if United Mining really wanted to use nuclear bombs, I could actually get involved, at least somewhat."

"..."

While the two were engaged in a heated discussion about how to carry out nuclear bombing in lunar orbit, No. 1001 was pulled onto the runway. Lei Qing operated the control surfaces, stepped on the brakes to start the engine, and throttled up to 15%.

The display screen in front of the cockpit, in the middle, showed the planned route for this flight mission: takeoff from here, then fly central before returning, testing the aircraft’s maximum altitude and speed depending on the situation, with a one-way distance of 1800 kilometers.

For a regular fighter or bomber, a nearly 2000-kilometer one-way route, and a 5000-kilometer return test would be absolutely impossible, but Xuehu was somewhat different.

Based on the high-altitude speed of sound of 295 m/s, traveling at 10 times the speed of sound meant that Xuehu’s speed exceeded 10,000 kilometers per hour, being able to fly about 180 kilometers per minute; full-speed flight for 10 minutes would already take it to the end...

After taking off from Desert Base, almost flipping over above Yinchuan, this flight path would not pass over densely populated cities, so there shouldn’t be any problem.

The fuel tank was filled to capacity in anticipation of emergency situations, theoretically allowing him to fly 36,000 kilometers.

What does 36,000 kilometers represent? Lei Qing could take off from the base, then head north, and following the route of commercial airliners, he could fly over the Island Country, the Pacific Ocean, America, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Central Asia, circling the Earth once before landing, all in just over three hours!

By then, the C17’s title of "Globemaster" would become irrelevant, as Xuehu would be the true Globemaster.

After completing the checks, Lei Qing requested permission from the control tower to take off.

Dou Ping and Androff rechecked the flight route and the self-check status, and after confirming there were no problems, Dou Ping issued the command:

"01, cleared for takeoff, cleared for takeoff!"

The escort plane at the other end of the runway was a J20B, the fastest and farthest flying aircraft in the Air Force to date, but it would soon pale in comparison to Xuehu.

Lei Qing pushed the throttle valve to the military thrust setting, and the aircraft, now heavier from being fully fueled and empty of cargo compared to last time, lifted off at the design length of 2700 meters, blending into the dusk sky.