In the objectives of Plan Two, the system gave Lin Ju a choice between sending 5 astronauts or 2 astronauts with 3.6 tons of scientific payload.
Lin Ju, of course, chose the latter, as finding 5 astronauts was a bit too difficult for him.
With his rich experience, Deng Lei, coupled with his composed demeanor as a former serviceman who obediently followed orders, had already been earmarked by Lin as the commander in his mind.
Traveling to space is not like an American science fiction movie; it's not possible for astronauts to accomplish the mission by ignoring the ground control and AI and manually operating the vessel. When necessary, they must follow the commands from the control center.
However, someone did remind him of the vacant astronaut positions.
A senior engineer, who had been helping a System Engineer modify the simulation cabin, casually mentioned:
"Although going to space is dangerous, if nothing goes wrong, it doesn't seem like a big deal and ordinary people can handle it; so why not send someone with technical expertise up there? Perhaps if something breaks, they could even fix the spacecraft."
Lin Ju was taken aback and thought to himself, that's right.
With dual safeguards in place for spacecraft operation—ground control and pilot control—the lack of piloting skills for another crew member wasn't a big issue, and sending an engineer to space was indeed feasible!
This had already become a precedent in the aerospace community. For example, many of the people on the International Space Station were researchers who had been trained to operate the equipment and conduct experiments, not all of them ace pilots.
And then there were those billionaires who paid to go to space; despite their advanced age and lack of prolonged training, hadn't they gone up and down just fine?
As Lin Ju fell deep into thought, the System Engineer tweaking the simulation cabin suddenly felt a chill on his back and instinctively turned around to meet his boss's dangerous gaze.
He swallowed nervously:
"Boss, I'm really busy with work, 16 hours a day researching H1, I really don't have time to train, I can't go."
Hmm, System Engineers were scarce and had other uses; even reducing their training regimen wouldn't do.
Choosing someone physically fit was simple; someone from the factory security department would do, but going to space still needed to be significant, hence someone with major importance should go.
Lin reviewed his factory employees in his mind and found that either they were too busy or lacked scientific research significance. As he pondered, he even considered going himself.
But after careful consideration, he abandoned the idea; if something really went wrong, it would be a great loss to all of humanity without the system.
The thought of going to space was certainly tempting, but he decided to wait a while longer.
Time flew by, and it was time to leave work—New Yuan Aeronautics implemented a strict eight-hour workday. Although overtime was sometimes needed, it was considered moderately easy-going, as without it, the rapid manufacturing speed wouldn't be possible.
The System Engineer mentioned working 16 hours a day, including time for meals and a bit of rest, but in reality, it was not far from the truth; moreover, these individuals who seemingly had superhuman energy never seemed to slack off or fall ill.
Lin Ju's meals were the same as those of the regular employees in the factory canteen, and he did not feel like he was treating himself poorly.
So what if he was a billionaire? Was it because the two meat dishes and one vegetarian dish didn't fill you, or was the free soup not tasty enough?
"Hello, Factory Manager."
"Factory Manager Lin…"
"Hello, Chairman."
Employees greeted him as he passed by; those from the original tractor factory were used to calling him Factory Manager, while the newer ones tended to call him Chairman, which allowed Lin to distinguish between the old and new factions at a glance.
Since the employees often came here to eat, they weren't too surprised when Lin Ju, after getting his meal, had just sat down when two old gentlemen also carried their trays and sat opposite him.
"Lin Ju, long time no see."
Tong Peiqiang and Zhou Rui, the two old guys, were now quite pleased with themselves. Having participated in satellite projects before, they were a key part of the collaboration with New Yuan Aeronautics in satellite manufacture. Now, they held the rights to use the satellite most of the time.
Not only were they able to use the satellite's equipment to publish papers in their field, but others needing access to it also had to go through them, which led to a rapid rise in their status at the institute, turning them into popular figures at the school.
Whenever they mentioned their involvement in rocket and satellite projects during their lectures, they would garner a sea of admiring gazes from the students, who suddenly paid more attention to the usually dry and dull lectures, making the professors very happy indeed.
And the root of it all was Lin Ju; this mutually beneficial collaboration that made other universities green with envy. So, when the two saw Lin Ju, they were extremely enthusiastic, getting up to get more food to sit down with him even though they had almost finished their meal.
After brushing up on his aerospace knowledge, Lin Ju realized that Southern Machinery Institute wasn't as exceptional as they claimed, but he wasn't annoyed. After all, it was a case of mutual agreement, and strictly speaking, he wasn't at a loss either.
As he chatted with the duo, he looked at Tong Peiqiang's somewhat short and chubby figure and Zhou Rui's slightly taller and leaner build, and suddenly blurted out a saying he didn't know where he had heard: The best partnerships always consist of one tall and one short, one fat and one thin.
As the three engaged in pleasant conversation, Lin Ju suddenly pointed at the two professors' plates and said,
"The two professors are really full of vigor. I can hardly eat this much myself. It seems that scientific research really does require a lot of energy."
Zhou and Tong exchanged glances, unsure if Lin Ju was joking or implying something. Zhou Rui gave a cough and said,
"Although I'm almost fifty-six, I've never really been one to sit in the office. I exercise regularly."
"Yes, yes, we also need to go out for surveys often, whether it's to factories or construction sites. It really wouldn't work without a good body."
Seeing the two of them looking ruddy and full of vigour, Lin Ju suddenly had a bold idea.
The H1 spacecraft, when carrying 3.6 tons of cargo, still had 1.7 tons of payload capacity, which meant there was enough space for four comfortably sized seats, or three without any problem.
Since both of them had a certain level of scientific ability, and considering that the mission's 3.6-ton scientific payload was quite significant, maybe it would be best to have professionals operate it. Perhaps...
The bold idea slowly took shape in Lin Ju's mind and became clearer and clearer. His gaze toward the two professors changed.
Lin Ju's silence made Zhou Rui and Tong Peiqiang somewhat puzzled. Just as they were about to speak, they heard him say,
"Mr. Tong, Mr. Zhou, New Yuan is already rolling out a new project. Do you want to participate?"
Tong Peiqiang, who had thought something bad was coming, was taken aback and then replied eagerly,
"Yes, definitely! Whether it's a satellite or a rocket, Southern Machinery Institute will give its full support. If anyone objects, I'll criticize them at the committee meeting!
Lin Ju, as long as you think highly of us, our alma mater will support you even if it means breaking the bank."
Zhou Rui also indicated likewise, assuring Lin Ju that they were at his full disposal without any hesitations.
Lin Ju gestured for the two to come closer, whispered a few words to them, and then sat back.
Zhou and Tong looked somewhat astonished at first, taking several seconds to process what Lin Ju had just said. After exchanging glances to confirm they hadn't heard wrong, expressions of hesitation appeared on their faces to varying degrees.
"This... going to space is something best left to the professionals, isn't it?"
Lin: You just need to be willing (smiles).