"Sorry, we really don't have a need for financing at the moment, and commercial spaceflight doesn't make much money, I'm afraid you'll lose out!"
"Mr. Lin, aerospace is the future. At LDG Capital, we don't care about how much money we make. We just want to contribute more to the cause of human progress!"
"Really, it's not necessary."
"This is for the noble ideal of all humanity!"
"…"
Lin Ju had been bothered by a host of investment groups for several days, and these capitalists were all big fish—he was not yet at the point where he could afford to snub them.
Foreign capitals were especially interested in China's private aerospace sector, with the lowest investment coming in at ten million US dollars.
Of course, their intentions were not so noble. Once they got involved with financing, going public was inevitable, followed by hyping concepts and shearing stockholders worldwide like sheep.
This was like the early days of the internet start-ups that could easily grab tens of millions of US dollars in investments; they didn't care whether the company made money or not, nor did they rely on it for profits.
What the capital groups were best at was hyping up company concepts and then making money through stock prices, which was much faster than painstakingly managing a company for profit.
But the consequence was that the life or death of the company wasn't a concern, and the operation would be interfered with. It was okay for internet companies, but physical businesses especially abhorred this, so Lin Ju could not possibly do the same.
Even the shares distributed to the employees only came with dividend rights and no decision-making power; the entire factory was firmly in Lin Ju's hands.
During the factory upgrade, apart from dealing with miscellaneous matters and changing the management structure, there was also the need for the System Engineers to decide how to choose system assistance.
Theoretically, traditional spaceships were better, but, but spaceplanes were just so cool!
"Lifting-bodies, which means smaller wings, smaller volume, light wing weight, and high space utilization."
"The two-stage spaceship is also very advanced! No need for an Escape Tower, it has its own escape capabilities, can be reused, and each time you only need to replace the propulsion pod... compared to the entire launch project, it's not expensive."
"But, but that's a spaceplane!"
The four System Engineers could of course discuss the two options with ease and spent several evenings continuously researching together.
In the end, their answer to Lin Ju was: if both designs were technically sound, the spaceplane would be slightly inferior in performance, but with higher potential, while the two-stage reusable spaceship was safer, but that was its limit.
In the engineers' research room, Lin Ju stared at the scattered analysis papers and blackboard filled with handwriting, his chin pinched in his hand as he slowly spoke:
"As an aerospace enterprise, caution and safety are the foremost priorities."
Seeing the boss finally make a decision, Guo Shen, who was equally troubled, also breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, so option one..."
"So we choose the spaceplane."
"Eh... what?"
All four engineers were taken aback by Lin Ju's sudden change of direction. Wasn't he talking about being prudent?
"What are you looking at? We are the game-changers; of course, we defy common sense!"
Lin Ju felt it was only natural. Since the difficulties of the two were similar, it had to be the spaceplane! He insisted on going against the current.
In the system panel, the institute added a second mission—the first was the modification project for New Yuan No.1.
[Based on technical assistance, send at least 5 astronauts or 2 astronauts and 3600 kg scientific payload into low Earth orbit and return safely, completing a rocket recovery experiment.]
[Current Progress: 0%]
[Investment: 0]
There, the mission was established. Guo Shen and the other three exchanged glances and shrugged their shoulders. They just had to execute it.
Lin Ju brought out all the rocket recovery technology from the system's assistance and task rewards, placing the hard drive on the table:
"Everyone, we only have 359 days left, please tap into your potential!"
Three days later, the institute's engineers had sorted through the technology they received.
3D printing of rocket engines through additive manufacturing was a great thing, and it could greatly reduce the manufacturing time of rocket engines, essentially reaching the speed of production of Ma's Sky Fork engines; the manufacturing time for the K120 could be cut in half.
The RX01 data bus was a software standard that complemented the C-class rocket recovery technology, allowing for more precise and reliable control of the rocket.
C-class rocket technology referred to the recovery technology of the first stage of rockets with a 5-meter diameter, which used self-contained legs and vertical landing.
It included a rich database for rocket recovery posture, allowing the automatic control system to predict the rocket's movements in advance so that it could adjust its attitude in time to avoid losing control, with an overall reliability of 97%.
Last, and most importantly, were the technical specifications for the internal codename H-1 type space shuttle.
When the technical data was decoded, Guo Shen exclaimed that they had struck gold.
The biggest problem with space shuttles wasn't safety, but their high price.
The cost of a single launch wasn't expensive, but the external thermal tiles and ceramic insulation boards were.
They were attached to the exterior of the space shuttle like bricks, allowing the latter to penetrate the atmosphere with a hundred-ton body without burning up.
Each mission required a reapplication, with the number of tiles amounting to tens of thousands; just the cost of applying the thermal tiles could make even the peak-era United States feel the pinch.
The sheer quantity also led to safety hazards, where the loss of one tile could potentially hit a part of the rocket and cause an accident.
The H1 space shuttle also had thermal tiles, but they were much more advanced.
Larger in size, lighter in weight, and better in performance, the entire shuttle only used a few hundred tiles, a world of difference from the initial space shuttles.
Moreover, according to the design, they could be reused at least three times, reducing the cost of each launch significantly.
The overall design was also very forward-thinking and bold; the wings were almost integrated into the fuselage, allowing the body to generate lift, making it look round and almost wingless.
If one were an outsider, they might doubt whether this plane could fly at all.
The interior space also differed from traditional space shuttles, with better human-machine efficiency and operability, giving it a futuristic feel of a sci-fi blockbuster at first glance.
The data also included matching space suits for the cabin, featuring a very minimalist exterior design that was much more portable than the current suits used by various countries.
Lin Ju, after seeing the computer's rendering, couldn't wait to see it fly, and even made a small model to be placed in his office as an ornament.
After much excitement, Lin Ju then pondered the final question: although small, the space shuttle weighed a full 20 tons; which rocket could send it into space?
The System Engineers, of course, had their own solutions and presented two options.
"Boss, if we play it safe, we use all existing technology:
Develop a 3.5-meter-diameter rocket body, equip it with four K120 engines, and strap on two existing 2.5-meter-diameter boosters, each carrying a K120 engine, giving a liftoff thrust of 732 tons, a payload ratio of about 3%, and a low Earth orbit carrying capacity of 21.5 tons, just enough for the space shuttle.
If we strap on four boosters, the liftoff thrust would be 976 tons, with a low Earth orbit carrying capacity of 30 tons.
The advantage of this plan is that the only technical challenge is the 3.5-meter-diameter rocket body, which isn't difficult; there is no new technology beyond that, making it very reliable and extremely mature."
"What about the more aggressive option?"
"This... I tend to view it as a long-term plan." Androff took over, pulling out a hand-drawn rocket blueprint.
"On the basis of the K120, we develop a new engine that increases thrust to around 150 tons; we develop a 5-meter-diameter rocket body, equipped with seven new engines, for a liftoff thrust of 1050 tons and an estimated low Earth orbit lifting capacity of about 31 tons.
Moreover, this configuration would make it possible to recover and reuse the first stage of the rocket, with a simple structure and the potential for CBC capabilities."