Dreaming back to 1949, the great powers were there to deceive us

If Hu Zhenhua wanted to monitor that room, there would be absolutely no problem, but he did not do so.

Because there is no need!

After Carter and Jimla finished talking, they found Hu Zhenhua lying in front of the astronomical telescope looking at the stars.

The telescope is the latest product of TA Optics: a reflecting telescope, which uses a reflector as the crop lens. The main mirror is generally a concave mirror, which focuses the image by reflecting light.

Carter did not disturb Hu Zhenhua, but lay on the rosewood rocking chair beside him, leisurely enjoying the river breeze.

Hu Zhenhua was watching very intently. This era had little light pollution and the air was pure, making it a golden age for space observation.

Old Hu looked at it for more than an hour until his eyes became sore, and then he closed the covers of the objective lens and eyepiece.

Carter saw him sit down and said with a smile,

"Jimla wants to stay with you for a few days?"

"No problem, I have plenty of rooms here, he can stay as long as he wants."

"Aren't you afraid that he will implicate you?"

"This is my territory, who can implicate me?"

Hu Zhenhua was also lying in the rocking chair, looking up at the starry sky, and said lightly,

"Carter, does the US government have a space program?"

Carter thought he had misheard and asked,

"What? Exploiting space? How?"

Hu Zhenhua gestured with his hands to form a rocket.

"Use a rocket to send people or objects into space, have them travel around the sky, and then land them back down."

Carter was just a politician and was not very interested in space because it was too far away.

In fact, space is very far away, but also very close.

It is generally believed that the space above 100 kilometers above the ground can be called space. This altitude is called the Karman line, which is the boundary between the atmosphere and space defined by the International Aeronautical Federation.

However, the starting altitude of space from the ground may vary in different application scenarios and definitions. For example, in the aerospace field, an altitude of more than 200 kilometers from the ground is sometimes considered the starting point of space, because at this altitude, spacecraft can orbit the earth more stably without having to frequently fight against atmospheric resistance.

Carter looked at Hu Zhenhua,

"Does it make sense?"

"Of course it makes sense! If you zoom out to the entirety of space, you'll find that Earth is as tiny as a speck of dust. Those who plant trees will enjoy the shade. Our generation must conduct relevant research to reserve technology for future generations."

Carter responded symbolically.

"You have a long-term vision!"

Hu Zhenhua suddenly became interested, moved closer to Carter, and said excitedly,

"If we launch an artificial satellite into space, can we solve the problem of intercontinental radio communications?"

Without waiting for Carter to answer, Lao Hu said firmly,

"Yes, it definitely can. Radio waves are emitted from the ground, processed by satellites, and then reflected back to the ground. This greatly reduces the impact of the Earth's curvature. If there are enough satellites, it can completely solve the problem of global radio communications!"

Carter thought about it and replied perfunctorily,

"It's a good idea, but how do you get a satellite into space, and how do you manage the batteries inside it?"

Hu Zhenhua answered seriously,

"Didn't I just tell you to send it up into space using a rocket? As for the battery issue, we'll just sort it out slowly."

As for the battery problem, it is easier to solve by using solar panels.

Coincidentally, Hu Zhenhua happened to know the principle.

Carter laughed dumbly and poured a bucket of cold water on Lao Hu.

"I'm not trying to discourage you, but if the United States can't do it, it's going to be extremely difficult for just one company like yours!"

There's a reason for Carter's negativity.

At present, countries' understanding of space is still at the observation stage, and they cannot accurately recognize the value of space.

Although some knowledgeable people have called for this loudly, space exploration is a high-risk and high-investment project that can only be accomplished by gathering the strength of a country. Unfortunately, leaders of various countries are focusing on ideological confrontation.

Take the polar bear as an example. In early 1946, Mikhail Tikhonravov, director of the 4th Institute of the Ministry of Defense, proposed a plan to launch a scientific satellite and wrote to the Steel Uncle on May 1946, 5. However, the latter was more inclined to develop intercontinental missiles, which have military value. He believed that satellites were not very practical in the environment at the time and could not be used in warfare, so he did not approve the plan.

On March 1950, 3, Tikhonravov presented a report entitled "Launching of Artificial Satellites by Liquid-Fuel Rockets" at the Science and Technology Conference of the Academy of Sciences. Instead of receiving support, he was condemned and ridiculed by his superiors.

In another superpower, the United States, its top leaders believe that investing resources in the military field, such as the development of nuclear weapons and the construction of conventional military forces, is more in line with the country's security needs.

If these two leaders are like this, let alone other countries, they can't afford to play even if they want to.

Hu Zhenhua ignored Carter's ridicule and said firmly,

"Their company will go down in history as the first organization to explore space!"

"I wish you success!"

Hu Zhenhua's thinking became very active, and two solutions appeared in his mind.

The first is to launch an artificial satellite into space at lightning speed.

The functions of this satellite do not need to be too rich, it only needs to play a song or a paragraph.

Strictly speaking, this type of satellite cannot be called a satellite at all, it can only be called a player.

Satellites require precise navigation and control systems, otherwise they will get lost in the vast space. In modern times, the technology in this area is completely blank.

As for the rocket problem, it is easy to solve.

1949 年 2 月 24 日，米国从新墨西哥州白沙导弹试验场成功发射了一枚两级推动火箭，它飞行到了 244 英里（约 393 公里）的高度。

Therefore, there is no problem in sending a player over 200 kilometers.

If the first option is implemented, it will definitely stimulate the two superpowers. When they realize the value of satellites, they will definitely invest huge amounts of money in research and development and start a space race.

The first option could consume a large amount of financial funds, manpower and material resources of the two superpowers.

This is a tactic to tire out the enemy!

If history continues, the first satellite will be launched into space in eight years.

If this time were brought forward, the United States and the Soviet Union would have engaged in a space race with their currently immature technology, which would have consumed more resources.

The second option is to take advantage of this eight-year window period for the company to develop quietly and use its first-mover advantage to stockpile technology.

Both options have their own advantages.

Soon, Hu Zhenhua made a decision and he wanted to choose the second option.

The Huashan Sword Contest is about who is faster and stronger, not who is more despicable!

Only when you are strong can you not fear any opponent.

However, we must come up with other projects to cover up the development of space.

Hu Zhenhua's brain began to work rapidly again, and soon, a curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Soon, Big Brother’s big firecrackers will be set off. Is there anything more eye-catching than this!

Taking advantage of this favorable situation, I want to develop a nuclear power plant!

You are thinking about how to destroy humanity, but I am thinking about how to benefit humanity.

The difference in the two sides' realms is immediately apparent!

However, the plan is good, but the reality is bleak.

If you want to study nuclear power plants, you must first have nuclear materials, which is not something Hu Zhenhua can solve.

You should know that among the substances controlled by the United States, nuclear materials are at the top of the list.

A good cook cannot cook without rice. Without raw materials, what’s the point of your research?

Hu Zhenhua looked up at the starry sky, and his heart became broad again.

Never mind. First, use the tiger's skin as a banner to fool a group of experts and scholars to come over. Aren't there many experts and scholars who oppose the weaponization of nuclear materials? If it is used peacefully, it will definitely win their favor.

Like Oppenheimer.

At 1945:10 a.m. on October 25, 10, Oppenheimer, the "Father of the Atomic Bomb," met with the then-U.S. President. He said to him, "Sir, my hands are stained with blood." These words reflected Oppenheimer's pain and self-blame over the massive civilian casualties caused by the use of the atomic bomb in actual combat.

Such peace-loving people must be won over.

Seeing Hu Zhenhua remained silent for a long time, Carter knew that he was definitely not holding back his fart, and said,

"Instead of aiming too high, it's better to use funds and resources to expand the company."

Hu Zhenhua rolled his eyes at him and said with disdain,

"With great power comes great responsibility. Any great invention begins with wild imagination. You, a politician, don't understand that!"

Carter: &%

Hu Zhenhua didn't care about his reaction and continued,

"I want to build not only satellites, but also nuclear power plants, go to the moon, explore the mysteries of the Earth's core, and research nuclear-powered aircraft..."

Hu Zhenhua said a lot of things, some of the projects were real, while some were scams.

Carter didn't care, but Jimla, who was eavesdropping nearby, secretly recorded all of it.

He's an intelligence officer, and that's an occupational hazard no matter where he works.

Jimla is in a situation where he is making meritorious contributions while serving his sentence. If he can collect other useful information, his punishment may be reduced.

What he didn't know was that Hu Zhenhua had dug a lot of traps for him. Some projects, although promising, were actually not practical at all.

For example, nuclear-powered aircraft may sound impressive, but they actually have many problems.

In theory, nuclear power can provide aircraft with virtually unlimited range, making it highly attractive. However, actual development faces numerous difficult technical challenges, such as miniaturization of the nuclear reactor, protection against nuclear radiation, and increased aircraft weight.

The United States invested a lot of resources in its nuclear-powered aircraft project, the Nuclear Energy Propulsion for Aircraft (NEPA), and Russia's similar projects, but ultimately failed to achieve substantial results.

Another example is vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. While this was eventually developed, the conditions for its realization weren't there at the time. For example, the vertical landing problem alone was unsolvable, as it required extremely high control systems. Let the Americans research it first, and when they gave up, I could acquire the technology myself.

Another example is the supersonic passenger aircraft project, which faces problems such as high operating costs, severe noise pollution, and high fuel consumption. These problems have led to insufficient market demand for supersonic passenger aircraft, making it difficult for airlines to make a profit.

Only by letting others take a detour can you take a straight path and achieve transcendence.

Hu Zhenhua became more and more excited as he spoke, grabbing Carter's hand and spitting wildly.

"Carter, I have several great scientific research projects. Can you give me some advice?"

……