Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 358 The Open High-Tech Satellite Launch Center
Qin Liang was just an observer here and had no right to speak. At this moment, he looked at Old Lin gratefully and then spoke.

"Back when Northwestern Polytechnical University decided to develop navigation satellites, we wrote some SCI papers, which were discovered by Professor O'Neill of Princeton University. He was very excited and came to our university for technical exchanges."

Qin Liang explained: "They were very concerned about our dual-satellite positioning. When they heard that our onboard atomic clocks were having difficulties, they coordinated with Holtron Corporation to purchase three onboard atomic clocks at the US military's internal procurement price, which solved a major problem for our Beidou navigation system. It can be said that the fact that Beidou-1 can now be launched into space is inseparable from Professor O'Neill's help."

A small error can lead to a huge mistake. The positioning accuracy of navigation satellites is closely related to the timing accuracy of the onboard atomic clocks!
In later generations, after the first generation of Beidou was launched, its accuracy was only 100 meters. After setting up calibration stations on the ground, the accuracy could be improved to 20 meters, just like the differential ground stations that improve the signal of civilian GPS. However, 20 meters of accuracy is still not enough for military use.

It's important to understand that the Americans, with their advanced GPS system, can achieve precision strikes. They can be so precise that if they say to shoot through the left window, it will absolutely not fly in through the right. The accuracy is at the meter level, and some even claim it's at the decimeter or centimeter level.

The first generation of Beidou used atomic clocks purchased from Europe. By the time of the second generation of Beidou, the Europeans stopped selling them, and the East had to develop its own atomic clocks. Due to the multi-satellite positioning, the accuracy was improved to ten meters. With the help of ground calibration stations, the positioning accuracy was improved to within five meters. It was not until the third generation of Beidou that the accuracy was finally improved to the meter level. For military signals, the accuracy was even improved to about 0.2 meters.

For ordinary users, previous in-car navigation systems could only guide them to a certain route. With BeiDou, they can now guide them to a specific lane, which is a high-end lane-level navigation feature.

"Thanks to Professor O'Neill's help, our first-generation Beidou system can achieve a navigation accuracy of about ten meters. With the help of ground stations, it can be accurate to one meter," Qin Liang said. "Professor O'Neill's help to us is enormous."

Wang Sheng murmured, "Comrade Qin Liang, now that you mention it, Professor O'Neill is indeed very good, and can be considered a friend of our East. However, a friend is a friend, and regulations are regulations. The security level of our Xichang Launch Center is very high, and it's not a place for foreigners to come and visit."

"Can this rule be changed?"

Qin Liang's words stunned everyone present. He was going to change the rules just because they were restrictive? Comrade Qin Liang, you certainly have some ideas!

Old Zhang asked with a serious expression, "Tell me your reasons?"

"The space agencies of various countries initially originated from the military. After all, launch vehicles and ballistic missiles are essentially the same; one sends people into the sky, and the other sends them to their death. However, with the changing times, civilian spaceflight and military agencies will gradually go their separate ways."

Qin Liang tried to keep the conversation light, as he disliked a serious atmosphere.

"Military applications will definitely need to remain classified, while civilian applications need to be gradually opened up so that more people can understand our aerospace technology, admire our aerospace progress, and build national pride and self-confidence. At the same time, our civilian aerospace sector should also break away from the previous model of relying entirely on state investment. Civilian aerospace can also make money."

Many people present stared wide-eyed.

The spring breeze of reform has swept across the land, bringing about tremendous changes. Many organizations have begun to transform, but what about the aerospace system? Should it maintain its old ways? How far can it go relying solely on state investment? What if it could make money on its own?

"We in the East have the advantage of low costs, so I believe we can definitely undertake satellite launch business internationally. The funds earned can support the aerospace sector's own projects. Look at Northwestern Polytechnical University, we don't need a single penny of government funding, and we've still developed, haven't we? We rely on doing business with foreigners."

The expressions on everyone's faces were complicated.

With the reform and opening up, the aerospace system has also undergone many changes. Some young people, unable to bear the loneliness, tried to find connections to transfer out of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Meanwhile, some of the more capable senior engineers also wanted to go into business and make big money...

If this continues, the aerospace system will run into problems, and they have no other option but to report to their superiors and ask for better treatment.

Now, if the aerospace system reforms and takes on satellite launch business from abroad, making money, the aerospace system can develop in a healthy way!
However... the aerospace system is inherently mysterious. If it were to take on international launch services, foreigners would definitely come to the launch center, which would expose our secrets.

They looked at Old Zhang with complicated expressions, all waiting for him to make a decision.

"Comrade Qin Liang is right. After I joined the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, I got a grasp of the situation of the entire defense industry. I can say that most of them are not performing well. Their products are outdated and their profits are low. They all need state funding. If the country wants to develop its economy, where will it get so much money to support those in difficulty?"

Mr. Zhang was deeply moved.

"The aerospace sector is extremely expensive, and national funding is stretched thin. I've been wondering before if the approach Northwestern Polytechnical University used in developing navigation satellites could be applied to our aerospace system. Now, Comrade Qin Liang's proposal aligns with the development of our Eastern aerospace industry, so..."

Old Zhang looked at Qin Liang: "Today, we're allowing foreigners to come in and see our space launch site. Comrade Qin Liang, can you bring us satellite launch business?"

Qin Liang shook his head: "I can try my best to win it over, but international competition for this kind of business is fierce. I can't guarantee that I can win it over right away. I have to wait for the right opportunity. However, the first step to let foreigners understand our Eastern aerospace capabilities is to go out and explore."

Dongfang's first foray into international satellite launch services coincided with a market lull. The US Space Shuttle explosion and the French Ariane rocket's repeated launch failures had eroded market confidence in Western rocket launches, leading many to turn to Dongfang with a tentative, "let's give it a try" attitude.

It was only 82, and the difficulty of undertaking satellite launch business internationally was extraordinary!
Old Zhang nodded: "Alright, in that case, we'll make an exception and allow Professor O'Neill and his students to enter our Xichang Satellite Launch Center. But security must be top-notch, and they can't see anything they shouldn't. If anything happens... I'll take full responsibility!"

This is the awareness of the older generation of leaders: "Go ahead and do it boldly, I'll take the blame if anything goes wrong!" Many leaders in later generations, however, would say, "Work hard, work yourselves to death as long as you don't die. If you achieve results, it's because I led well; if there's an accident, you'll be the ones to take the blame."

"Come on, Liangzi, I'll show you around here some more," Old Zhang said with a smile.

Inside the assembly building, Qin Liang saw Professor Wang and others busily conducting various tests on the satellite installed on top of the rocket. This was the first major scientific research achievement of the Aerospace Engineering Department of Northwestern Polytechnical University, and they were all full of anticipation.

And next to the factory... Qin Liang also saw the bodies of two other Long March 3 rockets!

"This is our first launch of the Long March 3 rocket. To avoid launch failure, we prepared three rockets..." Ren, a veteran of the aerospace industry, came up and personally introduced them to Qin Liang.

Ren was born in 1915. He went to the United States in 1940 and obtained a master's degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in engineering mechanics from the University of Michigan. After returning to China, he worked in a military research institute. When the Harbin Institute of Technology was established, he met Qian Xuesen.

What foreigners can build, Chinese people can build too. Does that mean Chinese people are inferior to foreigners? Qian Xuesen's words stuck with Ren Lao for the rest of his life. From then on, Ren Lao's life was closely linked with the aerospace industry.

When we were working on the Long March 3 rocket, most people planned to use conventional propulsion. Only Ren Zhengfei said firmly: "We have to take the hydrogen-oxygen engine step sooner or later. We can take it now. I am willing to make a solemn pledge!"

Therefore, the hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine became the first choice. For the development of this rocket, Mr. Ren devoted himself wholeheartedly and took all kinds of risks. Once, the instrument compartment suddenly caught fire. In the thick smoke and the water jets used for fire extinguishing, Mr. Ren climbed directly onto the test stand, wanting to find the source of the fire as soon as possible...

Historically, in 1984, the Long March 3 rocket failed to launch for the first time, and the second stage rocket could not ignite. At that time, Ren was under great pressure and searched for the cause of the failure. He finally found that 0.15 milligrams of aluminum shavings left at the circuit contact point caused poor circuit contact.

In 1996, when the Long March 3B carrier rocket launched the international satellite 708, it crashed to the ground and exploded just 22 seconds after liftoff, becoming the most serious accident in the history of China's space program. Moreover, this was broadcast live!
After a six-month investigation, the cause of the malfunction was finally found: the solder joint of the voltage output module in the servo circuit of the servo drive frame had failed. The rocket's inertial navigation platform output an incorrect signal, and the rocket performed attitude correction according to the incorrect signal, leading to the catastrophic crash.

The two incidents, one caused by impurities at the contact point and the other by a poor weld, fully demonstrate that the aerospace industry demands precision and allows no room for error!

and many more!

Qin Liang suddenly thought of something: "Have we checked the electrical system of this rocket?"

"I've checked them. The circuit boards produced by the Northwestern Polytechnical University's factory are of exceptional quality..."

what?
Qin Liang was stunned again: "This circuit board was produced by Northwestern Polytechnical University?"

“That’s right.” Professor Wang raised his head: “When we were docking with the aerospace system, we found that their circuit boards were still using primitive manual soldering methods, which was too backward! So, we asked the Department of Electronic Engineering for help and used four-layer printed circuit boards with through-hole reflow soldering process. After soldering, we checked it with X-ray. The quality is more advanced than the aerospace system’s own technology…” Professor Wang wanted to say that it was a hundred times more advanced, but he felt that it was a bit like self-promotion, so he didn’t continue.

"It's a hundred times more advanced than ours! From now on, we'll have all our rocket circuit boards manufactured by Northwestern Polytechnical University!" Professor Ren nodded.

"This...does this mean that the relevant units within our aerospace system have no work to do?"

"Yes, they switched to producing televisions."

This……

Qin Liang's expression was complicated as he continued, "What about the circuit components? For example, some parts with contacts..."

The circuit board is fine, but what about the quality of the internal components? What if the launch failure is caused by a component quality issue? Wouldn't that cause trouble for Northwestern Polytechnical University?
"Northwestern Polytechnical University's technology is truly advanced. Many of our original circuits used contacts, and to be honest, we were worried that these contacts would malfunction during rocket operation. Now, Northwestern Polytechnical University has replaced them with switching transistors, which can support both high voltage and high current. You won't find another company in the world with this technology."

Mr. Ren was still full of emotion: "I heard that you were the one who single-handedly promoted the gallium nitride technology route. This is absolutely epoch-making!"

Qin Liang's expression was complicated. He had initially worked on gallium nitride to assemble phased array radar. However, gallium nitride is a top-notch material with many applications. Some circuits that require relay control can use gallium nitride switching transistors. Later power adapters used high-end gallium nitride, which has sufficient power and small size!
"Professor Ren, you flatter me. This is the result of the joint efforts of all the teachers and students of Northwestern Polytechnical University. My personal strength is insignificant..."

"No, no, choosing the right technology is very important. I heard that Northwestern Polytechnical University is going to develop a liquid oxygen-methane engine. We old-timers in the aerospace industry are really excited. This technology will definitely allow our aerospace capabilities to reach world-class levels!"

The United States has hydrogen-oxygen engines, Russia has liquid oxygen-kerosene engines, and we have liquid oxygen-methane engines!

"Report! Foreigners have entered; they request access to the command and control center!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Liang was startled. He had thought the foreigners were at Northwestern Polytechnical University, waiting for their approval, but now it seemed they had already reached the perimeter of the launch site!

"No, the command and control hall is our most confidential place, we can't let them in!" Wang Sheng said anxiously.

"Liangzi, what do you think?"

“Old Zhang, I think that if we just take a quick look around the command and control hall, we won’t see any secrets, right? As long as we don’t let them touch the equipment, it’s fine for them to just walk around and look.”

"Yes, let them in. They can look, but they can't touch them," Old Zhang nodded.

"Um... I'll go along and take a look too. After all, they're friends from Northwestern Polytechnical University."

Old Zhang nodded: "Go ahead! Old Lin, let's go eat!"

"Oh, you only remember me now? Wait a minute, you'll have to punish yourself with three drinks to quell my anger."

"Luzhou Laojiao, plenty available!"

Command and control hall.

Just as Qin Liang arrived, the foreigner reached the doorway.

"Qin! You're here too!" O'Neal rushed up, taking three steps at a time. "Qin, it's so good to see you!"

"Yes, I also heard that our Beidou satellite is about to be launched, so I came here specifically to visit. Mr. O'Neill, on behalf of Northwestern Polytechnical University and the aerospace sector in the East, I would like to thank you for your help."

"It's all as it should be, Qin. Have you considered turning this regional navigation system into a global navigation system?"

Qin Liang was taken aback. These people had come not just to visit, but with ulterior motives?
"Doesn't the US have a GPS project?"

“That project is too expensive, and the network won’t be operational until the 1990s. We believe that your BeiDou navigation solution only requires three satellites spaced 120 degrees apart to meet global navigation and positioning needs. You shouldn’t just consider the East, but the needs of the whole world…”

Geostationary orbit is very high, requiring only three geostationary communication satellites to achieve global communication. However, for the East, in order to meet its own positioning needs, it operates in geostationary orbit with a longitude difference of 60 degrees. This results in high accuracy for the East itself, while other countries' accuracy is somewhat lower.

It would be very difficult to achieve global positioning by adding just one more chip!
“We have applied for orbital resources, but currently the two satellites can only operate in orbits with a distance of 60 degrees. To achieve global navigation, we need at least two more satellites, but we… do not have enough funds.”

I don't know what the other party is thinking, so I'll just play the poor card first.

"Wow!" Just then, everyone entered the command and control hall, and O'Neal's students immediately exclaimed in surprise.

Qin Liang also found it amusing; what's the big deal? It's just...

Holy crap, what's going on with this entire screen?

The command and control hall was quite spacious, with three rows of seats, each with a computer screen, keyboard, and mouse. Qin Liang was familiar with this scene, but... right in front of these control panels, there was actually a large screen!

There were no LCD monitors in this era, so this large screen could only be made up of stacked flat rectangular monitors. It was easy to display each monitor separately, but to display a single graphic together... that required an advanced computer processing system!

"Everyone, let me introduce myself." Wang Sheng had come with Qin Liang, after all, he was worried about them. Now, seeing the foreigners' surprised looks, for some reason, he felt a sense of smugness. Hmph, country bumpkins, never seen the world before, huh?
"Our command and control hall's large screen uses a display array. As you can see, it has six columns vertically and ten rows horizontally; this screen is composed of sixty 27-inch monitors..."

Describing these appearances is no big deal.

"Can these screens display a complete image?" O'Neill asked.

"Of course, when it launches, you will all see the rocket images captured by the cameras outside on the entire screen..."

It works!
"How did they do that? That's incredibly advanced!"

"It's alright. We in the East have Loongson chips, so we can coordinate even a large number of screens..."

Once electronic technology develops, everything else will follow!
"This technology is so advanced! Eastern technology is absolutely number one in the world!"

(End of this chapter)