This star is going to the moon

Chapter 494: I wonder how advanced the future technology in "The Wandering Earth 2" will be?
As the Lunar New Year approaches, the atmosphere among Lao Chinese is becoming increasingly lively.

However, amidst this enthusiastic atmosphere, Chinese netizens who frequently use VPNs discovered that a certain conspiracy theory was emerging on foreign websites.

In other words, the speed of China's aerospace technology development is very unreasonable, a bit too fast!
At first, foreigners didn't know, didn't understand, and didn't comprehend why this was happening, so watching China's rapid advancements in aerospace technology felt a bit like watching "Cthulhu."

Now, they feel they have found the answer.

This isn't Cthulhu, this is an alien!

With this "clear understanding," they no longer limited the situation to aerospace technology, but instead categorized all the rapid technological advancements of the Chinese and the Laos into the answer that "the Chinese and the Laos have acquired alien technology."

Of course, they also know that the Chinese will definitely not admit it, which is why they call it a "conspiracy theory".

Originally, this matter was only spread among conspiracy theorists, UFO enthusiasts, and extraterrestrial civilization enthusiasts. Others didn't take it seriously, at most they would just categorize the information and publish a book called "Unsolved Mysteries of the World".

Then NASA suddenly got involved.

While it did not officially claim that China's current aerospace technology development originated from extraterrestrial technology, some of its retired and even current employees came forward in their private capacities to support this claim.

There are even some high-level managers among them.

That's enough for conspiracy theorists; it's "official endorsement"!
As for the elderly and Chinese...

There was absolutely no response.

It's almost Chinese New Year, who has time to deal with all this nonsense?

If you're so capable, come and investigate me yourself.

Of course, the Americans wouldn't dare to come.

After all, if it were truly capable, it would have already achieved what it did at the beginning of the century.

Hit whoever you want.

Now...

The local troops have all withdrawn, and a humanitarian incident has occurred, so all they can do is complain when something happens.

Of course, he'll chatter even when there's nothing wrong with him.

Faced with this situation, many people feel that the American film is somewhat similar to the movie "The Matrix Reboot," which was released in mid-January.

This is the fourth installment in The Matrix series.

People have noticed that American science fiction movies... seem to have reached their end.

Now it seems like all that's left is the suspicion of rehashing old material.

The Matrix series originally began in 1999.

Yes, it was the era when you had to sign a confidentiality agreement and couldn't talk about it.

Then, in 2003, the second and third installments were released.

With this fourth installment this year, fans have once again been forced to revisit the plot of the first film.

The first Matrix film tells the story of Neo, a programmer who discovers during his hacking activities that the real world is actually a virtual world called "The Matrix" controlled by AI.

The rebel leader Morpheus firmly believed that Neo was the prophesied "savior," so he helped him escape the Matrix and awaken in the real world.

This led him to the horrifying discovery that humans were imprisoned by machines and turned into bioenergy.

After undergoing combat training, Neo engaged in a fierce battle with Matrix agent Smith. He was eventually resurrected after sacrificing himself, and also awakened superpowers. He then reshaped the Matrix from the perspective of code and successfully defeated Smith.

Even today, the special effects of the first film, where the characters dodge bullets with their bodies, are still stunning.

However, the true significance of The Matrix lies precisely in the first film.

Because the next two movies were completely superfluous.

The fourth installment was even more disgusting.

This is a classic example of "the first film was a box office success, so they insisted on making a sequel to make money even though there was no sequel."

Like most Hollywood movies, it leaves an Easter egg at the end. If the box office is good, a sequel is made; if the box office is not good, it fades into obscurity.

Sequels to films like "Independence Day," "Alien," and "Jurassic Park" are all examples of classic works being forcibly given sequels, which then rely on rehashing old material to generate box office revenue again.

Meanwhile, The Matrix Reboot was released overseas a month ago, but moviegoers in various countries have not been buying into it. Not only are the ratings low, but the box office has also flopped.

Its cost was close to $2 million, but the estimated total box office was only a little over $1 million, which was a huge loss.

It has just been released in China, and the domestic box office estimate is not high, at most 80 million RMB.

How should I put it? It's about the same level as the animated film "Paw Patrol" which was released at the same time.

The estimated box office for "Paw Patrol" is over 80 million RMB.

This is pretty much the situation in the US now. They were glorious decades ago and even stood at the top of the world.

But the Americans seem to have taken it all for granted, becoming completely obsessed.

In fact, it has become increasingly lagging in recent years.

Coincidentally, the soaring GDP over the years has given Americans plenty of confidence.

Well, at least some people are genuinely confident after seeing the GDP data.

Others have already begun to think about how to deal with this actual "internal trouble".

If this "internal trouble" is not handled properly, then the subsequent "external trouble" will be inevitable.

But some people who lack knowledge are cheering.

Last year's GDP figures are out. The US remains number one with over $23 trillion, China is second with $18 trillion, the UK is third with $5.1 trillion, Germany is fourth with $4.2 trillion, the UK has returned to fifth with $3.1 trillion, and India has slipped to sixth with $2.95 trillion...

[Wow, the US GDP exceeded 23 trillion last year, a whole third behind the second-place country.]

Who says developed countries have slow economic growth? The US economy is booming! You Chinese will always be chasing after them!

[Exactly, what's there to be happy about exceeding the deadline? The two countries are not comparable in size. If you want to compare, compare with the US.]

[Haha, the Chinese can't compare to the Americans. Don't be fooled by the rapid growth in overall GDP; it's all built on a bubble. When you compare per capita GDP, it's pathetic.]

[That's right. Just like India surpassed its former suzerain state with its large population and abundant manure, it was still easily overtaken by Russia. Simply increasing numbers is meaningless.]

[Come on, you say our GDP has a bubble? The US GDP doesn't have a bubble either? Their bubble is practically overflowing!]

[Exactly, you only look at the US's high GDP, but you don't look at how much inflation has increased in recent years?]

[Haha, that's why they say "earth-based culture" is just that—earth-based. They don't understand the real situation at all. All the good things they have to do are based on their own imagination. It's quite a lot of work.]

Forget about those idiots, let's look forward to the Spring Festival. I can't wait to rush to the cinema to see "The Wandering Earth 2"!

The trailer looked amazing! The special effects in this movie seem just as good as those big-budget American sci-fi movies that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make!

[Definitely. In the past two years, the special effects technology of Lu Yun's Blue Star Craft Film & Television Special Effects Company has advanced rapidly, much like our country's aerospace technology. I suspect this company has also used alien special effects technology.] [Haha, is the alien thing really that widespread now?]

These are all conspiracy theories coming from the Americans. I don't know what they're trying to achieve with these things; they can't defeat us anyway.

[What conspiracy theory? I'm an employee of Blue Star Spacecraft. I personally burned the aliens' butts with cigarette butts to force them to hand over their advanced special effects technology!]

[It's not just the special effects; many of the space scenes were filmed live. And wasn't Rowoon wearing a spacesuit on the moon? That hazy background is the moon, right?]

[It's definitely the moon. After all, not only in the movies, but Lu Yun probably goes to the moon in real life too...]

The closer it gets to the Spring Festival, the more discussion there is about "The Wandering Earth," since just a few trailers have revealed a lot.

The special effects were truly unmatched by the first film, completely on par with those Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Compared to those Hollywood "practical filming fanatics," Guo Fan is the real practical filming fanatic.

Many Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters feature space scenes, but who actually went to space to film them?
Guo Fan really went to space to film this time!
He used internal channels of Bluestar Aerospace Company, which can even be considered part of Lu Yun's investment.

In addition, Lu Yun had previously promised on the variety show "Back to Field" that if his two younger sisters did well in their exams, he would let them go to space to play.

As it turned out, they did do very well on the exam, so Lu Yun would definitely keep his promise.

It just so happened that Guo Fan was going to space to film, so Lu Yun let them all sit on the "Wooden Kite".

The scenes in "The Wandering Earth 2" where spacecraft take off, as well as shots inside and outside the atmosphere, were all filmed in this way.

As for the moon... Lu Yun can't go to the moon yet, but he has said before that he wants to make a movie on the moon.

However, he can't go there in person right now, but that doesn't mean he can't make a movie on the moon.

The lunar textures in "The Wandering Earth 2" were based on footage taken by the unmanned lunar rover. Additionally, a moving shot taken by the unmanned lunar rover was used as monitoring footage for the manned lunar rover in the movie.

After all, the video quality of the unmanned lunar rover certainly doesn't reach movie level, so it can't be used directly as footage seen by actors, but it can still be used as surveillance footage.

In movies, vehicles are always driven by people, so surveillance cameras only need to be able to get a general view; there's no need for movie-quality footage.

If we install surveillance cameras according to that specification, the cost will skyrocket.

Speaking of the technology in the plot of "The Wandering Earth 2", Lu Yun has hidden quite a few Easter eggs.

Needless to say, the powered exoskeleton technology has greatly advanced in this life, far surpassing the technology of the previous life, thanks to his involvement. Therefore, the powered exoskeleton in this life is hardly an Easter egg.

The real surprise lies in the weaponry.

For example, in terms of fighter jets, apart from the cool vertical takeoff J-20 modification that the production team wanted to create, many of the rest were based on Lu Yun's opinions.

Of course, many things are not yet available, so Lu Yun can't directly do a "protagonist close-up," so he just stuffed some things into the corners.

Like the "Ginkgo Leaf" sixth-generation fighter jet, they will be added to the aerial melee caused by drone rebellion.

For example, Xiong Da's "stealth fighter" complains that he is always attacked because his stealth is too poor.

The sixth-generation fighter jets flying right next to him were not locked on at all; the sixth-generation fighter jets were the ones attacking the drones.

In addition to the base protection for the planetary engines and space elevator, Lu Yun also deployed laser cannons, along with numerous multi-barrel close-in weapon systems firing tracer rounds.

With these things, when the audience sees the real thing later, they won't have to keep searching online for Guo Fan to "revise the script" or say that he's making an "ancient costume drama".

However, the real surprise comes from the aerospace field.

After all, as the current "space trendsetter" between Laos and China, Lu Yun can participate in planning the future development direction of Laos and China's space program.

In this regard, when Sha Yi introduced the planetary engine in the movie, he mentioned that robots 3D print engines on the moon, which is faster.

That's not just a movie plot; Lu Yun is planning to do it for real!
To establish a permanent presence on the moon, it is not enough to simply use "prefabricated modular cabins" transported from Earth; actual structures must be built on the moon.

However, there are many extreme challenges in carrying out in-situ construction on the moon.

For example, there will be challenges such as a single source of materials, no liquid water, low gravity conditions, and a day-night temperature difference of over 300 degrees Celsius.

In addition, there are approximately 1000 moonquakes of magnitude 2 to 3 per year, intense cosmic radiation, and rugged and complex landforms and geological structures, among other things.

All these challenges will make "lunar construction" a true "mega-project".

Two or three years into the previous life, Beihang University proposed the concept of "lunar soil bricks".

Lunar soil bricks are a potential building material for constructing houses on the moon. The research team combined lunar soil samples brought back by Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 to develop two simulated lunar soils, BH-1 and BH-2. They then prepared geopolymers using an alkaline-activated reaction in a simulated lunar environment, revealing their hardening mechanism and completing ground-based verification.

Combining 3D printing technology, the team used these materials as "ink" to print bricks, exploring the feasibility of in-situ automated construction on the lunar surface.

However, this was just the beginning. In 1924, Huazhong University of Science and Technology further introduced the "Moon Pot Zun" concept.

They made bricks by sintering the weathered layer of lunar soil, and the bricks were automatically built on the lunar surface by "super bricklayer" robots.

The "Moon Pot Zun" is shaped like an upright eggshell, with two layers inside, serving as a work area and a rest area respectively, and is the standard design for a lunar base.

(Net map)
The team also envisioned building a "Lunar Basalt Base," which would involve sintering lunar soil bricks with mortise and tenon joints, integrating traditional masonry techniques with 3D printing technology, and using a combination of modular prefabrication and printed connections to construct the lunar surface.

These were just ideas at the time; it wasn't until two or five years later that a laboratory developed an experimental version of the lunar "brick-breaking" machine.

The system uses focused solar energy to melt lunar soil and then uses solar-powered 3D printing technology to directly transform it into bricks that can be used for construction. The entire process requires no water or any adhesives, embodying the core concept of in-situ resource utilization.

The system mainly consists of two modules: an optical focusing module and a molding and manufacturing module.

The principle is to concentrate sunlight through a large parabolic mirror and transmit the light energy through optical fiber to the terminal to concentrate it more than 3000 times, generating a high temperature of up to 1500 degrees Celsius, thereby melting the lunar soil, which is then formed into bricks by an automated 3D printing device.

In addition, radiation protection on the moon is another major challenge for lunar habitation.

Without the protection of an atmosphere and magnetic field, the intensity of cosmic rays on the lunar surface is 200 times that on the Earth's surface.

Therefore, the research team discovered that by adding ilmenite powder refined from lunar soil to 3D printed walls, the shielding efficiency of buildings against galactic cosmic rays can be increased to 85%.

Increasing the thickness can also protect against minor, common impacts.

Since the moon has no atmosphere, tiny meteors won't burn up inside the atmosphere and will only fall straight down.

The prototype of brick-making technology only appeared 25 years after the previous life, because the manned moon landing in the previous life would not happen until around 30 years later.

In this life, Lu Yun is aiming for a manned lunar landing in 2024.

Even if it's just a short stay initially, some things definitely need to be prepared well in advance.

He now wishes time would speed up, fast forward to 2024 or 2025, so he could see the astonished expressions on the netizens' faces.

No, you really do have it!

So, are all the technologies in "The Wandering Earth 2" real?

Is "The Wandering Earth 2" a science fiction film or a documentary?

It's definitely science fiction. After all, a space elevator is quite difficult to build; it wouldn't be possible to build one in two or four years.

And so, in this pleasant mood, the day of the Lunar New Year arrived.

"The Wandering Earth 2" is set to premiere during the Spring Festival, and this time it will also be released simultaneously in North America!
(End of this chapter)