Chapter 87 - 84: Need for Plutonium and Uranium_1

Capital, Lin Ju sat in the studio, accepting an interview after the evening news.

The interview was scheduled for two hours, but the final cut was supposed to be 10 to 15 minutes, so it could be more relaxed, with the director possibly doing some extra editing if necessary.

Sitting on a single-seater sofa, the host, sitting diagonally across, signaled to the director:

"Mr. Lin, we’re about to start recording. You should have seen all the questions we’ve prepared. If there’s anything that needs changing or re-recording after we’re done, we can do that."

Lin Ju nodded, and the interview officially began.

Skipping some small questions about background introduction and warming up the atmosphere, the host slowly got to the main point:

"Why did you think of starting an aerospace enterprise? In most people’s minds, space seems to be an area with investment but no returns."

Lin Ju: "Many years ago, America had institutions that conducted research, showing that every yuan invested in the space sector could generate a return of seven to twelve yuan. This indicates that space was actually a profitable field a long time ago, just indirectly."

Host: "So, has New Yuan Aeronautics already started to directly reap profits?"

Lin Ju: "It depends on technological advancement. The more advanced the technology, the lower the cost of use will be. Reusable rockets and spacecraft are key. The Shenzhou Spaceship’s manufacturing cost is one billion yuan, and the H1 Aero-Space Plane is even more expensive, but if used twice, the unit price is lower than that of the spaceship, and the subsequent launches only require a small amount of money for maintenance."

Host: "But before New Yuan, no enterprise had successfully achieved rocket recovery. How can you be so certain it would definitely be successful?"

Of course, it’s by cheating.

Lin Ju: "Technological progress is inevitable. It’s abnormal for a rocket, so expensive to produce, to be discarded after just one use. Besides, others had attempted this before us."

Host: "Do you mean Ma Yilong’s specaX? But they succeeded in recovery later than you did."

Lin Ju: "Space is open to all of humanity. I greatly admire Ma Yilong’s daring attempts in the field of rocket vertical recovery. That’s also why I have confidence in this area. However, NACA and the Union had already tried it last century, but failed due to the limitations of the era."

Host: "New Yuan Aerospace seems to have very strong technical support, whether it’s recovering rockets or heavy-lift rockets, all successful on the first try. Do you have any secrets?"

Lin Ju: "I’m not a rocket expert, nor have I ever been involved in the technical aspects. I trust my engineers, though, with all the management positions being technical. I let the scientists go about their bold pursuits, leaving it to them to decide whether something can be done and how. My role is to somehow provide the funds and equipment support."

Host: "There are also rumors that many overseas Chinese and even foreigners are joining your company. Is this part of the reason for your technological lead?"

Lin Ju: "We have a considerable number of outstanding scholars overseas. Our country is becoming better and better. As long as we offer them the space to excel, they are willing to build up the country."

Host (wanting to say something but giving up): "The New Yuan-2 rocket has surpassed the CZ-5 heavy-lift rocket being developed by the Space Agency and is also the most powerful in Asia and even in the world. You also have aero-space planes. As a private enterprise, what do you think you can do with these technologies?"

Lin Ju (smiling): "Since scientific exploration knows no borders, it naturally does not distinguish between public and private ventures. Many scientific studies in modern history have been supported by private funding. Aside from maintaining necessary operations, New Yuan Aeronautics will continue carrying out exploration programs indefinitely—it never ends."

"..."

After the interview was broadcast, Lin Ju’s statement, "let scientists boldly pursue their work," caused a huge stir, especially in the academic world and within the Space Agency.

The Space Agency was deeply shocked by the success of the New Yuan-2 and the H1 Aero-Space Plane and held consecutive meetings to find the reasons. Now, they had a plausible conclusion.

...

At the Qiongzhou New Yuan Aerospace Launch Site, thanks to the relentless efforts of China’s Construction Bureau, the facility was near completion. The rocket that carried out the New Yuan-2 Y-3 mission was sent into the newly constructed assembly building, where it was slowly being prepared while staff and equipment were being supplemented.

It’s a major project to prepare a reusable launch vehicle for re-use, especially one as large as this. Due to a shortage of hands, Lin Ju coordinated quite a few engineers from the Space Agency. His own staff also had to keep flying back and forth.

Fortunately, New Yuan Aerospace had expanded its recruitment internationally, expecting to increase its workforce to 3,000 people by the end of the year. By then, the problem of manpower shortages would no longer exist.

Another New Yuan-2 was still at the Space Agency’s launch site. The Launch Management Bureau did not urge New Yuan to move it; after all, the Space Agency wasn’t using it at the moment.

The launch of the CZ-5, CZ-7, and CZ-8 rockets scheduled to be launched from here were now becoming problematic. Without New Yuan Company’s rockets, the Qiongzhou Launch Site would have no launch missions. Besides, using the launch site came with a daily fee, which provided some income.

The Unity, which was originally a backup, was still mounted on the rocket, waiting for a mission to be assigned, with routine maintenance only every three days.

A group from the Space Agency stood in the high levels of the assembly building, staring at the Unity’s azure glass portholes.

On July 30th, the Space Agency responded to the collaboration proposal for the Tiangong No.2 mission:

The Space Agency accepted the quotation for astronaut delivery by New Yuan-5, while also making some amendment suggestions to the XS-62 Space Station:

The Space Agency valued the 620 cubic meters of space provided by XS-62 and its 10-year design lifespan, but they couldn’t accept wasting so much space on amenities;

They hoped that the Fifth Academy would participate in the joint development of an improved "Tianhe" Core Module based on XS-62, adjusting the living facilities, adding scientific equipment, refining zone divisions, and turning it into a large space station that could permanently accommodate six people. For docking ports, they would only retain three 2.5-meter-wide square ports, the rest would be changed to 0.9-meter diameter round ports. They estimated the cost for "Tianhe" would increase to 40 billion yuan due to the additional scientific equipment;

The Space Agency hoped to standardize the interface with New Yuan and obtain the authorization for the 0.9-meter diameter round ports for free.

After reading this, Lin thought to himself that history had changed again; the Space Agency couldn’t resist the temptation and had indeed extended "Tiangong" to "Tianhe."

He decided to agree to all the amendment proposals; they were minor issues. What he planned to discuss next with the Space Agency, particularly about the nuclear aspect, would probably be a tough negotiation.

Lin had originally decided to fly to Beijing personally, but the Space Agency took the initiative to come over, which surprised him.

And the visitors were of a very high caliber, including not just the big shots from the space agency and the chief designers of the space station from the Fifth Institute but also military personnel.

Lin Ju welcomed these guests at the newly established B-level Base.

The big shot was riding in the car fleet provided by New Yuan Aeronautics to pick them up, heading towards the B-level Base located outside the city, which was also the main base of New Yuan Aeronautics’ propulsion currently.

An hour later, a vast aerospace base appeared before them.

"Is that the launch tower over there?"

"Yes, leader, we will launch rockets with a hundred-ton class here in the future. We fire them up right after they leave the factory, which saves the most time."

Hmm, Lin Ju was also sitting in the back row.

He actually felt that there was no need for the big shot to come personally for this space station cooperation project, but he was more pleased because it was much easier to converse directly with the top leader.

After taking the group from the space agency for a tour around the immense base, the big shot was full of emotion,

"Such a big aerospace base could probably produce the world’s largest rockets!"

Lin Ju: "Theoretically, yes, leader, but in reality, we can’t do that. We are still short of five hundred people, far from filling this base. We need at least a few thousand people, and that will take a long time. The country’s support is very important for us."

Big Shot: "You are being modest. Now it is us who need your support. Without a powerful rocket, even if the Tianhe Core Module is constructed, it would be useless.

The CZ-5 is the most powerful rocket we plan to have in the next decade, but it’s still far behind the New Yuan-2."

Listening to the big shot’s praise, Lin Ju felt a bit proud as well,

"We are all enterprises of China. New Yuan Aeronautics Power will definitely give its all for the country’s projects!"

Big Shot: "Yes, you are a genuinely Chinese enterprise, which is very important. Thus, even for some confidential projects, we can cooperate."

Lin Ju was startled, sensing that the big shot was about to discuss something very significant.

Big Shot: "Reusable spacecraft, especially aero-space planes, have wide military applications."

"Are you talking about the X37B?"

Lin Ju quickly understood. This was obviously the unmanned space combat aircraft project that America was secretly working on—the mysterious X37B aero-space plane.

However, essentially, it’s just an unmanned spacecraft, only smaller and more advanced, with a take-off weight less than that of the H1, possibly a few tons, or around ten tons.

The military surely has a similar project, and in the future, it’s known as a "reusable experimental spacecraft," launched by the CZ-2F, so the weight should be around 8 to 10 tons.

Big Shot: "It seems you’re quite familiar with these things. What I mean to say is, some technologies of the H1 have a lot in common with our ’X37B’—I’ll just call it that for now. However, this might involve your confidential technologies."

Lin Ju: "May I know which parts are needed in particular?"

Big Shot: "The most crucial are the thermal protection tiles. We are still using the previous generation, a bit more advanced than America’s aero-space plane, but far from what you have."

Thermal protection tiles, the curse that had followed aero-space planes from their inception to their demise, were precisely what caused the high costs and frequent accidents of aero-space planes, ultimately leading to their phased-out retirement.

And materials were precisely China’s weak link in scientific research, which posed certain difficulties.

Lin Ju thought for a moment: "We can take orders for custom-made thermal protection tiles, and the production capacity is not low. We should be able to meet the demands."

Big Shot nodded: "That’s good. We do not need to absolutely master the technology, but we can’t purchase as we are now; the project is of too high a security level. Even from the data and shape of the thermal protection tiles, one could deduce the basic parameters, so New Yuan Aeronautics Power must obtain a secrecy license and a weapons research permit, becoming a part of the national defense supply chain."

This time, Lin Ju fell silent for a while because these two permits meant that security personnel would be stationed at the base, which was not advantageous for a system base. Fortunately, the big shot then added,

"If that’s not possible, you could also establish a shell company jointly. The shell company could carry out the final shape processing, which would be more troublesome but would not affect New Yuan Aeronautics Power."

"That would be acceptable." Lin Ju, who had been feeling uneasy, immediately agreed, and only after seeing the big shot’s smile did he realize he had been set up.

It was an obvious case of retreating in order to advance; by proposing something impossible first, then making a slight concession to obtain agreement—a brisk application of theory right before his eyes for the first time!

Seeing Lin Ju catch on, the big shot laughed heartily and patted his shoulder: "Comrade Lin Ju, the organization will thank you for your contributions to the country. We will purchase at market prices, and at the same time, New Yuan can also make some requests."

Lin Ju thought to himself that he wouldn’t hold back then:

"Leader, New Yuan has a project, and the materials are a bit tricky. We might need some support?"

"What’s the trouble? If China has it, we can solve it."

"We need some plutonium and uranium, for constructing reactors."

"..."