Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 249 Burning Number One

"How can it be?

How can it maintain such stability under an 8-ton load?
The thrust output tested did not show any abnormal fluctuations, even with multiple YF-102 engines working together.

The attitude control precision deviation during the rocket's acceleration and orbit insertion phases was less than 0.01 degrees.

Pony exclaimed in admiration, "This requires a very thorough understanding of the stress distribution and vibration resistance design of key components."

Lin Ran offered a few words of flattery: "Pony, you've hit the nail on the head. The biggest challenge of this rocket is actually the risks brought about by multiple engines. Compared to other companies' four engines in parallel, the difficulty of seven engines in parallel is not simply an increase."

However, this was merely a trial run for our Apollo technology team; its payload was insufficient to support a lunar landing. Ultimately, we needed to build rockets with a much larger payload capacity.

At this time, some private aerospace companies were already working on connecting four YF-101 rockets in parallel as the first-stage rocket power source, attempting to increase the rocket's payload capacity.

Pony was very interested after hearing about it. "Professor Lin, could you tell us more about your moon landing plan?"

Lin Ran thought for a moment: "Pony, you know about the Apollo moon landing, right?"

Pony nodded: "Of course, when I was a kid, my favorite thing to do in bookstores was to look for books about the Apollo moon landing."

Even our WeChat login screen features an astronaut standing on the moon, gazing at Earth.

Regarding the Apollo moon landing, I wouldn't claim to have in-depth knowledge, but I can certainly recall the general details with ease.

Lin Ran said, "That's right, our moon landing program is based on the Apollo moon landing, with some modifications."

We are currently in communication with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and we would like to ask CASC to jointly develop the F-1 and J-1 engines based on the existing data.

This is also the biggest obstacle currently hindering lunar landing.

After all, in terms of production and manufacturing, China Aerospace still possesses the best group of skilled workers, the most complete mechanisms, and the largest production capacity in the country.

As for the rest, we can handle it ourselves.

Pony was surprised: "Are we really going to use a plan from so many years ago, like the Apollo moon landing, to land on the moon?"

Lin Ran explained, "Outsiders might think it's backward or primitive, but for me, it's actually the safest approach."

The Apollo moon landing technology was very mature and had plenty of data.

For a company, going through the entire Apollo moon landing process is a complete training process, a tempering of everything from employees to organizational structure.

Many of the technologies developed during the process can be reused later.

Lin Ran thought for a moment, then said, "Let me put it this way, Pony, if I just want to start a space agency with the goal of making a profit, then there is no need to replicate the Apollo moon landing at all."

But if I were to start a great company, one whose goal is to reach for the stars and help humanity leave Earth and venture into the universe, then experiencing an Apollo moon landing would show employees that nothing is impossible.

Taking this route is absolutely necessary.

Our initial goal, at least, is to leave Earth and enter the universe.

Even if the moon is just a tiny satellite in the universe that is closest to Earth.

We also want to be the first organization in the 21st century to land on the moon.

After Lin Ran finished speaking, Pony couldn't help but applaud: "Professor Lin, you spoke so well."

A company's DNA is determined by its founder.

Your words have shown me that a great company comparable to SpaceX is being born.

Lin Ran did not say that our goal has never been SpaceX.

Pony continued, "Professor Lin, Tencent has invested in many aerospace-related companies in the past, such as Moon Express, which aims to send drones to the moon; World View, which is dedicated to making space travel cheaper; Satellogic, an Argentinian company that focuses on satellite imagery; and Planetary Resources, which studies asteroid mining, and so on."

At the 2014 WE conference, World View sent our penguin plush toy into space.

Here today, I have never felt the urge to immediately decide to invest in you.

"So, from what I understand, Aldrin invested $3000 million and took 49% of your shares. I'll offer $1.2 million, diluting the shares, as our Series A funding. What do you think?"

Pony said $1.2 million was as easy as drinking water.

Lin Ran shook his head: "No, Pony, we don't need to invest for the time being."

Pony was a little confused: "Professor Lin, you currently have about 5 million RMB, but you can only get the 12 billion RMB from Bilibili after that is completed."

Based on milestones, at least half, or 6 million, will not be received until after the moon landing.

Even if you add it all up, it's only 17 billion RMB, which is far too far from your goal of landing on the moon.

I can provide $1.2 million worth of ammunition this time. Since your business is mainly in China anyway, I'll round it up to 10 billion RMB based on the exchange rate.

Similarly, once the money runs out, as long as the progress meets my expectations, I will have a steady stream of money to invest.

Lin Ran shook his head: "Pony, 17 billion would be enough to replicate the Apollo moon landing."

This time, Pony was truly shocked.

No matter how advanced the technology becomes, or how explosive China's productivity becomes, the idea that 17 billion people can land on the moon sounds like a joke.

"Because I know all the details of the Apollo moon landing by heart, all that's left is to replicate it step by step."

Pony, we're launching Burning-1 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center this month. I'd like to invite you to come and watch the launch with me. Are you free?

So, of course I'm short of money, but investment isn't for now. It's for after the moon landing. Only then will Tencent, or any other investment firm, be able to give me an accurate valuation.

Pony astutely noticed that Lin Ran was referring to "me," not "our company."

Having been in the underworld for so many years, this was the first time he had ever met such an interesting person:
"Then it's a deal, see you there."

"However, Bilibili can't have exclusive investment, Tencent has to join in too, let's do a joint venture, I'll give you 500 million." Pony continued.

Lin Ran was speechless: "Pony, you're taking advantage of me."

Let me state this first: if you want a game collaboration with us that takes us to the moon, then 5 million is definitely not enough.

If you're just like Bilibili, wanting naming rights and your brand logo to appear in the process, 5 million is more than enough.

What are you guys doing with moon landing collaboration skins and Aldrin hero characters? Just release a character specifically for Honor of Kings and sell it.

Let's create a lunar rocket in QQ Speed.

Get a moon landing background skin for QQ.

"Tencent makes money too easily; with this kind of sponsorship, 5 million is a steal."

Pony chuckled and said, "In that case, we also have a video account, and we use the same sponsorship method as Bilibili."

It's a package deal of 3 million yuan, including the platform's entry, title sponsorship, and the rights to broadcast the documentary. I'm adding to Bilibili's 12 billion yuan deal.

I'll increase it to 15 billion, making it a three-way collaboration, with payments made in tiered, milestone-based installments.

Lin Ran didn't actually think it was a lot, and felt that Pony had made a profit again, but he couldn't help it because he needed to develop his career. With this 15 billion, the money problem would be solved once and for all.

“Okay, it’s a deal.” Lin Ran reached out and shook hands with Pony.

After Pony's involvement, Bilibili's approval process became much faster, almost like lightning, and the contract was signed before March.

Apollo Technology, Lin Ran, and Aldrin have also officially joined Bilibili as newcomers.

His self-introduction upon joining the site quickly surpassed one million views thanks to Bilibili's promotion.

The collaboration between Bilibili and Apollo Technology has now officially begun.

"China's self-developed Burning-1 rocket"

Employing a multi-engine design, it has a low-Earth orbit payload capacity of up to 8 tons.

Before the rocket launch, Apollo Technologies' promotional video was quietly uploaded to Bilibili.

The promotional video didn't generate as much buzz on Bilibili as it did on Zhihu.

"Director Bi, Tim, this is a rare opportunity that Bilibili has secured for you. You will be going to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a two-week filming trip, and we have also arranged for you to interview Professor Lin."

"We hope you can make an interesting program. Do you two have time to participate?" The executive in charge of contacting top content creators at Bilibili contacted two of Bilibili's top 100 content creators, Tim and Bi Dao.

This is Bilibili's top choice.

Tim and Bi were able to clearly explain the significance of this matter and the technological advantages of Burning One.

Another point is that they have a significant appeal among young people. Only if they don't go will it be the turn of lower-priority content creators.

Tim nodded: "I'm very interested. Apollo Technologies—just hearing the name tells you how ambitious it is. This is the first time I've heard of a private aerospace company aiming to land on the moon."

Tim was willing to go, and Bi was even more willing. As a PhD student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University, the prospect of witnessing a rocket launch in person was incredibly appealing.

A Bilibili executive added, "Old Tomato will also be there. You can go together or separately. Once you arrive in Jiuquan, Bilibili staff will be waiting for you."

After all, Bilibili has an entire documentary filmmaking team in Jiuquan.

Tim said, "Okay, I have his contact information, I'll contact him."

Bi Dao laughed and said, "I'm not very familiar with him, so I might have to trouble Tim."

"Mr. Li, could you tell us how this launch differs from other rocket launches?" Bi asked. "This would help us with our topic selection and preparations."

"Professor Lin's Burning One rocket has a huge carrying capacity, far exceeding any rockets you've heard of or are developing from private organizations. You can use this as a starting point."

Additionally, Tencent's CEO, Jack Ma, will be attending the launch, but whether you can interview him depends on your abilities.

"What about Aldrin?" Bi Dao asked. "Didn't Mr. Aldrin also register a Bilibili account and join Bilibili?"

The executive surnamed Li said, "I don't know, it depends on how you perform on the spot."

These are all uncertain factors.

Our collaboration with Apollo Technology includes an interview with Aldrin for the documentary portion, but that's not included in the contract for content creators like you. It depends on your luck and social skills.

Pony arrived in Jiuquan even earlier than the other content creators.

So, Pony's interest in astronomy is definitely real.

Publicity is publicity, and publicity may be used to create a persona.

Since human society entered the era of self-media, many influential figures have been packaging themselves and creating personas on social media.

Some of the hobbies he promotes may be entirely fabricated.

Take Mr. Xia from Jiyue Motors, for example. He said on Douyin that he loves cars the most and goes to the racetrack every week, and then he criticized Xiaomi. Later, it was revealed that he was creating a persona.

But Pony's love for astronomy and the universe is genuine.

On the eve of the launch of Chang'e-3 in 2014, Pony went to the Laji viewing platform at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center to watch the launch.

Sitting next to him was Zhou Hongyi.

(1:12 AM, December 2, 2014, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Laji Visiting Platform)
At this time, the 3Q War was still ongoing.

Pony even held his nose and came just to see Chang'e flying to the moon. If it weren't for his true passion, he could have easily refused such an invitation.

This time was no different; we arrived in Jiuquan very early.

“Professor Lin, I’ve visited many commercial space organizations’ rockets, both completed and under construction, but this is the largest I’ve ever seen,” Pony exclaimed in amazement.

Lin Ran said, "What they want to build is a rocket that can send satellites into space, with a payload capacity of less than one ton."

We are launching a medium-sized rocket with an 8-ton payload, so it will definitely be larger.

If we want to land on the moon in the future, we'll need a Saturn V rocket with a payload capacity of 140 tons, which is so huge that there's no way to attach anything else.

Pony's eyes showed anticipation.

Pony took a step forward, approaching the rocket model, and pointed to the massive rocket body, asking, "Professor Lin, could you explain why your rocket can achieve such a large payload? How exactly did you solve the problem of parallel operation of multiple engines?"

Lin Ran nodded, walked to the rocket model, and began to explain, pointing to the first stage.

His voice was steady and clear, carrying a profound understanding of the technology: "Our rocket uses seven YF-102 engines as the first stage and one YF-102 engine as the second stage."

This multi-engine parallel design is key to achieving large carrying capacity.

He paused, turned to Pony, and added, "The thrust of a single YF-102 is already considerable, and seven first-stage engines in parallel can provide enough power to send an 8-ton payload into orbit."

Pony listened intently, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were deep in thought.

He couldn't help but press further: "With so many engines connected in parallel, won't that affect the rocket's stability? How do you ensure the rocket's stability during launch and flight?"

Lin Ran smiled and replied with confidence: "Stability is indeed a major challenge in the design of multi-engine parallel operation. To address this, we have taken several measures."

He stretched out his hand and gestured to the bottom of the rocket. "First, we designed an advanced control system that can monitor the thrust of each engine in real time and make adjustments within milliseconds to ensure the balance of overall thrust."

Secondly, the engine installation employs a high-precision symmetrical layout, with errors controlled at the micrometer level, minimizing the impact of thrust asymmetry.

He paused, pointed to the nozzle on the model, and continued, "In addition, we have developed a new thrust vector control technology that dynamically adjusts the nozzle direction to correct the rocket's attitude at any time during flight, ensuring that it always flies along the predetermined trajectory."

Pony frowned, because what Lin Ran said wasn't much different from what he already knew.

To be precise, everyone knows that this is the right thing to do.

This will solve the problem.

The problem is that knowing the theory and actually being able to get things done are two completely different things.

He quickly regained his composure and exclaimed, "That sounds incredibly precise!"

In reality, he thought that it still depended on the actual launch results.

Pony then walked around the model, looking up at the streamlined rocket body, but had to admit that, from the design perspective alone, Burning One was indeed very beautifully designed.

Every streamline seems to be telling him that this is how it should be designed.

Any movement will ruin its overall aesthetic appeal.

Pony then asked, "What other technological innovations do you have?"

Lin Ran pointed to the rocket's outer shell: "In addition to the control system and engine layout, we have also put a lot of effort into the materials and aerodynamic design."

We adopted the latest lightweight, high-strength composite materials from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to reduce the weight of the rocket and enhance its structural stability.

Pony, with the extra funds you gave me, I had more confidence when placing the order.

He gently tapped the surface of the model, as if to demonstrate its resilience. "At the same time, the rocket's streamlined design has undergone multiple simulation tests to optimize aerodynamic performance and reduce flight drag."

Most importantly, we have created a new method for simulating fluid dynamics, which can achieve excellent simulation results without relying on wind tunnels.

These improvements have significantly enhanced the efficiency and performance of our rockets.

Pony nodded and said in a low voice, "That's really amazing, Professor. I have complete confidence in your ability to design models."

Lin Ran said, "We believe that only through continuous innovation and breakthroughs can we go further in the aerospace field."

In the future, we also plan to develop larger rockets to pave the way for human lunar landings and deep space exploration.

Pony's eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if he could already see that magnificent future. He said softly, "I look forward to that day."

Professor Lin, if you really succeed in landing on the moon, I will definitely have a big gift for you.

Lin Ran asked, "A 30% stake in Apollo Technology?"

Pony was somewhat surprised: "How did you know?"

“You bought back a 30% stake from Buzz for $30 million, I heard it from Buzz,” Lin Ran said. “He has to make sure he sells the stake and also goes to the moon.”

I assured him that he would only sell it after that.

Otherwise, Baz wouldn't sell.

Because those shares are actually mine too.

Now Pony understands.

Aldrin paid for his ticket to the moon.

That's equivalent to buying a ticket for a ship for $3000 million.

"Is it yours too?" Pony asked, puzzled.

Lin Ran said, "Yes, if I send him to the moon, he will transfer all his shares to me."

So isn't it mine too?

(End of this chapter)