Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 287 Every Strike Causes True Damage
Valentin?
A familiar name; it seems that the new chief designer of their rocket development after Korolev's death in the 60s also had this name.

Lin Ran pondered that this name would probably be common in Russia, similar to Zihan in China.

"Professor, since the start of the war in February 2022, Starlink, as a low-Earth orbit satellite internet service provided by SpaceX, has fully demonstrated its strategic importance in the conflict."

During the siege of Azovstar in April and May 2022, Ukraine forces used Starlink to send photos and videos to maintain contact with the outside world.

This is especially important in besieged areas such as Mariupol, helping troops maintain communications under extreme conditions.

Starlink also supports the command and control of the Ukraine military, including artillery fire coordination and real-time data transmission.

In May 2022, a Starlink-based application became an important component of the new artillery coordination system, connecting commanders with remote observers.

This improves operational efficiency, especially in dynamic battlefield environments.

Over the past six months, UKRAIL soldiers have extensively used Starlink-controlled drones for reconnaissance and attacks.

Starlink allows them to use drones from any location to quickly send data to the command center, analyze videos, and plan strikes against Russian military equipment, with a setup time of only about 15 minutes, which greatly enhances Ukraine's tactical flexibility.

From communications support to military coordination to drone operations, Starlink is everywhere.

Yelena in Russia was definitely a second-generation rich kid.

Especially since the other party remained in Russia after 1991.

As the first man in space, Gagarin's fame is global. As his daughter, Yelena could easily go to the Western world.

She doesn't need to worry about work, salary, or social status; as long as she's willing to go, the Western world will definitely be happy to help her resolve these issues.

What better symbol of victory could there be for the Soviet elites to flock to the liberal camp?
Therefore, Yelena was not only a second-generation descendant, but also absolutely loyal to the Russians!

Therefore, thanks to Yelena's mediation, Valentin was very candid.

Lin Ran listened very attentively. If the people sitting in the White House were fossils of the Cold War, then Lin Ran was a pure Cold War orphan.

To put it simply, it's a bit of a joke to talk about humanitarianism with a young person who has never left the ivory tower, whose first lessons in society were in America in the 60s, in the White House and NASA in the 60s.

Lin Ran had witnessed firsthand how McNamara remained unfazed by the American Air Force's use of Agent Orange in Baiyue villages, and how Lyndon Johnson dismissed the casualties on the Baiyue front as merely a number.

Therefore, when Marina talked about how cooperating with Russia would lead to too many civilian casualties in Ukraine at the Fields Medal ceremony, Lin Ran felt nothing.

Cold War survivors, if they care about these things, how can they even say they worked in the White House in the 60s?

“Professor, given the current situation, we are very interested in your company’s reusable rockets,” Valentin concluded. “We hope to use your company’s reusable rockets to rapidly deploy communication and reconnaissance satellites to meet battlefield needs, and even jamming satellites.”

After listening, Lin Ran said seriously, "I have a few points to make. First of all, we do not rule out doing business with Russia, but the premise is Russia. We need to find a suitable intermediary. It's not that we are afraid of America's ruling party, but for the time being, I don't want to be ruled by the International Monetary Fund."

This is quite a ruthless move. If it gets caught by the government, it's not so bad in China, since people in China pay in RMB and can just pay their employees' salaries and social security through Kunlun Bank.

Kunlun Bank was established specifically to deal with this situation.

But it's still inconvenient.

This is the downside of the international financial system being controlled by others.

"Of course, the stricter America's blockade of us, the greater our room for cooperation."

For now, we still need to find a middleman.

In short, there are many Russian companies in China. Just pick one, have them sign a contract with us, and we'll help them launch satellites. As for you calling them civilian satellites and the Americans calling them military satellites, that's a Rashomon-like situation.

"We're only responsible for launching the rockets; we don't have the ability to identify them."

Valentin understood; all the other party needed was a reason, a reason that could be explained openly.

"Don't worry, Professor, there's absolutely no problem," Valentin replied without hesitation.

Lin Ran continued, "The second point is that our price for a single launch is 2 million RMB. We accept RMB, so we don't need to deplete your foreign exchange reserves."

Valentin looked troubled, because a single launch of the Falcon 9 cost $62 million, while the Burning 1 Mod's carrying capacity was only one-third that of the Falcon 9, and the price, when converted to US dollars, was half that of the Falcon 9.

Of course, even 2 million RMB is definitely cheaper than launching it themselves.

“I need to go back and discuss this offer,” Valentin said.

Lin Ran added, "We can handle launching multiple satellites with one rocket."

"One rocket, multiple satellites" means that launching a single rocket can deploy multiple satellites in one go.

Because an 8-ton carrying capacity does not mean that all satellites are that heavy.

Satellites are classified according to their weight into large satellites, medium satellites, small satellites, and so on.

Early versions of Starlink, such as version 0.9, had satellites weighing only 227 kilograms, which are considered small satellites.

The Falcon 9 can launch 20 to 60 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit at a time.

5月13日15时07分，猎鹰9号火箭在范登堡太空部队基地发射第45批53颗星链卫星；不到24小时，美东时间5月14日16时40分，猎鹰9号火箭又在佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角太空部队基地发射第46批53颗星链卫星。

If the Burning-1 Avatar could launch so frequently, carrying multiple satellites at once, its significance would be far greater than that of a simple rocket.

Launching multiple satellites at once places demands on the rocket. It requires the rocket to have sufficient carrying capacity as well as precise orbit control capabilities to ensure that each satellite is deployed in the correct orbit.

"Professor, could you sell us the modified technology for Combustion-1?" Valentin's voice was somewhat dry.

He didn't think the reason was excessive, but rather it was a reflection on the profound changes that had taken place over the past sixty years.

Sixty years ago, in 1961, the Soviet Union sent Yelena's father into space. First came the first artificial satellite, then the first manned spaceflight, making it the undisputed leading spacefaring power.

NASA was ridiculed in the media at that time. Not only did Pravda laugh at them, but American newspapers also mocked them.

China? Back then, China didn't even have a single satellite. Let alone satellites, China was primarily an agricultural country.

Sixty years later, after vastly different circumstances, Russia is now seeking to purchase rocket technology from China.

Valentin felt somewhat ashamed. Like Yelena, he was a Russian who had lived through the Soviet and Russian eras. As an engineer who had witnessed the last glory of the Soviet space agency, Valentin was filled with emotion and countless thoughts were churning within him.

"Sorry, the technology isn't for sale. The price for cooperation is 2 million RMB per launch," Lin Ran insisted.

Sell ​​the technology? Sell the hen that lays the eggs all at once? I'm not that stupid.

If it's only for sale to Russians, then it's not that it can't be sold.

The problem is that the world is divided into two parts, one of which is the Western world, and Lin Ran doesn't think he can get his hands on that part of the market.

Another part consists of countries under the shadow of Soviet Russia, such as Central Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Lin Ran is also keeping an eye on these places.

If the Burning 1 technology had been sold to the Russians, then the rocket launch market in those areas would have been developed by the Russians, whereas now it's a market that we can compete for.

Even if the Russians offer an exorbitant price, he won't sell.

The Russian experts who followed also discussed the specific parameters of the Burning-1 modified rocket and how to achieve multiple satellite launches with a single rocket.

The atmosphere was very lively, and the Russian experts listened to Lin Ran's lecture just like the students.

However, it is only now that such lectures are given. In the past, only scientists of Korolev's caliber in Russia could hear Lin Ran's live lectures.

"Yelena, what kind of person do you think the professor is? After all, you've been dealing with him for over a year," Valentin asked after they returned to the hotel.

After thinking for a moment, Yelena said, "The professor is the most accomplished expert in the field of aerospace that I have ever met. I think we need to seize the opportunity to cooperate with him."

The Russian delegation wasn't leaving so quickly. After a brief discussion, Valentin and Lin Ran reached a preliminary verbal agreement. Their visit also had a more important purpose: to observe the Burning-1 Gai lunar launch mission.

"Professor, I still don't quite understand why you would adopt such a radical strategy, directly choosing a fully automated launch method, allowing the fuel tank to complete the entire process of switching from orbit to landing in an autopilot mode."

After listening to Li Rui's introduction, Valentin's face was filled with shock.

This time, the fuel tank of Burning-1, which was relaunched and named Wu Gang 0001, was headed to the edge of Shackleton Crater at the south pole of the moon.

Have you ever seen 9999 Wu Gang chopping down the cassia tree?
This location is also the best of the 13 optimal landing sites selected by NASA for the Artemis program.

Because if you want to build a base on the lunar surface, and you want to gradually expand that lunar base from a small one to a large one.

Therefore, water and sunlight are the two most important factors.

The lunar south pole is considered an ideal location for building a permanent, scalable base. It also includes a permanently shadowed region containing water ice, which can be electrolyzed into oxygen and hydrogen. Water is also an essential resource for transforming lunar soil into concrete.

At the edge of Shackleton Crater, there is shadow on one side and almost constant sunlight on the other.

Simply put, a base needs to be near an area with continuous sunlight to maintain power, while also being near a shady area to obtain water ice; Shackleton can have both.

This location was selected over a period of more than a decade by lunar geologists from Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA’s Antarctic Site Analysis and Planning team.

(The exact amount spent in US dollars was not found.)
The Chinese are going up first now.

It didn't garner much attention from the general public, but in the eyes of professionals, it was even more outrageous than replicating the Apollo moon landing.

After all, with the Apollo moon landing, you at least went up there yourself. Shackleton is like this: you spend a lot of time and effort choosing a location, then confidently declare that you will land on the moon in 2020 and build a small base near Shackleton Crater, saying how great this place is.

In the report submitted to NASA by NASA's lunar site selection team, a total of 13 locations were selected, and they were touted as excellent in every way. Among them, Shackleton was the one that was praised the most.

(Oblique view of the edge of Shackleton Crater (left) and the Shackleton-Derjerass Ridge extending from the middle left to the upper right.)

Antarctica is located on the left side of the image, near the small, sharp, bright crater at the edge of Shackleton Crater, about 25% from the bottom.

The ridgeline is approximately 14 kilometers long, with NAC designation M1348682369LR. (Image source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University)

It's like this: you keep telling your buddy how beautiful the girl in the next class is, and you say you'll definitely pursue her after the college entrance exam. After the exam, you bring her flowers and a handwritten letter, only to find her sitting on the back of your buddy's bicycle. How could you not be heartbroken?

That's how American space enthusiasts feel right now; this time, every spacecraft landing on the moon is a real blow.

“From a technical point of view, I think that as long as the rules for autonomous driving are set well, autonomous driving is more reliable than us controlling it on Earth,” Lin Ran said. “Don’t forget, I am also an artificial intelligence expert, an AI expert who is proficient in mathematics.”

Valentin remained silent; the other party's expertise went far beyond mere mathematical aptitude.

"But you don't know the situation of Shackleton Crater yet. Are you asking Wu Gang to make his own judgment?" Valentin continued.

Achieving a soft landing in Shackleton Crater on the lunar south pole is extremely challenging.

To put it simply, no one had ever succeeded before.

Shackleton Crater is even more challenging, as its interior is in permanent shadow while its outer edges receive almost constant sunlight, resulting in extreme lighting conditions that can affect navigation.

Lin Ran explained: "The method of relying on communication and then operating from the ground is more dangerous. You have to consider that the temperature in the shadow area is extremely low, which will affect the electronic equipment of the spacecraft."

It's better to let the aircraft decide for itself.

Lin Ran thought to himself that whether he succeeded the first time or not was not that important.

Even if it crashes, it's okay.

If Wu Gang 0001 can reach Shackleton Crater, I can use the door to go up and deploy a computing and communication system inside the rubble. Then, through this computing system, I can connect with the lunar spacecraft and have the computing center on the moon provide computing power for automatic navigation calculations.

Simply put, the problem of which came first, the chicken or the egg, is solved by the existence of the door, which allows you to grab a chicken from thin air.

As the founder of Apollo technology, he was able to erase all traces of navigation on the moon.

After the automatic navigation stabilizes, we will then propose that we send a set of computing equipment up.

In reality, the computing equipment came first, but to outsiders, it appeared as an improvement on lunar navigation technology.

Therefore, whether or not it can achieve a soft landing is not important; a hard landing is also acceptable, as long as it is as close to Shackleton Crater as possible.

The launch site remains in Wenchang.

“All systems are normal,” Li Bin looked up. “The rocket and lander have passed all tests.”

Li Rui nodded: "Very good, prepare for launch."

As the countdown reached zero, the Burning One modified rocket ignited on the large screen in the control room, slowly ascending into the night sky.

"Trajectory normal!" shouted the engineer in the control center. Telemetry data on the screen showed that the rocket was ascending as planned.

A few minutes later, the first stage separated, and the second stage continued to push Wu Gang 0001 into low Earth orbit.

The first stage began its return to Earth, preparing for a vertical landing at the Wenchang Space Launch Site.

“The nose is approaching the landing zone,” an engineer reported.

As the engine ignited, the nose cone descended slowly and finally landed precisely at the Wenchang launch site.

Polite applause rang out in the control room; everyone was already used to it, and the performance of the modified Burning One was as stable as ever.

Li Rui smiled with relief and shook hands with Li Bin: "Well done! Now we need to focus on Wu Gang."

Wu Gang has entered low Earth orbit.

After a series of automated checks, the trans-lunar injection and combustion process begins, sending it to the moon.

The lander's engines ignited, successfully escaping Earth's orbit and heading towards the moon.

A few days later, Wu Gang approached the moon and needed to perform lunar orbit insertion burn-in.

The atmosphere in the control room was tense. It was the first time anyone had done such a fully automated operation, and no one knew if it would work.

The engineers in the control center were ready to take over Wu Gang at any time.

The burn-in was successfully completed, and the lander entered lunar orbit.

A low cheer rang out in the control room, easing the tension.

The most challenging moment arrived: landing on the edge of Shackleton Crater. This location is rugged, rocky, and partially shadowed, making navigation extremely difficult.

"The terrain is complex with significant slope changes, so our navigation system must be absolutely accurate." The engineer was worried for Wu Gang.

Wu Gang started to decline.

The control room was silent; everyone was staring at the screens.

The images of the lunar surface transmitted back by the lander's cameras are getting closer and closer.

Suddenly, the alarm sounded: "Obstacle detected!"

The risk avoidance system will activate automatically.
The lander's AI system took over, adjusted its trajectory, and avoided a boulder.

Finally, the screen displayed: "Landing confirmed."

(End of this chapter)