Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 268 Online Recruitment with Annual Salary of One Million
There's a line in a well-known online novel that perfectly describes how the two of them feel right now.

"Right now you're only at the Ascension Realm, your vision is still narrow. Seeing me is like a frog in a well looking up at the moon. When you're lucky enough to reach the Fourteenth Realm, seeing me will be like a mayfly looking at the blue sky."

Those who are laymen, like journalists, simply cannot grasp the amount of information contained in this sentence.

It's just a matter of giving instructions on how to change course. Is that any different from other control centers?

Their assessment of Lin Ran's brilliance stemmed from the sheer scale of the lunar landing project itself, which he accomplished in just over a year.

From a macro perspective, it is recognized that Lin Ran is a genius in the field of aerospace engineering, no less than that in the field of mathematics.

Laymen can only see up to this level; they can't capture such details.

The more knowledgeable someone is, the more likely they are to believe that Lin Ran has already calculated the code and then read it out as a paraphrase. Although the command is well-organized and impressive, that's about it.

But for someone as knowledgeable as Wu Weiren, the impact of just this one sentence far outweighs the impact of replicating the Apollo moon landing project itself.

It's like an iceberg, with an even more terrifying Leviathan monster hidden beneath.

"I said we agreed to provide them with our orbit calculation software, but they said they didn't need it for the time being. I even went to Professor Lin and said that NASA's open-source general mission analysis tool is okay for post-analysis, but if you really want to use it for lunar orbit changes, the risk is very high."

We've been using our analytical tools for so many years, but Professor Lin declined at the time, saying we didn't need them for the time being.

I thought they had done some secondary development based on GMAT, but I didn't expect this."

Before Wu Weiren could finish speaking, he already didn't know how to describe the situation.

NASA has a multi-mission open-source system called GMAT that supports orbit calculations for missions from low Earth orbit to deep space. It includes models of real-world objects: spacecraft and thrusters.

Then there's the commercial software called STK, which is used for the vast majority of NASA missions for orbit planning and simulation, in conjunction with GMAT and other tools.

It's clear that open source is usable, but to a limited extent. For a mission as important as the moon landing, relying on open source is tantamount to suicide.

Wu Weiren didn't know where Lin Ran and his team got their confidence from. Were they planning to reinvent the wheel based on the GMAT?

The problem is that you're not even willing to use our existing Magpie Bridge because you think it will take up too much time. Wouldn't it take even more time to recreate the orbit calculation software?
If this thing doesn't undergo sufficient testing and verification, it might as well be open source.

For example, the maiden flight of Europe's Ariane 5 ended in failure due to a software error in orbit calculation.

In 1999, NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter failed to change its orbit, also due to an error in the orbit calculation software. However, this error was even more basic because the US used imperial units.

The output of the ground computer software is in pounds per second, not in Newton-seconds as specified in the contract between NASA and Lockheed.

Ultimately, this caused the spacecraft to get too close to Mars, pass through the atmosphere, and disintegrate.

Because orbit calculation software is so prone to problems, it still largely relies on the astronauts' experience.

China's space program initially believed that Apollo technology relied on Aldrin's personal experience during the orbital maneuver.

The two astronauts, personally trained by Aldrin, combined with far more powerful modern ground computing capabilities, at least in terms of ground-based aspects such as designing mission trajectories, tracking actual positions, determining orbits, and creating orbital maneuvers, were certainly much more sophisticated than in the 60s. This, combined with the astronauts' individual qualities and Aldrin's unique lunar landing experience, made them far more capable.

Previously, Chinese aerospace experts believed that Apollo technology relied on these factors.

After seeing it with my own eyes today, I realized that wasn't the case at all. They relied on a freakish intellect to give me the results directly.

With the successful orbital change of the lunar probe, what's even more terrifying is that the calculations performed by its brain were still correct.

Wu Weiren muttered, "You said it would be our turn, but in just half a minute, can we really grasp the full meaning of the parameters on the big screen in our minds?"

His colleague next to him stared at the screen and tried it: "If we can't do it, then we're not cut out for this job."

This is utterly ridiculous. I tried it, and the numbers just spun together in my brain; I couldn't tell them apart at all.

How should we evaluate the successful completion of the Apollo lunar orbit mission?

"I'm so sorry, the foreigners have already broken down. I've been scrolling through Twitter all day, mainly watching the foreigners break down. Basically, all the Americans have broken down, and the Europeans are just watching the show."

Everyone knows that America won the moon race during the Cold War. The reason why the "magic" slogan was so attractive and so effective in winning votes among rednecks is because the 60s were such a wonderful time for the American people.

If we disregard the Vietnam War, a worker can support a couple with three children and a dog, plus a large house and two dogs, while the news is full of stories like the American people landing on the moon.

It's fair to say that the moon landing was the event that most effectively awakened the memories of America's golden age, bar none.

Now, the Chinese have done it for them ahead of time, and white men who have personally experienced the 60s or heard their fathers recount America's glory days in the 60s are deeply moved.

A private Chinese aerospace technology company completed the entire process from the Mercury Program to the Gemini Program and then to the Apollo moon landing tests in just one and a half years.

Although astronauts Qian Fei and Zhao Jianguo did not set foot on the moon this time, it was no different from them going there.

Because from a procedural standpoint, there was absolutely no difficulty; the entire process was carried out perfectly, so next time it would just be a matter of doing it again.

To put it simply, if America were on the lunar lander today, she would be so unruly that she wouldn't obey commands and would end up landing on the lunar module.

So when they realized that Chinese companies had used the rockets and lunar landers from the Apollo moon landings to achieve the moon landing, white men on Twitter were all outraged and complaining about how incompetent the White House and NASA were.

Then there were also awakened factions who believed that America's moon landing was a conspiracy, that they had only landed on the moon in a studio, and that the Chinese had actually built the thing they had calculated on paper.

This group of people means that there was never a Saturn V rocket back then; it was all just a model that was built, and then photos were taken by a special effects company. The parameters and everything else were fabricated, and the actual engineering drawings were just drawings; it was never actually built.

China was able to manufacture it not because it copied America's technology, but because the Chinese are awesome.

This viewpoint is like a troll insisting that the wife seen in the video isn't his wife, but just someone who looks like her. As for why his wife isn't home, he says it's because she's working overtime.

I call this the NTR (Netorare/Terrorism) Breakthrough School.

Another group calls on the White House to prevent Chinese people from going to the moon first, saying that even if the supply of Nvidia graphics cards to China is restored, the Chinese moon landing should be prevented, as this would severely damage America's international image. This group belongs to the dying struggle faction.

Oh right, I forgot to mention, there's also an LGBT group. This group believes that only white people have been to the moon in the past, and now Asians should also go, but that's not diverse enough. They mean that China should bring a Black woman with them.

As everyone knows, when Ran Shen was interviewed, he said that he wanted to send Aldrin up there. Judging from this, the two manned space missions were carried out by astronauts Qian Fei and Zhao Jianguo, which is one less than the Apollo moon landing.

Aldrin, at his advanced age, certainly couldn't withstand continuous acceleration and deceleration; he would definitely only be included in the final official moon landing.

So it's obvious that the missing person is Aldrin.

The international community also thinks so, so many people are calling for Aldrin to stop going because he is so old, and to give the last spot to Xi'an Proctor, an American Black woman born in 70.

She has many titles; she was the first Black woman to create art in Earth orbit, and in short, she achieved many firsts, especially when the prefix "Black woman" is added. And the loudest voices weren't from Black people, but from white people, who were the most vocal on Twitter calling for Xi'an Proctor to be placed there.

These people were so obsessed that they believed the White House should send Xi'an Proctor to the top, even if it cost money.

In the past, the Americans' defense penetration was all fake, but this time, the Burning God dealt real damage.

I've never seen so much buzz about space travel on Twitter. Those NASA officials who resigned to take vacations are being dragged out again and relentlessly criticized.

On Zhihu, everyone is celebrating, while on Quora (the American version of Zhihu), it's all reflection.

We need to reflect on the problems at NASA, the problems at America, and even whether white people are inherently incapable, suggesting that the past two centuries were merely accidental mishaps.

"I am Gerald, an engineer at SpaceX. You can see my certification on my homepage. What I want to say is that before the advent of Apollo technology, it was almost an impossible task for a company to replicate the Apollo program and achieve a moon landing in just one and a half years."

Or rather, it's simply impossible.

When China's space program announced the successful development of what was called Luna 1, but was actually an F-1 engine, Apollo Technologies came into our view. However, at the time, the news was very noisy, with people discussing how the Chinese had built an F-1 and were shameful thieves.

But the general reaction within our organization at the time was that it was impossible; they were lying, either the published parameters were fake, or the fact that they had replicated the F-1 was false.

No one believed that China could replicate the F-1 rocket engine, even though it is a product from sixty years ago.

Once China's lunar orbiting mission is completed, I think no one will question the authenticity of the F-1 rocket anymore. The Saturn V is real, and even if the five engines on the bottom of the Saturn V are not F-1 rockets, they must be rocket engines that are in no way inferior to those of the F-1.

Considering that Apollo technology achieved this in just a year and a half, it is truly amazing, amazing, amazing!
In terms of time, cost, and number of participants, it is an absolute miracle in the history of human engineering.

According to the Planetary Society's predictions, the Apollo program was launched in 1961, and Apollo 11 successfully landed on the moon in 1969. The program lasted from 1961 to 1972, costing a total of approximately US$254 billion, equivalent to US$1820 billion to US$2570 billion today.

At its peak, it involved more than 34000 NASA employees and 375000 supplier employees, demonstrating a massive collaborative effort.

What is this number in China? According to Professor Lin in a public interview, Apollo Technology has no more than 2000 employees, and the number of suppliers is not expected to exceed 20,000. In other words, the number of people they used was less than one-tenth of the number of people used in the Apollo moon landing, and the time used was one-fifth, with valuable work such as Burning 1 also included in between.

What does this mean? It means rapidly conceiving extremely complex engineering systems, from the F-1 to the J-2, and then to structural components and navigation systems. Don't say that replication can save time. If replication could really save time, Artemis should have been replicated instead of reinventing the wheel.

The essence of how replication saves time lies in your genuine understanding of every aspect of the project. Replication in the engineering field is about replicating materials, not information. When replicating a paper, I only need to memorize it and repeat it once. What might take someone a year to write, I can do in three days by memorizing and copying if I have a good memory.

Replicating information is very simple.

In engineering, replicating even very basic engineering experiments in biological fields takes about the same amount of time as the authors of those papers, from design to implementation.

Therefore, Professor Lin definitely possesses extraordinary design and development capabilities.

Secondly, there is manufacturing and testing. For manned missions, manufacturing and testing are particularly crucial. The entire process, from procurement to manufacturing to testing, needs to be strictly controlled. I estimate that this is thanks to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which has been able to strictly control this process.

Finally, there's the infrastructure. They can also leverage China Aerospace's existing facilities, including launch, mission control centers, and training facilities, which China Aerospace has rapidly improved over the past two decades.

Then, to refute the conspiracy theory, China has been preparing for decades to replicate the Apollo moon landing, and has only now finally succeeded.

To reiterate, decades is a long time. Landing on the moon costs money, and decades ago, China didn't have the resources for that. Moreover, when it comes to overcoming key challenges in engineering projects, money is of little use.

If money could guarantee a moon landing, Russia, Japan, and India wouldn't have repeatedly failed in their attempts.

If China had been able to build the F-1 engine and Saturn V earlier, its space station could have been designed more aggressively, instead of being only 90 tons as it is now.

In conclusion, Professor Lin demonstrated extraordinary abilities in technological innovation, resource mobilization, project management, and risk management. America's decision to send him back to his home country was likely a fatal mistake, no less costly than financial one.

The Imperial Seal of the State failed to return to China in the 60th timeline and did not demonstrate any engineering capabilities in 2020, so how could it not be returned to China?

The discussion was lively on Zhihu and Quora, and it was also a great deal of discussion on platforms such as Weibo, Bilibili, and Douyin.

Lei Jun has started what he calls the last startup of his life, a startup he claims will continue, though perhaps he can do it a few more times. He posted a Weibo message stating:
"After watching Apollo Technology's lunar orbit test, I have more confidence in our team's car manufacturing. After I announced that we would be building cars, many friends came to advise me, saying that others have been building cars for decades, and even other new forces are ahead of us. What makes us think we can compete with them? What are our advantages?"

Apollo Technology and Professor Lin told us that they relied on technological innovation, teamwork, and a sufficiently excellent team leader. Of course, I may not be as good as Professor Lin in terms of technological innovation, but I believe that our foundation is stronger than Apollo Technology's foundation in lunar landing.

They were able to shorten the moon landing from ten years to one year, and we can similarly shorten the decades-long car manufacturing process that others take to three years. I can't wait to bring the cars made by the Xiaomi team to the market, so that consumers can also experience the fun that technology brings to ordinary people when it is no longer out of reach!
Finally, I will also respond to the calls from Mi Fans and collaborate with Apollo Technology as soon as possible to launch a lunar exploration edition of the Xiaomi 12 this year, and Xiaomi Car will also have a lunar exploration edition!

As soon as Lei Jun posted on Weibo, the comments below were all:

"It's urgent, can the lunar exploration version be released as soon as possible?"

"Could I get a signed copy of the God of War? If we can't release the moon exploration edition, at least we can release a collaboration edition first."

"I'm rooting for Lei Jun! I'm already looking forward to it. I've already cancelled my Tesla order."

"Mr. Lei, could you invest some money in Apollo Technology? I'm worried they're facing a cash flow crisis. Could you kick Tencent out? Xiaomi and Apollo Technology have a much closer DNA. Tencent is a game company; what is it getting involved in moon landing?"

Public opinion has never paid so much attention to space exploration.

The story of Qian Fei and Zhao Jianguo has been unearthed. As former astronauts in reserve for China's space program, they have now spent half their lives away from home and, after many twists and turns, embarked on a lunar mission. Such stories, about dreams and hard work, perseverance and luck, are favorites of self-media.

Three days after the lunar orbit test, Li Yiqing, who had disappeared for an entire day, returned to her dormitory on the Yenching University campus and patted Xu Xian's bed:
"Holy crap, what kind of insane interview is this?"

Xu Xian quickly put aside the recently popular mobile game Genshin Impact. Ever since Lin Ran helped him solve the big problem he faced after graduation, he has started a decadent life.

As for producing more results, that's what the brain thinks, but in reality, there's no motivation at all.

They are characterized by intermittent bursts of ambition followed by a habitual complacency and a wait-and-see attitude.

"What's wrong! What's wrong!" He quickly poked his head out.

Li Yiqing said, "Didn't you see the group chat? Didn't you tag everyone in the group chat?"

Xu Xian then clicked to take a look: "Holy crap, an annual salary of 100 million? They're specifically recruiting math majors? And it's a state-owned enterprise that can provide residency permits? No restrictions on education or experience, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees are all acceptable. They only look at ability, not resume, and don't require experience?"

Proficiency in analysis and algebra is required?

Holy crap, that's exactly me!

He glanced at the time again: "Thank goodness, I almost missed something big while playing Genshin Impact! Luckily, the deadline hasn't passed yet."

After listening, Li Yiqing hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes, this is a rare opportunity, you can't miss it!"

　Honestly, on the starting line, when it comes to imitating Lei Jun, no one can do it better than me. Those who are familiar with me should know that.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)