Riding the wind of rebirth

Regarding the current state of scientific research, especially military scientific research, Zhou Zhi often encounters similar touching yet inexplicably sad things.

Research like ion electropropulsion is not an isolated case in the country. When the country is forced to concentrate resources on more important projects, scientific researchers often continue to save money and do their best to squeeze out funds, often even at their own expense, just to keep the project going.

"That's a good thing." Old Yu added with lingering fear: "We recently learned that the United States has planned to install their new ion thrusters on the 'Deep Space 1' probe. This is a 3.048-month verification flight project. The plan is to use a -decimeter diameter ion thruster to provide power, and accelerate the spacecraft to a speed of kilometers per hour during the flight mission!"

"If successful, this would be the first step towards the real application of high-power ion propulsion. If we had really stopped the ion propulsion project, we would have been left behind by NASA for ten years!"

"This is both the result of the unremitting efforts of the 501 Institute and our luck." Yu continued, "But now they need an opportunity to put our own ion propulsion into use, so as to continue to advance the research of this project and even get ahead of the United States."

"Deep Space 1 is just an experimental device for exploration. It is not really an actual application. It is similar to the nature of our Dongfanghong-1." Zhang Shuqiu said, "If we can install ion electric propulsion on Dongsanyi and successfully raise the satellite's orbit with it, the application prospects in the future will be great. The country will definitely pay attention to this project again, and open up a new development channel for our subsequent long-term research."

"So we sincerely ask you to agree to this integrated design of the space-star-ground network," said Mr. Yu, "and use it as an application platform for a number of cutting-edge aerospace technologies in our country to promote the further development of national aerospace technology."

If this project is promoted by the state, then there is no need to think too much about these things. There will naturally be unified arrangements, and the transformation of new technological achievements will inevitably be launched.

But now Zhou Zhi and his team are the client. Whether they need to do so or not, whether the design plan should be radical, experimental and forward-looking, or conservative and mature and applicable, is the client's choice. Although several veteran experts want to drive a batch of new technologies to be transformed in this rare large-scale project, it also depends on Zhou Zhi and his team's attitude.

Zhou Zhi's current feeling is that it is unbelievable. It is like using his own money to buy a car, but the manufacturer tells him that although the money can buy the best car we have at present, we actually have a better one, but it is still on the drawing board. Because we lack money, we cannot convert it into a real product.

Now if you just add a little more money, we can get this new car off the drawing and let you drive it away. If you want a bigger car, we can even control the price to be lower than the old model.

Do you want to take a look?

According to the later information Zhou Zhi has, China's space industry has made a qualitative leap since this year. Accidents have almost never been heard of again, but the stories have become more and more bizarre and sci-fi. Later, there was even a joke that astronauts went to the back of the moon and used cigarette butts to burn aliens to force them to hand over their black technology.

Therefore, if Academician Zhang's design of "hitchhiking" is successful, the system's capabilities will be increased by at least 50% on the basis of the original 15 stars, and its reliability will also be more complete.

It doesn’t matter if it fails. Even if it is impossible to complete the transition from medium-Earth orbit to synchronous orbit, there is still 60% redundancy in the synchronous orbit, and there is enough time to launch a new synchronous orbit satellite.

Since they are not short of money, why not? However, this has increased the pressure on both sides. At least six stars in Zhouzhi will be equipped with ion electric thrusters, which will undoubtedly increase the cost by a large margin.

Academician Zhang's 90mm xenon ion electric propulsion system is still an experimental product, and there is still a lot of work to be done to transform it into an industrial product. Moreover, the 90mm diameter is too small, and it must be expanded to about decimeters through multi-stage parallel connection, which is half the diameter of the thruster of the U.S. Deep Space probe, in order to meet the needs.

Both sides felt that it was difficult for the other, so they even spoke in a polite manner. Finally, they reached a consensus in an atmosphere of excessive respect for each other and designed this system based on the comprehensive sky-star-ground network plan, code-named "Star Engine".

The meaning is very beautiful, and it is the engine that drives the development of Chinese satellite Internet technology.

Such discussions are both exciting and enjoyable, but also very mentally exhausting. After dinner, Zhou Zhi felt that his brain was about to boil, so he insisted on adjourning the meeting for the night to let Mai Xiaomiao rest, and start the introduction of the computing power matrix tomorrow.

After thinking about it, Mr. Yu felt that Zhou Zhi and his men should not be held to military standards, especially since there were two young masters from Hong Kong, Li Lao Er and Li Lao San, so he agreed to Zhou Zhi's request.

Li Laoer and Li Laosan were indeed relieved, especially Li Laosan. The technical details that seemed obscure and difficult to understand to Zhou Zhi were even more exaggerated to him.

But he couldn't help but listen, after all, this thing directly determines whether the quantitative model can make money.

Now that the general plan has been agreed upon, all that remains is for Li Laoer's team of experts to come over and discuss the details, finalize the price and payment method, and draw up the contract. These kinds of things don't require much effort, nor do they need the several veteran experts to ask about each one one by one.

"Let's go to Hanhai." Coming out of the conference room, Li Laoer said, "Wanqiu is also in Beijing, Elbow, you two haven't seen each other for a while, right?"

"Oh, that's a long time." Zhou Zhi nodded: "But I still have to go to Sony Fujiwara Oka and Matsui Zou to find out about the lawsuit filed by the Music Practitioners Union."

"You can't help much." Li Laosan waved his hand. "This kind of thing happens a lot in Europe and the United States. Many unions are actually shady. They do evil under the pretext of political correctness and morally blackmail practitioners and capital. Your case is probably similar to a labor dispute. In the end, you may not even make it to court."

"That's right. Just leave professional matters to professionals. Sony and Samsung are definitely more anxious than you are." Li Lao Er said with a smile: "Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword to target Pei Gong. The Music Practitioners Union is actually just a pioneer. If they succeed, the major film companies will probably follow suit and sue the DVD Alliance." (End of this chapter)