Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 261 NASA Version Fist Stars and Stripes Flame
Jim Bridenstine frowned; the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

I searched for quite a while on the Zoom meeting room interface.

I spotted a familiar name: Laminsky.

The name is also very familiar.

Jim then realized that this was a reporter from WIRED magazine, who specialized in covering NASA news.

Although NASA reporters are not as famous as the White House press corps, and they don't have the titles or annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, they are not as well-known as those people.

But NASA also has journalists who cover the news.

These journalists all focus on news in the space field.

Laming was one of them; I even did an exclusive interview with him four years ago.

“No, how did you get in?” Jim couldn’t help but ask.

Laming knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and luckily he had already captured the complete image, knowing this was big news.

Big news like never before.

“My assistant Olivia sent me a string of numbers. I thought it looked a lot like the room number and password for a Zoom meeting room, so I tried it and got in.”

Nelson rubbed his forehead, then said sternly, "Why didn't you say anything before! You were eavesdropping on state secrets, do you know that?!"

Lamin thought to himself, "It's a state secret. You NASA leaders are all on vacation. Isn't that a state secret?"

That's right, the command module launched by the Chinese was exactly the same as that of the Apollo program; that's news.

It's also news that Chinese people claim to have developed an engine with parameters exactly the same as the F-1 rocket engine.

But every journalist is reporting on these stories, regardless of whether they have a background in space journalism or not.

Even though he is a journalist who specializes in covering space-related news, Lamin does not believe that his professional news analysis can stand out among a crowd of news stories.

But this time the big news is different.

During the pandemic, the White House repeatedly urged everyone to stay home and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, NASA officials are all on vacation.

The four people were: Director Nelson, Deputy Director Pamela Melroy, Human Space Program Manager Kathy Ludes, and Senior Advisor Jim Bridenstine. Lamin was certain that the latter three were at the hotel.

He immediately recognized the print hanging behind Jim Bridenstine.

The other person was staying at Aman, a top global luxury hotel brand.

Even Laming could tell you which room Jim Bridenstine stayed in—it was the Aman New York.

The room in the Grand Suite 57th Street at the Aman Resorts in New York features a replica of "Pine Tree" by Japanese artist Tohaku Hasegawa.

"Pine Tree" is considered a masterpiece of neon ink painting and was designated as their national treasure in 1952.

Why did Lamin know this? Because he had lived there too.

The Chinese have made rapid progress in the aerospace field, and private enterprises have successfully carried out manned spaceflight. But what about the high-ranking officials at NASA?

Taking advantage of working from home, one after another went to hotels for vacation.

Despite repeated calls from the White House for people to stay home, NASA officials have taken the lead in disobeying the orders.

Lamin knew very well how the American people, driven mad by the news, would react once it was reported.

"Excuse me, Director Nelson, I'll leave the meeting room now." Lamin had a certain degree of liking for Nelson, since he couldn't tell whether the other was at a hotel or at home.

Back on the Luna.

The mission requires docking with a separately launched target spacecraft to simulate the Agena docking of the Gemini program.

Qian Fei ordered, "Prepare for docking with the target aircraft."

Zhao Jianguo then operated the control panel to confirm the target aircraft's location: "500 meters away, approaching."

Qian Fei took over the piloting position, adjusted the command module's attitude, and the screen showed that the docking probe was aligned with the target. He lightly tapped the control button, and the spacecraft slowly approached.

“50 meters away…20 meters…10 meters…” Zhao Jianguo read out the data.

Suddenly, a warning flashed on the screen: the docking probe has shifted slightly.

Zhao Jianguo remained calm: "Commander, there's a deviation!"

Of the two, Qian Fei served as the commander, while Zhao Jianguo was the operator.

Qian Fei didn't even lift his eyelids: "Just adjust it manually and keep it stable."

Zhao Jianguo held his breath, fine-tuned the thruster, and re-aligned the probe.

With a soft click, the docking was successful.

A notification sounded inside the spacecraft, and Zhao Jianguo exhaled, "Dock complete!"

"Well done!" Qian Fei clapped lightly.

The control center cheered, and Pony was incredibly excited; he was the first to applaud.

After all, every step forward Apollo Technology takes is an exploration of the limits of what private space agencies can achieve.

The sound of a successful connection was also transmitted via signal to the live broadcast rooms of various platforms.

No previous Chinese space missions have ever caused such a sensation as this one.

There are many reasons, including the fact that it is a private organization, Lin Ran brings his own traffic, Tencent and Bilibili drive traffic, and the current virus outbreak, which keeps everyone at home, etc.

This has resulted in the number of live streamers on Bilibili alone exceeding 500,000.

When the sound of a successful connection rang out in the live stream, comments and gifts flew in unison.

In NASA's online conference room, some people frowned, while others nodded.

They hadn't realized what it meant that the reporter had entered the Zoom meeting room.

Kathy Ludes picked up her pen and quickly jotted down notes in her notebook.

Pamela Melroy crossed her arms and looked as if she was in a daze.

Jim Bridenstine held his wine glass, swirling it gently, his eyes glued to the screen.

Inside the Wenchang launch center, Lin Ran remained remarkably calm. He directed via communicator: "Lunar Lander, docking perfect, prepare for EVA."

These are all minor incidents.

After all, Lin Ran had commanded countless astronauts in the past, performing all sorts of dangerous operations.

Gagarin has directed refueling and docking operations on the moon; this is hardly a small-scale operation.

EVA stands for Extravehicular Activity.

To simulate the spacewalk of the Gemini mission, the two prepared an EVA, which required checking the docking point and installing experimental equipment.

Qian Fei put on his spacesuit, entered the EVA hatch on the side of the command module, and connected the oxygen tube and safety rope.

If you develop your own spacesuit without cooperating with China's aerospace industry, it will take at least a year.

Or, without government support, the entire procurement process would be extremely troublesome.

The aerospace industry is somewhat similar to the military industry; it requires cooperation with state-owned enterprises.

SpaceX still has to rely on NASA, so there is no reason why Apollo Technologies, which was only established a year ago, should not have close cooperation with China's aerospace industry.

"Ground, this is Qian Fei, preparing to exit the spacecraft," he reported.

After the sound was transmitted back.

"Received. Be careful," the control center replied.

The hatch opened, and Qian Fei floated into space, where the blue arc of Earth came into view.

He exclaimed, "Just as Aldrin said, the Earth looks absolutely beautiful from space, like a jewel set in the darkness."

Zhao Jianguo remained inside the cabin to monitor Qian Fei's condition: "Heart rate is normal, oxygen is sufficient."

Qian Fei carefully moved to the docking point, checked the probe latch, and installed the miniature camera.

His movements were quite skilled, clearly honed through countless trials, but the weightless environment required caution with every step.

After completing his mission, he returned to the cabin, and the hatch closed.

"EVA successful!" Zhang Hua reported, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

The control center erupted in applause.

Lin Ran said, "Well done."

Pony had to say something: "Lunar Exploration Mission, you are our pride!"

He had already made up his mind that once the two astronauts returned to Earth, Tencent's charitable foundation would give them a big gift.

In the NASA conference room, everyone was shocked.

“Their EVA process is very smooth, and their equipment is very advanced,” Casey Ludes said. “This is not something that was just put together randomly.”

“Yeah, they’re flexing their muscles,” Bill Nelson said with a wry smile. “It’s being streamed live on YouTube, watched by a global audience. They look like the command module from the Apollo program, but there’s nothing similar inside.”

It's hard for us to condemn them, especially since Apollo Technologies, like SpaceX, is much better at self-promotion than China's space program.

This publicity is far more sophisticated than anything China's own space program could do.

Over the next 10 days, the two Apollo Technologies astronauts carried out physiological experiments for the Mercury mission and a science mission for Gemini.

Inside the command module, they took turns resting, sleeping in sleeping bags fixed to the module walls to prevent floating.

Qian Fei tried squeezing out the nutritional paste from the food bag and joked, "This tastes better than during training."

Zhao Jianguo operated the experimental equipment, monitoring plant growth under microgravity and recording data. During this time, the service module's propulsion system underwent multiple ignition tests to simulate orbital maneuvers.

They discovered an abnormal sensor reading and immediately investigated: "It might be line interference."

He collaborated with ground control to switch to a backup sensor, and the problem was solved.

While Qian Fei and Zhao Jianguo were carrying out their mission in space, there was a great deal of discussion on Earth.

Pony shared an article from a public account on her WeChat Moments.

The article is titled: "From Twin Primes to Apollo: Lin Ran's Ten Years".

This article begins with Lin Ran's junior high school years and includes interviews with many of Lin Ran's classmates, teachers, and friends from his past.

This report comes from the person's WeChat public account.

Pony captioned the post: "Lin Ran is indeed the most hardworking and outstanding young person I have ever worked with."

The following comments received a lot of praise from influential figures.

"Pony has such a sharp eye."

"Tencent beat them to it again."

"Pony has always been passionate about astronomy and has been deeply involved in the private aerospace industry for many years. He finally recognized Mr. Lin's unprecedented talent. It is both a case of a talent scout recognizing a promising individual and a meeting of kindred spirits."

Of course, there were also dissenting voices.

The discordant voices mainly came from Mr. Zhang on Douyin.

He commented, "Pony got another lucky break. You're really lucky."

PS: This is not a precedent. Back in 18, the two of them had a public spat on WeChat Moments.

(The above is an example of their playful banter on social media.)

Unfortunately, Tencent's social media platforms capitalized on this Apollo technology manned spaceflight test to generate a significant amount of traffic.

A small trial run on the video platform.

Video Channels launched an attack on Douyin from the short video platform, while Bilibili firmly occupies the long video platform.

Being caught in a pincer attack made things very difficult for Mr. Zhang.

Pony retorted, "Looks like I'm always luckier than you."

"Apollo Technology's financing hasn't even started yet, so Tencent may not be able to maintain its dominant position in the long run," Mr. Zhang added.

The verbal sparring between the two on social media was leaked to the media by their mutual friend, who was always eager for drama, and the screenshots were widely reported by the media and social media.

This further fueled the already intense interest in the entire incident, causing it to surge even higher.

The America incident also generated a huge buzz.

However, their concern was not about China's space tests, but rather about NASA officials violating the work-from-home order.

Back home, Lamin opened his laptop and pulled up the screenshot.

Jim's hotel backdrop, Pamela's ocean view window, and Casey's city skyline all point to a luxury hotel.

He typed on the keyboard and titled it: "While China was chasing the moon, NASA officials were enjoying themselves in a hotel" (WIRED).

The article details how he accidentally entered a Zoom meeting, points out that NASA officials violated work-from-home guidelines, cites Nielsen's stern reaction, and includes blurred screenshots to protect privacy.

Lamin contacted WIRED editors, emphasizing the explosive nature of the report: "This is no ordinary news; the public will be in an uproar."

The editors reviewed the manuscript overnight, and the article was published online in the early hours of the following day.

The article quickly sparked heated discussions on Twitter after it was published.

#NASAScandal has become a hot topic.

Netizens were both angry and sarcastic, mainly because they hadn't experienced the "fist-flame-fist" incident yet, and found it hard to imagine that NASA's management was so lax, and that these high-ranking officials were such incompetent fools.

Originally, people were just joking about how fast China was progressing, but now their emotions are a mix of anger and confusion.

A tweet read: "I've been stuck at home for 18 months, while NASA officials are having Zoom meetings in five-star hotels? #NASAScandal"

Another user created a meme, photoshopping Jim's image onto the hotel poolside, with the caption: "Monitoring China's launch... #HotelGate"

One netizen sarcastically remarked, "While the Chinese are building a lunar spacecraft, our leaders are creating hotel bills."

Fox News quickly followed suit, inviting experts to discuss the code of conduct for public officials during the pandemic.

The Fox News anchor asked, "Does this reflect a failure of NASA leadership?"

The experts they specifically invited responded, "At this critical moment in the space race, this behavior damages public trust."

CNN and NBC, on the other hand, are playing dead.

They either gloss over it briefly in the morning news or don't mention it at all.

After all, the Democrats are sitting in the White House now, and they can't afford to undermine them.

If the Republicans were in the White House, CNN and NBC would be the ones reporting on it extensively, while Fox News would be the ones playing dead.

A few days later, a netizen tweeted that the blurry background of Nelson was actually a conference room in a luxury hotel in Miami.

Other netizens confirmed this information by comparing photos on the hotel's website. Lamin quickly followed up with a report titled "NASA Administrator Also Stays in Hotel, Working from Home Becomes Empty Talk."

Musk then retweeted the news with a laughing emoji.

He then posted several more tweets.

"Why not just cancel NASA's funding and give it all to SpaceX?"

"Compared to NASA, SpaceX is incredibly clean and efficient."

“I’ve met Nelson many times, and he really knows how to enjoy life.”

This news further fueled public anger.

NASA issued an urgent statement saying that senior officials were working in hotels for "security and work needs," such as Casey Ludes, who temporarily checked into a hotel because her home was affected by the storm.

However, the statement failed to quell the controversy.

Isn't this ridiculous?

Questions arose: "Why wasn't this explained beforehand? Why choose a luxury hotel?"

Bill Nelson convened an emergency Zoom meeting, this time clearly set in his home study, during which he repeatedly emphasized that reporters should not be brought in again.

He told his team, "We underestimated the public's reaction and we must apologize publicly."

Pamela Melroy sighed, "I just went to visit my sick mother, I didn't expect to be misunderstood."

Jim Bridenstine lamented, "I shouldn't have chosen that hotel; it was too conspicuous."

NASA subsequently issued an open letter pledging to increase transparency and ensure compliance with pandemic prevention guidelines.

But the public remained unconvinced, and a new meme appeared on Twitter: "NASA's safe location = five-star hotel suite".

The incident sparked widespread discussion against the backdrop of the virus outbreak in 2021.

The public is exhausted by the strict requirements of working from home and even more outraged by the privileged behavior of high-ranking officials.

Some members of Congress have called for an investigation into whether NASA leadership misused public funds, with Senator Bernie Sanders tweeting: "NASA should be focused on space exploration, not hotel enjoyment."

Although Sanders is a Democratic Party member, he is also one of the few idealists in the party who will stand up and say a few fair words.

Meanwhile, China's lunar probe successfully completed its mission, validating its command module, docking, and EVA capabilities.

American media began linking the "hotel gate" incident to the space race between the two countries.

A Washington Post commentary stated, "With China's space program making rapid progress while NASA officials are on vacation, how are we supposed to compete?"

When asked about this at a briefing, the White House press secretary responded, "The president has full confidence in NASA's scientific contributions, but we expect all officials to follow the pandemic guidelines."

These remarks failed to quell the controversy and instead sparked even more discussion.

The incident also sparked discussions about America's competitiveness in space.

Some commentators have called for increased NASA funding and accelerated Artemis program to counter the Chinese challenge.

American citizens on Twitter were unconvinced: "The Chinese are chasing the moon, while we're chasing hotel bills."

Wake up, America!

China's manned spaceflight test missions are still ongoing.

On the 14th day, the mission was nearing its end. The spacecraft prepared to return to Earth. The command module separated from the service module and entered reentry orbit.

"Reentry procedure initiated," Qian Fei reported.

The spacecraft plunged into the atmosphere, its heat shield emitted a red light, and the temperature inside the cabin rose.

Zhao Jianguo gripped the handrail tightly, feeling the oppressive force of the high G-force.

"Deceleration is normal, altitude 50 kilometers," he read out the data.

The parachute deployed, and the spacecraft slowly descended, eventually splashing down in the designated area of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

The recovery ship arrived quickly, and the astronauts were safely brought back.

Inside the control center, staff cheered with joy.

Lin Ran announced: "The Lunar Mission is a complete success!"

On the other side of the world, NASA was also holding a press conference. Nielsen, his face grave, spoke into the microphone:
“I will take responsibility for the mismanagement and announce my resignation as NASA Administrator. I have received permission from the President to leave NASA, effective immediately.”

(End of this chapter)