Chapter 539: Flying to the Sky and Holding the Moon (First update, please subscribe)
After leaving Taiping, the convoy continued to drive north along the Ring Island Expressway. After crossing the equator, it turned to another expressway, which was different from the ordinary expressway. Yes, this highway needs to pass through the military checkpoint.
This leads to the aviation launch site at Cape Mangkaliha.
When the car was about to drive into the aviation launch site at Cape Mangkaliha, a bright beam of light suddenly cut through the darkness and shot straight into the sky, as if it was about to tear the night sky apart.
Seeing this scene, Li Yian quickly pressed the intercom,
"Stop!"
After the car stopped on the side of the road and got off the car, Li Yian looked up at the night sky like this. The figure of the rocket was looming in the light beam, like a shooting star, flying towards the sky, despite the distance. Even far away, but the earth-shattering roar still resounded through the sky, and the speed of the rocket became faster and faster until it turned into a dazzling white light and disappeared into the distant sky.
Standing on the roadside after the rain, breathing the fresh air, Li Yi'an looked up at the stars with a solemn expression.
The light and the roar still echoed in his mind.
The same is generally true for other people.
"Your Excellency, that is?"
"Rocket!"
Li Yian said, still looking up at the stars.
"It's our rocket. We will use rockets to enter space in the future..."
Soon after entering the base, Li Yian learned that the rocket just launched was the Wanhu-1 rocket.
"The Wanhu-1 rocket is a new rocket we improved on the V2 missile. Its range has been doubled by lengthening the fuel tank..."
Listening to Eugene Gesang's introduction, Li Yian asked.
"It shouldn't be able to send satellites into space yet!"
Compared with missiles, Li Yian is now more concerned about artificial satellites and space. Of course, as rocket technology develops, ballistic missile technology will also mature accordingly. In another world, the reason why the United States, Japan and other countries oppose Beibang's satellite launch is simply because they are afraid that they will apply rocket technology to ballistic missiles.
After all, the technologies of the two are interlinked, and there is almost no difference. Just like Russia's R7 intercontinental missile, it is not only the world's first intercontinental missile. It was also a very successful rocket, completing hundreds of rocket launches in the decades after its invention.
Even throughout its life cycle, launching satellites is its ultimate use.
What is an intercontinental missile? What is a rocket? There is actually no gap between them. It's just that the uses are different.
“It’s not possible yet, but we are working on a new type of rocket. Different from the Wanhu Type 1, it uses 4 redesigned rocket engines. The thrust of the new engine is already 1.25 times that of the old model. times, our goal is to further improve and modify the design to increase its thrust to more than 1.5 times..."
Eugene is not just the project leader, he is also a rocket engine expert, working closely with Ty Together they developed the engine for the V2 missile. It was also under his auspices that the progress of rocket engine research in Nanyang was very gratifying.
“According to the current plan, we will first obtain a rocket with faster speed and higher launch altitude by increasing thrust. The next step is to research new rocket engines.”
While Eugene introduced their research progress, Li Yian looked at the rocket on the drawing... In fact, it is still a missile. Like the United States and Russia, the source of Nanyang rocket technology is the V2 missile, which also determines its technical path and development direction. .
Looking at the only one-stage rocket on the drawing, and thinking of the more common multi-stage rockets in later generations, Li Yian asked.
“Have you ever considered using a multi-stage rocket?”
“What?”
Dr. Eugene was stunned, and for a while he didn’t even understand what the other party was. mean.
"It means dividing the rocket into three stages and adopting a series layout. From the tail to the top of the arrow, there are the first sub-stage, the second sub-stage and the fairing containing the third sub-stage. The satellite is here."
Although. I am not a rocket expert, but if I have never eaten pork, I have seen pigs walking. In another era, anyone who has watched several live broadcasts of rocket launches and watched several animation demonstrations will know what a multi-stage rocket is. That thing is definitely better than a single-stage rocket.
He simply drew a sketch, thought about it, and then said again.
“In addition to the series layout, you can also increase the thrust by adding boosters, such as bundling four boosters around the first-stage rocket body...”
……
The air is filled with the smell of moist earth, making people feel a light freshness. The gentle sea breeze blows from the Sulawesi Sea, and the coconut trees, beaches, and blue sea make this place feel like a paradise.
Standing under the corridor, Li Yian stared at this place like a paradise - the Cape Mangkaliha Space Launch Site.
"Since it is the space center of Nanyang, it should also be renamed...Wanhu Feitian...then, let's call this place Wanhujiao!"
Follow the merger that changed the place name. Not only is Wanhu Point, but also the Mangkaliha Mountains in the distance have been renamed "Wanhu Mountains". In fact, in the past few years, many places in Borneo have been renamed, such as the central The Elan Mountains were named the Central Mountains, while Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Borneo, was named Widow's Mountain.
Now... changing the name of the space center is not a big deal.
"Bundled boosters, multi-stage series connection..."
Thinking of the dumbfounded looks of the rocket experts yesterday, Li Yian raised the corners of his mouth and said softly.
“I hope we can speed up the progress and send the satellite to the sky as soon as possible!”
What role can a sudden inspiration play in scientific research?
At least you can avoid a lot of detours. And taking fewer detours means saving a lot of time.
Thinking of the rocket he saw flying into the sky the night before yesterday, Li Yian was even more eager to send the satellite into space one day earlier.
There is no other reason. Nanyang needs to be number one.
In fact, it’s not just Nanyang, it should be said to be this nation. This nation needs to win the lofty reputation of being “first” to boost its national self-confidence.
And Nanyang also needs this first to enhance its own cohesion. After all, as a country of immigrants, it does need something to enhance its cohesion and enhance people's sense of belonging.
"Self-confidence, sense of belonging..."
Reciting this word silently in his heart, Li Yian's expression became a little solemn.
This is what it means to Nanyang, and for a nation that has been sinking for a hundred years, it needs to strive for some "firsts" to prove its excellence to the world.
Self-esteem and confidence!
Yes...this is related to a nation's self-confidence.
"No matter what, we must get the man-made satellite into the sky before Russia!"
Brows raised slightly, at this moment, Li Yian decided to go all out to promote the aerospace industry.
He thought about how in another world, the whole world was shocked when the first artificial satellite launched by Russia sent a signal in space.
What if this number one becomes Nanyang?
How will the world view this matter?
"Wait a minute, in a few years, Nanyang will definitely shock the whole world!"
Of course, by then, the whole world will be looking at Wanhujiao and this space center. Look at the glorious achievements here.
At the end of January, after a half-month inspection around the island, Li Yi'an had just returned to Chang'an, and then signed an order ordering the establishment of the "Nanyang Aeronautics and Space Administration" and requiring it to conduct space exploration.
One stone can create a thousand waves... Actually, there is none at all.
To the outside world, this order seems to be irrelevant. After all, the scientific communities of various countries are conducting space exploration. Things like sounding rockets have been launched one after another before the war. Now What is there to note about what Nanyang is doing?
"It's not a big deal..."
In the U.S. Embassy, Frank, as an intelligence officer, shelved the report directly for the simplest reason - exploring space?
It’s useless.
He obviously forgot one thing. For intelligence officers, the core of the job is to never miss any useful intelligence.
In fact, many times, when faced with cutting-edge technologies, most people are so ignorant. They simply cannot see the role that space exploration has in promoting technology. Of course, they cannot understand it. ——The honor that comes with going into space.
Sometimes honor can outweigh everything else. In fact, this is also the fundamental reason for the intense space race during the Cold War - it is said to be for all mankind, but in fact it is for the honor of the country.
(End of this chapter)