Chapter 872: America's Changes, All-Out Competition Begins

"Mr. Cao, many media outlets are looking for me to confirm the launch plan for next year."

"Some media outlets have directly written that Venusstar Technology expects to launch more than 100 times in 2014."

"I think this is also a publicity opportunity. It shouldn't matter if the approximate number of planned launches is disclosed."

Zhao Siyu is now very proud.

As a newly promoted academician, many media outlets have interviewed him recently.

Venusstar Technology has launched such a large satellite again, which is not only popular in the country, but also popular around the world.

"The 64 launches this year have already brought great excitement to many people. If we announce our accurate launch plan for next year, I guess more people will jump up and down."

Cao Yang quickly weighed the matter and felt that there seemed to be nothing that could not be announced.

If it is announced now, Venusstar Technology will be popular from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

After seeing the traffic of Venusstar Technology, many self-media outlets will help write various related bragging articles without paying.

At that time, Venusstar Technology will really be famous in the technology circle.

Just like the Space Exploration Technology Company in the future, they have never paid a penny to various Chinese self-media, but there are articles praising them everywhere.

If you say this kind of thing is useless, it may be useless.

But if you say it is really useless, it is definitely not.

Some intangible things are very difficult to quantify, but the impact is real.

For example, if it is listed, you can enjoy many intangible benefits, and the number of subscriptions at that time is worth looking forward to.

"It's hard to say what other institutions will do, but there must be many companies in the United States who don't want to see such a hot scene as us."

In Zhao Siyu's eyes, the only ones who can be worthy of being rivals with Venusstar Technology are America, Polar Bear and China's Aerospace Technology.

Other institutions don't need to pay special attention to them at all.

Even those rivals that I pay attention to, just from the number of rocket launches, can't be compared with Venusstar Technology.

Speaking of rocket technology alone, Venusstar Technology is quite powerful except for the recycling technology, and other aspects of rockets are actually not that advanced.

Venus AX itself does not use a lot of new technologies.

But this is the strength of Venus Technology, they can mass-produce useful rockets at a very low cost.

In the context of global transportation capacity being generally tight, this is very important.

The main use of rockets is to launch satellites. In terms of the production cost of satellites themselves, it is not necessarily very good.

As long as it is not a special reconnaissance satellite, such as Starlink satellite, the cost can reach hundreds of thousands of RMB after large-scale mass production.

In this case, it can be said that any company can accept the production cost of satellites.

But before, the cost of launching a rocket was very high, and even if you spent money, you might not have the opportunity or transportation capacity to launch it.

So many companies gave up the idea of ​​building their own satellites.

For example, some logistics companies, if the cost of launching a satellite is not high, will definitely consider launching it themselves.

That will significantly improve logistics efficiency, and even stimulate stock prices.

After all, no matter what company it is, if it advertises its own satellite system, it will give people a sense of grandeur.

Investors are definitely willing to spend such costs.

The emergence of Venusstar Technology can be said to have brought huge opportunities to these companies.

"The more America doesn't want to see this situation, the more we have to make them uncomfortable."

"According to our current plan, the number of rocket launches next year will definitely exceed 100. If the number of rocket launches for other customers such as the European Space Agency is also counted, it can basically reach the level of 120."

"We launched 64 times this year, so we are now promoting it to the outside world that we will launch 128 times next year, and the final result will definitely be similar."

Cao Yang is definitely very good at publicity.

Although the number of launches is exaggerated, it is definitely not as exciting as doubling it directly.

So don't think that 128 times is only 8 more than 120 times, the effect of publicity is also very good.

"No problem, then I will arrange for someone to release this news on the official Weibo later."

Zhao Siyu was overjoyed when he heard it. 128 times, this publicity effect is absolutely awesome.

"I'll post some on Weibo first, and then you can make an official announcement."

Cao Yang will not waste his influence.

For data like this prediction, it would be more appropriate for him to post it himself rather than have Venusstar Technology make an official announcement.

When the news he released spreads, Venusstar Technology will make a similar official announcement, which will be more flexible.

By then, even if the number of launches is less than 128, it doesn't matter.

...

"Dmitri, can we consider handing over the next Starlink launch mission to Venustech?"

"Otherwise, it will be too expensive to launch with our own rockets."

"You have been slow to produce the recyclable model."

As the head of the United Rocket and Space Corporation, Grogin is under a lot of pressure.

Starlink is just one of the projects, and their company has a large number of other scientific research projects.

Although Starlink is also very important, we cannot put all the funds on this project, and we need to save as much money as possible.

The research funds on the polar bear side are not as much as those in the United States.

Even if the United States has sufficient funds, NASA cannot afford it, and in order to reduce costs, it supports Space Exploration Technologies Corporation.

"Grotin, it's not that easy to make a good recyclable rocket."

"We used to produce recyclable rockets similar to the space shuttle, but the research and development of this kind of rocket is very difficult. To achieve multiple recycling, the performance requirements of various materials are also very high."

"As for the company's consideration of supporting some private enterprises to make rockets similar to Venus 9, most of the parts can be made, but the threshold for the part related to the recyclable system is still very high."

"Even if Venus Technology is willing to transfer some related technologies or deepen cooperation after cooperating with us, our production costs are still much higher than theirs in the end."

"So I also agree to let Venus Technology launch the Starlink satellite."

"But I hope to put the saved funds on the research and development of heavy rockets, and develop recyclable rockets similar to the Starship that Venus Technology is researching."

Dmitri is also a person who knows how to make trade-offs.

Venus 9 and Falcon 9 have already started launching Starlink satellites on a large scale.

However, the same type of rockets of the United Rocket and Space Corporation have been slow to mass-produce.

According to the current situation, although the launch can be carried out next year, the performance is unlikely to reach the level of competitors.

The most important thing is that he knows that the company's funds are indeed tight.

If the money continues to be spent on this project, the funds for more important projects later will be affected.

In this case, it is better to simply stop this project and focus on developing heavy rockets.

Polar Bear still has a technical advantage in this regard.

Even Venus Technology has purchased their heavy rocket engine technology to study it. In the future, Venus's starship will most likely use similar engines.

So Dmitri thinks that they still have hope of surpassing on this rocket.

Even if they can't surpass it, at least they won't be pulled too far.

"It's good that you can figure it out. We will find Venus Technology to use Venus 9 to launch Starlink satellites. The satellites are also produced by them. The overall cost should be more than half cheaper than if we do it ourselves."

"By then, all the funds saved can be used to study heavy rockets."

Seeing that Dmitri agreed to his proposal without too much hesitation, Grogin's face also looked much better.

Soon, they began to contact Venustech to discuss satellite launches.

On the American side, the situation was completely different.

"David, I have communicated with some directors of Boeing. There is no need to continue your own Starlink project."

"Invest this money in Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. It will be more meaningful for everyone to develop Falcon Heavy and more advanced reusable rockets as soon as possible."

As the director of NASA, Griffin naturally needs to take into account the development of the entire American aerospace industry.

Although NASA itself has gradually given up the research and development of some technologies and started to move closer to management.

But he certainly still hopes that the United States can achieve global leading results in this regard.

Combined with the results of the investigation and analysis of the development of Venustech during this period, Griffin was not idle.

He had previously wanted to persuade Boeing, an important American aerospace company, to join the development of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, but the other party refused.

Now the situation is changing rapidly, and Griffin has obviously found a better way to persuade Boeing's board members.

"Venus Technologies and SpaceX are launching Starlink satellites too frequently. We are lagging behind step by step."

"The board of directors intends to abandon the self-developed Starlink satellite project, and I naturally have no objection."

David breathed a sigh of relief when he said this.

This year, Boeing has spent a lot of money on reusable rockets, but according to the current progress, the first launch will not be carried out until the end of next year at the earliest.

It will be the year after next before there is hope to enter large-scale launches.

But according to the current pace, the structure of the Starlink satellite system will be completely different in the year after next.

Venusstar Technology has already started to build the first generation of Starlink satellite system, and SpaceX is expected to start building it next year.

By the year after next, it will be too late.

So even Boeing, which is stubborn, has begun to change its mind.

Of course, the most important thing is that someone on the board of directors has agreed to Griffin's suggestion, otherwise David would not dare to agree easily.

After all, a lot of money has been spent. Now saying that the project will be stopped basically means that the previous investment has gone down the drain.

In European and American companies, such things that go down the drain often require someone to stand up and take responsibility, and it cannot be simply passed by saying that the tuition fee has been paid.

But now NASA has come forward to do the work, and no one needs to bear the responsibility for abandoning this project.

It is just right to take this opportunity to transfer the resources related to this project to the new project of SpaceX.

"It would be great if you can understand this."

"Venus Technologies has officially announced that it will launch 128 rockets next year, which is almost the total number of launches by our NASA in the past five years."

'If there is no SpaceX, then Venus Technologies will complete more than 70% of the world's space launch missions next year. '

"This is definitely not good news for us, and it is absolutely unacceptable."

"SpaceX has set a goal to match Venus Technologies in the number of launches in 2015."

"By then, the number of launches of the two companies can account for more than 90% of the world, completely subverting the past aerospace pattern."

Griffin shared some plans that he had discussed with relevant parties with David.

Boeing is not only very advanced in commercial passenger aircraft technology, but also has strong strength in the aerospace field.

Even some ballistic missiles produced by Boeing are one of the most advanced products in the world.

In this case, it is naturally very beneficial to have them participate in SpaceX's new rocket project together.

By then, before the success of the Starship project of Venustech, the first to complete the launch of the same type of rocket can immediately reverse the previous unfavorable situation.

"The emergence of recyclable rockets has indeed completely changed the past rocket launch situation."

"Traditional rockets can only play a role in a few special-purpose launch missions, and they are becoming less and less competitive."

"I believe that after Boeing joins, the development of Space Exploration Technologies will inevitably enter a new stage."

David is still very confident in the technical strength of his company.

In his opinion, NASA and Boeing, as well as a series of other companies, have invested together to promote the development of Space Exploration Technologies, which is definitely far beyond any country in the world.

At that time, everyone can once again see the rapid development of the American aerospace industry.

The hot scene of the "space race" mentioned before can be seen again.

Soon, after Boeing was dealt with, the relevant information was officially released to the public.

And these news were naturally quickly transmitted back to China.

"Mr. Cao, Boeing has given up its Starlink project, and now they have started to invest in Space Exploration Technologies."

"It seems that they are preparing to let Space Exploration Technologies compete with you in the field of reusable rockets."

Qian Junfeng of Aerospace Science and Technology called Cao Yang as soon as possible.

Although Venusstar Technology is not under the management of Aerospace Science and Technology, the competition with the United States at this time is no longer a competition between companies.

If Venusstar Technology loses to Space Exploration Technologies, it will not only lose the face of Venusstar Technology, but also the face of China.

Similarly, the interests of the entire China will be lost.

Qian Junfeng still sees this situation very clearly.

"It is inevitable that Boeing will give up. I heard that they are going to independently develop the Starlink project, and I think it is unreliable."

"Although Boeing has a deep technical foundation in the field of aerospace, they are used to living a good life. The cost of the recyclable rockets they developed cannot be very low."

"As for the satellites they produce, they are high-end reconnaissance satellites worth billions of dollars."

"Even if they are allowed to produce Starlink satellites themselves now, the cost can only be reduced to tens of millions of dollars at most."

"If they launch a few satellites, this cost is acceptable."

"But if they want to launch thousands or tens of thousands of satellites, this cost will not be competitive at all."

Cao Yang knew that Boeing gave up halfway in its previous life and did not develop its own Starlink system.

Now that the development speed of this industry has accelerated, it is even more impossible for Boeing to get things in this area so quickly.

Venusstar launched 64 rockets in 2013 and plans to launch 128 rockets in 2014.

This is the last straw that broke the camel's back for Boeing's Starlink project.

If the other party is still so stubborn to pursue the Starlink project, Cao Yang would be happy to see it happen.

Spending such a large amount of money on a project with no future will inevitably affect the development of other projects.

It will be easier for Venusstar to catch up with the giant Boeing.

"Yes, so everyone in the United States is now involved in the Space Exploration Technology Company's project."

"Although Venusstar is now ahead, the United States' aerospace technology should not be underestimated."

"Under the cooperation of many parties, the development speed of the Falcon Heavy rocket will definitely be much faster, and they may even be able to overtake on the new project."

"Venusstar may also need to speed up the research progress of the Starship project."

Qian Junfeng really reminded Cao Yang out of kindness this time.

The Starship project is very difficult and looks very sci-fi.

Normally, it would not be done so quickly.

But now the pressure from all parties is relatively high, and more resources have been invested, so everything is worth looking forward to.

If Venustech really develops the starship in the future, it will be very helpful to the entire Chinese aerospace industry.

Use the starship to transport goods, and you can build a space station at one time.

By then, the lunar base and the Mars base will not be a dream.

Qian Junfeng also hopes to see the development of China's aerospace industry to this extent during his tenure.

"Mr. Qian, we also want to speed up the progress. Funding has been arranged, so it's not a big problem."

"But high-end talents are actually still in short supply."

"Now our group has also started internal talent referrals, and some experts have also recommended researchers from some scientific research institutes under Aerospace Science and Technology."

"Please be tolerant when the time comes, so that they can join the company as soon as possible."

Qian Junfeng has come to the door, so Cao Yang will definitely not be polite.

If you don't dig a few more people at this time, when will you wait?

Most of the rocket talents in China are still in the companies under the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

If you want to poach people, you can't avoid Qian Junfeng.

After all, many projects involving talents are confidential. If Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation does not release people, it will be useless even if Venusstar Technology Corporation offers the best conditions.

"Mr. Cao, are you still poaching people?"

"If you poach more of our experts, you will poach them all!"

At this moment, Qian Junfeng seemed to have turned into a resentful woman.

In recent years, Venusstar Technology has really poached people from AVIC and Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Otherwise, how could it have such a fast development speed?

"Haha, it's all for China's aerospace industry, it's the same everywhere."

Cao Yang laughed and started chatting with Qian Junfeng.

Anyway, after this matter has been handled, Venusstar Technology Corporation can move boldly.

…

“Mr. Cao, the relevant departments have agreed to test-fly your new product next week.”

“However, whether the final documentary is suitable to be released to the public so soon is still under discussion.”

Venus Technology is now a hotshot.

There are countless projects going on.

For example, the Kunpeng heavy transport aircraft is now rolled off the production line every now and then, and then people from the relevant departments come to fly it away immediately.

As the first heavyweight product of Venus Technology to truly enter the military industry, the large stealth unmanned bomber project is of extraordinary significance.

Although the previous double-tailed scorpion drone also has certain stealth performance, due to the problem of the body structure, the stealth effect still has room for improvement.

For this reason, Cao Yang also personally launched a new project.

After almost two years of preparation, the prototype is now ready to start test flight.

In the past, China’s military products were often disclosed to the public many years after mass production.

There is naturally a reason for this practice.

When your strength is not strong enough, it is necessary to maintain a moderate sense of mystery.

Make your competitors confused about your situation and dare not act rashly.

This is the solution adopted by countries including China, North Korea and Persia.

On the other hand, the approach in the United States is completely different.

Before a new project is officially launched, various publicity reports have already flooded the market.

They want to let everyone in the world know that they are going to develop the most advanced product in the world.

It is hard to say which of these two approaches is better or worse.

All we can say is that the best one is the one that suits us.

As a private enterprise in China, Cao Yang hopes to take a different approach for Venusstar Technology.

Although the product will not be announced to the whole world before it is developed, he does not intend to hide it when the sample has been released.

Sometimes, the two methods are combined to maintain mystery on the one hand and show some high-end equipment on the other hand, which may have a better effect.

For example, after Venusstar's product is displayed, some people may think that China must have more advanced equipment that has not been displayed.

Then when measuring China's strength, they will weigh it more and dare not act rashly.

This situation is naturally what China hopes to see.

So after Cao Yang communicated with Pan Jun, Pan Jun brought this view back to the relevant departments for discussion, and finally basically followed Cao Yang's idea.

"It doesn't matter, let's finish the documentary first."

"At most, we can release a few exterior photos to make all parties nervous."

"We'll see if we can release more information in the end."

"Anyway, these documentaries will definitely come in handy in the end, it's just a matter of time."

"Maybe this documentary will even become a classic in the future."

Cao Yang didn't expect the relevant departments to agree to all his requests so readily.

It's understandable that they would be entangled in such a sensitive matter.

While Venusstar Technology continued to attract everyone's attention, other brother companies also brought many surprises to everyone.