I ask you to build tractors, but you build rockets?

“The world’s largest space shuttle appears in Xinyuan City”

"Back to the old ways? The space shuttle is back"

“Could a nuclear-powered space shuttle become a reality?”

"Director Lin is not joking, he might actually use a space shuttle to land on the moon!"

"NACA: Research and development of next-generation large-scale reusable spacecraft in orbit is underway."

When the H2 aerodynamic test prototype appeared on the Internet, the aerospace community's reaction was no less than that of being thrown a hot iron block into the water.

It's not because H2 is too advanced, but because it's too "backward".

Unlike H1, which uses wing-body fusion and lifting body technology on a large scale, H2 is more like a traditional space shuttle. Wing-body fusion is present, but less used, and the layout is very conventional. It is similar to Columbia and Buran, but more Big circle.

Although the reputation of the space shuttle has gradually reversed, the outside world still believes that small space shuttles have great potential, and large space shuttles themselves are incorrect.

Is the nuclear thermal-powered space shuttle announced by Xinyuan last year true? Is a nuclear-powered space shuttle going to the moon?

Except for the fact that the Aerospace Development Commission internally knows that the A100 nuclear engine has not even existed and that the H2 produced first is conventionally powered, other aerospace agencies including NACA believe that H2 is only nuclear powered.

Not many people took last year's plan to land the H2 nuclear thermal-powered space shuttle on the moon seriously. A space shuttle and a nuclear fission engine, two gadgets that had been eliminated during the Cold War, were combined to land on the moon? That's what it's like to see a ghost.

But when the full-scale aerodynamic test prototype of H2 flew all the way from Xinyuan to Ulan Hashan and attracted a lot of attention, NACA, which was constantly receiving information summaries, realized the seriousness of the matter.

Director Claire and several members of NACA are now in the Special Intelligence Center of the Pentagon.

Why is NACA in the Pentagon? That's a really good question.

In the intelligence room, Michael Carey and Claire sat opposite each other with stars on their shoulders. His assistant was nailing stacks of information to the wall while explaining to them:

“In October last year, Huaguo Power Investment, China General Nuclear Power Corporation and Xinyuan signed an agreement to build a base for the latter, which obviously can only be used as a nuclear base.

At the same time, Nankai Cheng, a scientist who returned from the country, was hired by Xinyuan and then disappeared. Considering their close ties with the military, nuclear engine research should have started at that time.

If H2 takes one year to test and then starts building the official version of H2, the progress of the nuclear engine is actually not much different. "

"Wait." Michael Carey knocked on the table:

"I know that he is a sensitive person, but I remember that his evaluation was very low. The University of Bordeaux even wanted to get rid of this guy early, thinking that he could not do any research other than teaching students."

Kaili clearly expressed his doubts. They paid attention to every Chinese scientist who went abroad. Cheng Nankai was one of the last ones and remained unknown. Why do you think this person can lead the research and development of the advanced A100 engine?

Claire: "I know that."

The rest of the people looked at the NACA director, and the latter's expression suddenly became ferocious, and he gritted his teeth and began to tell the reason:

"You know, the first overseas scientist Lin Ju recruited was our mid-level Chinese engineer Guo. He has worked with us for nearly ten years and can only be regarded as quite satisfactory.

But when he returned to China, he immediately led the development of the advanced K120 engine, which subsequently included the M220 liquid oxygen methane engine, the H240 liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen engine, and even now Xinyuan's latest and most powerful K380 engine in the world. He is the one taking the lead!

You say it! Why did Guo perform so mediocrely at NACA but so dazzling when he returned to his motherland? "

Kaili frowned, and then there was a gasp in the conference room.

A detective who has conducted a loyalty investigation on Chinese Americans said tentatively: "Could it be that they wanted to return to their own country from the beginning, and then deliberately hid their talents and studied quietly, and then waited for success in their studies because they didn't want to return to their country?" So important to be driven back so that he can serve his motherland?"

Claire nodded gloomily: "Yes, that's it. Letting Chinese money go back will make future international students wary, so they are likely to hide their talents and reduce the difficulty of leaving."

Carey: "...I find this hard to believe, especially if it's not just one person. Is it possible that they stole our technology?"

Claire shook her head hard and said with a very firm tone: "Absolutely impossible, we don't have that kind of technology, unless you plan to dig out the UFOs in Area 51 for us to study."

Kaili: "..."

"There are no aliens or UFOs in Area 51."

"Yes, so it is impossible for NACA to deliberately hide advanced technology."

The two were stiff for a while, and Kaili decided to skip the topic for the time being and get down to business.

"What the Air Force wants to know most is, can a nuclear-thermal powered space shuttle succeed?"

Claire: "Yes, we have built large space shuttles. Atlantis, Endeavour, and Discovery are still at the Kennedy Space Center. Even the nuclear engines tested in the last century have not been destroyed and there are still prototypes. save.

Sir, had it not been for subsequent interruptions in planning, the subsequent Saturn V would have been equipped with a nuclear engine. "

Kelly nodded and continued to ask: "So, can a space shuttle equipped with a nuclear engine also output considerable power for... laser use?"

A scene suddenly appeared in Claire's mind. A space shuttle sneakily approached the satellite, and the back of the plane quietly opened, revealing a smooth lens.

That's not a camera, that's a megawatt laser cannon. With the powerful power supply of three nuclear engines, it takes 0.05 seconds to illuminate the satellite, turning the latter into ashes...

He understood why Carey was looking for him, and he understood why the Pentagon was willing to spend manpower and material resources to collect information.

It’s hard to say whether the H2 space shuttle will do this, but Carey definitely wants it, and the Pentagon definitely wants it.

More importantly, H2 can theoretically do this!

Three nuclear reactors, combined with a capacitor array, are enough to solve the energy problem of space-based laser weapons.

Claire: "Yes, if the actual performance of the A100 engine used by H2 is not too different, the laser weapon equipped has the potential to reach the megawatt level."

Carey automatically ignored Claire's "potential". The lasers currently tested by the Navy only have a power of tens of kilowatts. The envisioned large laser is 300 kilowatts. If the Air Force could have a megawatt laser...

Carey: "Director Claire, NACA's mission is not only to explore space, but also to assume the responsibility of protecting freedom."

"but……"

Carey: "I don't care what method you use to let Aramco have a nuclear-powered space shuttle, or something else, AirForce needs it."