Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 233 Useful Old Deng
"Team Leader Li, is it really a moon landing?"

Wang Jiarui asked timidly.

In the past half hour, they had actually mentally prepared themselves.

Judging from the scale of the event, the scale of the operation, and the speculation about the identity of the security guard downstairs, Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan would never believe that Professor Lin was just playing around.

But for a mathematician, even a top-tier mathematician who graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering, to break out of the framework of China's aerospace industry and independently undertake a lunar landing still sounds too unrealistic.

The gravity of reality is too heavy, and so is the gravity of the Earth.

Logically speaking, the last time humans landed on the moon was about sixty years ago, and America did it not just once, but several times.

Sixty years later, America was unable to land on the moon, and neither were other countries.

This is highly illogical.

After all, so much progress has been made in all aspects.

This is similar to how, sixty years ago, building an IBM 7090 capable of processing approximately 22.9 instructions per second was considered cutting-edge technology, while now China can independently develop chips with a single-card computing capacity of 800 TFLOPs/s.

This is entirely domestically produced; it doesn't require any external assistance.

The IBM 7090, which was launched in 1959, used 14000 standard modular system cards.

The unit TFLOP/s represents one trillion floating-point operations per second.

In terms of rockets, control systems, and computing power, it far surpasses America in the 60s.

Not to mention China, even India has no technological barriers.

But no one can go up there anymore, as if they have been artificially locked onto Earth.

Even countries other than China, America, Russia, and India do not want to go there, nor are they interested.

It was precisely because of this harsh reality that Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan, even though they guessed it wasn't just a game, were still uncertain. After all, rational thinking about the moon landing wasn't that difficult, but the intuition created by the media told them it was extremely difficult.

NASA has burned through countless dollars on the Artemis program.

“Just call me Engineer Li, of course it’s true. My initial thoughts were similar to yours, but as I got more and more involved in the specific work, I became more and more confident that we could achieve the moon landing,” Li Rui said.

He remarked, "Let me put it this way, when it comes to the moon landing, the professor is omnipotent, really, you get the feeling that he is omnipotent."

From the design of rockets, spacecraft, and landers to the calculation of Earth's orbit and the Moon's orbit, if there's anything you don't know, just ask the professor.

The professor will tell you what to do.

The professor sat there like a magic robot from Doraemon.

Li Rui sighed.

He previously worked at the aerospace institute, both within and outside the institute, including private organizations. Generally, private enterprises that dare to engage in aerospace and attract investment do so because there are top talents who step forward. Over the years, he has seen quite a few top talents.

Among these top talents, Lin Ran was definitely a rare breed that he had never seen before.

Lin Ran used a very special structure, and he was the core of it.

His meticulous management style, reaching down to the individual level, once again demonstrated his formidable micromanagement skills.

If McNamara saw this scene, he would definitely regret not letting the professor personally go to Baiyue to command the US military.

This kind of management style is only suitable for Lin Ran; anyone else would cause the entire structure to collapse instantly.

"Our general understanding of project management is to focus on progress and milestones, with the overall person in charge monitoring the major milestones of each module."

At most, I'll check in on your progress, what stage you're at, and what resources you need me to coordinate.

That's what the person in charge does. It involves very little technical expertise. He understands the technology, but not the technical details; he understands how to implement the technology.

Who should we contact? Should we look for an individual, a supplier, or contact external experts and professors?

The professor usually handles it personally; you'll get to know his style after you've spent some time with him.

Li Rui initially viewed this outsourcing job as something he was doing since he was basically unemployed and had nothing better to do at home. He thought he could help out with some odd jobs for the alumni project.

He didn't even sign a contract with the labor dispatch company to avoid having his resume tainted by the company paying his social security contributions.

He can work here while looking for opportunities. The labor dispatch company can send him a living allowance via WeChat based on the number of days he works.

Unexpectedly, after arriving, I felt even more passionate than when I chose to jump from a state-owned aerospace research institute to a private aerospace company.

I was filled with passion.

Not only were they able to participate in the actual moon landing project, but they also met legendary figures like Aldrin.

If the world were an online game, Aldrin's legend level would be at least 30 points.

Li Rui had no intention of leaving at all.

Of course, this is also related to Lin Ran's empty promises. When Lin Ran held a meeting with these team leaders, he said that those who performed well after the project would be promoted to full-time positions.

This was a long trial period, lasting more than a year.

"Who is the professor?" Liu Jiyuan asked.

Li Rui touched his slightly balding head: "I forgot to mention, Professor Lin is the professor we all call him here."

Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan exchanged glances and nodded.

They were initially considering backing out.

Each trip from Jiaotong University is almost like the Spring Festival travel rush.

But if this project actually involves a moon landing, then it will be a different story.

Not everyone can participate in such a project.

“Hey, Engineer Li, we’ve looked up Haines’s resume. Such a famous person must be at least seventy years old. Instead of staying home and enjoying his retirement, he’s here working. Isn’t that a bit too much for him?” Liu Jiyuan said, trying to make conversation.

Li Rui shook his head: "No, you don't understand."

Think about it, when you're in your seventies or eighties, would you choose to play chess, fight crickets, or dance in the square with other old men, or would you choose to go to the moon?

Americans don't even play chess or fight crickets.

You just lie in a wheelchair and sunbathe all day, and the nurse comes by from time to time to give you medicine. Is it interesting to draw diagrams and write formulas by hand?
"I forgot to mention, there's another hidden perk here: you can get Aldrin's autograph." Li Rui lowered his voice when he mentioned Aldrin.

Wang Jiarui was a little confused. "Aldrin is?"

Liu Jiyuan quickly answered, "It's the second person to walk on the moon, the American who stepped onto the moon after Armstrong."

Wang Jiarui's mouth dropped open: "No, Engineer Li, Aldrin was invited too?"

Li Rui nodded: "That's right, he's usually out and about, but occasionally he comes back here to work."

During your lunch break, you can sneak over to him and ask him to sign your name. I'll show you later.

Armstrong has passed away, and Aldrin is undoubtedly the first person to walk on the moon. His signature still holds commemorative significance.

However, you'd better think ahead about what you'll bring to him for his signature, as he'll only sign it once at most.

Don't treat him like a 90-year-old man. In fact, his memory is excellent. He will refuse to see you a second time.

Someone initially brought a random office laptop to get his autograph, but later, seeing everyone else bringing Saturn V models, they regretted it and hurriedly got another model to try and get his autograph, only to be refused.

Wang Jiarui swallowed hard: "No, Engineer Li, does this mean we've dug up NASA's grave?"

Li Rui smiled and said, "Compared to digging up graves, this is probably more like summoning the spirits of NASA's fallen heroes."

"Let's not talk about that anymore. You'll probably see many more alumni from Jiaotong University coming here to find new jobs."

Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan thus began their "internship" in Huaqiao.

They come for two half-days each week, and a full day on weekends.

They watched helplessly as more and more people filled the building, starting from the top and slowly moving down.

At first, the 20th floor was full, then the 19th floor, and by the end of 2020, all three floors were full, with a total of about a thousand people.

What's even more absurd is that you can actually see alumni of Jiaotong University like Fan Benyao and Long Lehao ​​here.

Apollo Technology not only draws inspiration from NASA, but also from the history of China's space program.

Fan Benyao designs aircraft, but in the past he did most of his work on satellite development.

He was involved in the first generation of recoverable satellites, the first generation of practical communication satellites, the second generation of communication satellites, the first geostationary orbit satellite common platform, and the first generation of navigation and positioning satellites.

Long Lehao ​​was responsible for rocket design and trajectory calculation. In the 60s, he worked with President Qian on the overall design of long-range missiles, and later mainly worked on the design of the Long March series rockets.

They came here to participate in re-employment programs for senior citizens.

These two are relatively well-known, both being academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. There are many more engineers who are not academicians but have extensive experience.

The number of elderly people in China is exactly twice that of the elderly at NASA.

Long Lehao ​​tapped the table with the leadless end of a pencil:

"Hains, your calculation method is really inadequate. It's a simplified formula based on the EGM2008 model. We've verified it countless times in the Long March series of missions; it's both fast and accurate."

The person in charge of translation has become accustomed to so many terms, and it has only taken two months to go from stumbling at the beginning to being proficient now.

Haines nodded and then shook his head, his tone firm: "Dragon, in the Apollo era we used the classic formula based on the J2 perturbation term, which has been verified in many missions and is simple and reliable."

“Hains, the J2 model is too crude. Modern missions require higher precision. The EGM2008 contains hundreds of harmonic terms and is far more accurate than the J2, even using simplified formulas. We cannot use outdated standards to meet today’s challenges,” said Long Lehao.

Haines said unhappily, "Dragon, accuracy isn't the only consideration. Apollo used the J2 model to land on the moon, proving its reliability."

Long Lehao ​​said firmly, "Haines, we are not repeating Apollo, we are creating the future."

We successfully completed orbital corrections during our space station mission using a simplified formula from EGM2008. Are you asking me to abandon proven experience and use a potentially unsuitable external model?

Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan's most important task was to liaise with Haines, and later another bigwig, Long Lehao, joined them.

Their workstations were also moved to be opposite these two.

They could hear them arguing every time they came.

They could only understand half of what Long Lehao ​​said; the other half they could only understand was Haines speaking with conviction.

"No, you've never participated in China's space station project? I was a real participant in the Apollo moon landing project!"

"You weren't involved in space exploration back then," Haines said bluntly.

Long Lehao ​​started banging on the table: "Hey, what kind of talk is that? You guys did land on the moon, but that was so many years ago. The technology now is completely different from back then."

Back then, IBM would spend half a day calculating the data; now, they can give you the answer in a second.

Isn't continuing to use that formula for term J2 just like clinging to outdated ideas?

Liu Jiyuan shook his head helplessly. Each time, these two would gradually escalate their arguments, from debating techniques to attacking qualifications.

They also gleaned from Li Ruina that perhaps only about one percent of the old men's work was of any real value.

Li Rui privately remarked that only professors have the patience to extract useful information from students' work and incorporate it into projects.

However, Li Rui also said that these elderly people have very solid basic skills, and it would definitely be beneficial for students to learn from them.

However, if he were in charge of a modern space project, he would definitely treat these people like mascots.

"Let's go, let's find the professor! We have to get Randolph to settle this."

"Fine, I'll go. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

When Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan saw this recurring part of their visit, they exchanged a glance and indicated that they had to follow suit.

They couldn't afford not to keep up; every time they saw Lin Ran subdue the two old men with just a few words, they found it very amusing.

"The core of this debate lies in the choice of manual calculation methods, with the focus on the Earth's oblateness model and its impact on orbital inclination."

The Earth's oblateness is described by perturbation terms such as J2, since it causes minute changes in the spacecraft's orbit, affecting the tilt angle.

In the Apollo era, engineers used classic J2-based models for manual calculations, which were simple and proven.

For the past decade or so, China's aerospace industry has used simplified formulas based on the EGM2008 high-order gravity model, which are more accurate but more computationally complex.

After explaining their dispute in both Chinese and English, Lin Ran concluded, "This is the most appropriate way."

Then he gestured to the intern in charge of translation to take them back to their workstations.

Wang Jiarui and Liu Jiyuan also returned to their workstations. "The professor really knows how to coax the old man like he's a child."

"Yes, to be honest, their methods are outdated. Haines' J2 project is already 60 years old, and even Academician Long's EGM2008 is a model from more than 10 years ago. They have been iterated countless times since then."

Even the big shots of the past couldn't withstand the tides of time.

However, as the tides rise and fall, Lin Ran will prove that wherever he is, that is where the center of the world's aerospace industry will be.

If the old man is a mascot, then there is one who is not; no one can replace him in his job.

That was Aldrin.

Given Aldrin's clarity of mind and agility, it's impossible to tell he's 90 years old; you could easily believe he's 60.

More importantly, experience is crucial. As an astronaut, especially one who needs to train for a lunar landing, is something that only Aldrin could do.

Aldrin was to follow the entire process, from the interview to the training and finally the moon landing.

A breeze blew in through the window, and some sycamore trees could be seen outside.

On the wall hang photos of the Apollo 11 mission and an oil painting of the lunar surface.

Aldrin himself sat at the head of the table, awaiting the arrival of the candidates.

Frankly, he couldn't discern the skill level of these former Chinese Air Force pilots from the stack of resumes translated into English.

Because, according to his understanding, there is definitely a difference between these materials and the actual level.

According to Chinese people, this is called "concealing one's talents".

A tall, middle-aged man wearing a blue shirt walked into the room.

Aldrin cleared his throat and began the interview: "Welcome to Na, not Apollo Technologies. We need to select a pilot capable enough to carry out a historic mission."

"Mr. Qian, please introduce yourself and talk about your flying experience."

Qian Fei, who was already 45 years old, was confused about the situation.

His name is related to flying, and his subsequent career was indeed inseparable from flying; he spent almost his entire life flying.

Qian Fei is a former Air Force pilot who participated in the astronaut selection process and made it to the second round, but was ultimately eliminated. After retiring from the military, he worked for a civil aviation company running international routes.

This time, I was sent here again, and they said it would take two years to complete the mission.

Since the beginning of this year, international flights have been significantly reduced, making him much more free than before.

The person who contacted him was his former boss, and the airline agreed that if he wanted to come here to perform a mission, they would process a leave of absence without pay for him, and he could return to his position after finishing the mission.

Being able to operate international flights, their English proficiency goes without saying.

"A historic mission? Do you think I'd ever get such a thing?" Qian Fei thought to himself.

They're all getting on in years.

He often hears the word "mission," after all, he's a pilot, and safety meetings are frequent, so the word he hears most often is "mission." However, his mission is simply to fly the plane well and ensure the safety of passengers' lives and the company's property.

Linking mission and history together—I've never heard of that before.

Qian Fei had some doubts.

"Yes, sir."

My name is Fei Qian. I served in the Air Force for 15 years, flying J-7, J-8, J-10, and J-11 aircraft, and participating in numerous support missions. After retiring from the Air Force, I joined China Eastern Airlines as an international route pilot. I have over 5000 hours of flight experience.

Aldrin frowned; this resume clearly did not satisfy him. "I see on your resume that you participated in the astronaut selection process. Please tell me about that experience in detail."

Qian Fei also frowned: "I'm sorry, I don't think that participating in the simulator test flight here requires astronaut experience."

Aldrin retorted, "Who told you we were doing simulator test flights?"

Qian Fei was puzzled. He asked, "Aren't you making a lunar landing simulation device, like a car simulator, and then you want to hire people to help with testing?" This was what his boss had told him.

He then said it as a matter of course.

It's an analog device.

This is what young people like these days.

Qian Fei could understand the racing simulator, since ordinary people can't drive race cars in real life, so they rely on machines to simulate it and satisfy their curiosity.

He can even understand normal driving, since most people can't afford nice cars in real life, so simulating the exterior and interior is quite nice.

But he really couldn't understand truck simulators. He hadn't had enough of working, and after get off work he still had to go home and play with a car simulator to drive trucks. Once, when Qian Fei went to his son's house and saw him playing with this thing, he got furious.

It was precisely because he had witnessed it that he was able to understand it; after all, this was a business opportunity.

The company is called Apollo Technology. They make a moon landing simulator and then put it in major shopping malls, using the Apollo moon landing as a gimmick. Maybe young people will like this kind of thing.

Qian Fei wanted to earn some extra money, and also wanted to figure out if simulators were really interesting.

After all, the astronauts have long since vanished into the winds of time.

Although that selection process often appears in his dreams, even in his dreams he only dreams that he passed the selection, and never dreams about what happened afterward.

Because he didn't experience it afterward.

Aldrin then realized that this guy had come without understanding the situation. He didn't answer, but instead opened his phone's browser, found Buzz Aldrin's Wikipedia page, and handed it to Qian Fei:

"Here."

Qian Fei took the book and struggled to read it; he was fluent in speaking but had difficulty reading and writing. "Aldrin, the moon landing? What? Sir, did you even bring in Aldrin to speak for you?"

As a former potential astronaut, Qian Fei naturally knew who Aldrin was.

Aldrin thought this guy's reaction was too slow, and he slammed his fist on the table in anger: "I am Aldrin!"

Qian Fei then realized what was happening. He checked the information repeatedly and then searched on his phone. He was indeed face-blind when it came to white faces, and it took him a while to confirm that the person was indeed Aldrin.

He quickly stood up and saluted, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, I really didn't recognize you. You look much younger than your age."

This is a tribute to the heroes who once walked on the moon.

Aldrin then calmly said, "Money? What we need are astronauts, and the astronauts we recruit need to go to the moon with me."

I left my villa in Beverly Hills, California, to come to China, and it was never for some moon landing simulator.

Speaking of this, he was annoyed. "My Beverly Hills villa is about to be put up for sale, and they're saying we're playing a moon landing simulator!"

"I'm sorry, I participated in the selection of Chinese astronauts, but these are classified information and I cannot disclose more."

Aldrin nodded. "Alright, I'd like to ask you a question: what do you consider to be the biggest challenge of the moon landing mission?"

All the previous events now flashed through Qian Fei's mind. He finally understood why his former leader had told him not to miss this opportunity, and why he had mentioned a simulator. He also finally understood why the security guard downstairs gave him the feeling of being colleagues.

Upon hearing this question, his mind raced, trying to draw upon all the knowledge he possessed. He had already missed one opportunity; he couldn't afford to miss this one.
"I think the biggest challenge is the precise control during landing. The moon has no atmosphere, so aerodynamics cannot be used to slow it down; we have to rely entirely on the engines to control the descent speed and direction. This requires extremely high precision and reaction speed."

Furthermore, the lunar surface has a complex terrain with many craters and mountains, making the selection of a suitable landing site and a safe landing crucial.

Aldrin nodded. "Well said. Indeed, landing is one of the most critical parts of the lunar mission."

I remember when Neil and I landed on the lunar surface, we had to manually override the computer to avoid a boulder field.

That was a tense moment.

Qian Fei was very envious.

If given the chance, he would also like to go to the moon.

Aldrin then asked, "How would you choose to deal with high-stress situations?"

"Throughout my flying career, I have faced numerous emergencies, such as engine failures or severe weather. I have learned to remain calm, quickly analyze the problem, and take the right action. I believe this ability is equally important in space missions."

During my service in the Air Force, I once encountered strong crosswinds during a night landing, a very dangerous situation. However, by concentrating, I successfully landed.

Psychological resilience is an essential quality for pilots.

Aldrin asked, "Why did you ultimately want to participate in this moon landing mission?"

Qian Fei knew that at this point, he couldn't say that he had no idea that this was actually a moon landing.

He clenched his fist. "Since I was a child, I've dreamed of becoming an astronaut and exploring the unknown universe. Being able to participate in the lunar mission is an opportunity for me to realize my dream."

(End of this chapter)