Chapter 659: German-Soviet War (16)

Although 40 to 50 billion at this time is an astronomical figure, the returns it can bring are also quite generous.

Through the Apollo program, the United States established and improved a huge aerospace industry and technology system, effectively driving and promoting the rapid development of a series of high and new technologies, such as data transmission and communications, optical communications, high-performance computers, electronic technology, and automatic control. , artificial intelligence, remote science, automated processing, ultra-high strength and high-temperature resistant materials, bioengineering, medicine and medicine, deep space measurement and control, high-thrust launch vehicles, etc.

The high-tech derived from the Apollo program has been widely extended, promoted and re-developed in the military and civilian fields of the United States, forming a large number of high-tech industrial groups, which has had a significant impact on social development and the improvement of people's lives. important impact and achieved significant social and economic benefits.

In a sense, the technology that supported the rapid economic development of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s mainly came from the digestion, optimization and secondary development of lunar exploration technology.

Most of the key technologies in the US aerospace industry, defense industry and many civilian industries in later generations came from the second or third generation technologies of the Apollo project, or technologies derived from these technologies. The technologies developed through lunar exploration have been integrated into people's lives. daily life and the entire industrial system. According to incomplete statistics, approximately 3,000 applied technologies were derived from the Apollo program. In just a few years after the Apollo spacecraft landed on the moon, these applied technologies achieved huge benefits - every US$1 invested in the moon landing program , you can get an output of 4 to 5 US dollars. Experts engaged in aerospace economics research believe that the benefits achieved by the secondary development and application of the Apollo lunar exploration project far exceed the direct economic and social benefits it brings.

Therefore, let alone 40 to 50 billion, even 80 to 90 billion Yannick will hit it. Moreover, his knowledge of the future also helped a lot, allowing these scientists not only to avoid detours, but also to take many shortcuts. For example, when the Soviet Union first launched satellites, it used a small number of tube digital computers and a large number of mechanical calculators and hand-crank computers (early space activities did not have much data to process), but now German scientists have The use of transistor digital computers has doubled the computing speed and processing power.

After hearing about Yannick's space plan, little Elizabeth suddenly asked. "Brother Yannick, can women also go to space?"

Yannick nodded. "Of course." In June 1963, the Soviet Union sent the first female astronaut into space. Since then, it is not new for various countries to select female astronauts for training. More than 50 female astronauts have entered space.

"Really?!" Little Elizabeth's face suddenly showed an extremely excited look. "Then I want to go to space too!!"

"You want to go to space?" Yannick simply shook his head. "Going to space is no child's play, and you are the future Queen of England, so it's even more impossible."

Little Elizabeth laughed. "Brother Yannick, why have you forgotten Auston? He is the future King of England."

Yannick couldn't help but be startled, and then he remembered that the British throne is passed to the son of the deceased king in order of seniority; if there are no children, it is passed to the daughter; if there are no children or the descendants are far apart, it is passed to the collateral relatives or its descendants.

To put it simply, the order of succession for British kings is male before female. If there is a son, no matter how old he is, the order of succession will be before the princess. Now, Queen Elizabeth has given birth to a boy and a girl, and no one else knows that the child is not George VI's, so the throne will naturally be passed to Auston.

Yannick glanced secretly at Queen Elizabeth, who had a strange look on her face, but still shook her head. "That's not okay. Aerospace engineering is full of thrills and accidents, and even life-threatening. Your mother would not agree to it." There are a total of 528 astronauts in later generations, 22 of whom gave their lives for the space industry, and the death rate exceeds 4 %, every accident is quite tragic. For example, in the famous "Challenger" space shuttle accident in later generations, the space shuttle's external fuel tank exploded in the air at an altitude of 16,600 meters. The space shuttle was blown to pieces, and seven astronauts were killed instantly.

Little Elizabeth hugged her mother's arm and started acting coquettishly. "Mom, I want to go to space~~ Can you tell me~~"

Queen Elizabeth was about to say something when Anne came in to report that the rocket fuel had been filled and was about to be launched.

"Come on, let's go take a look."

Several people came to the observation station at the launch center. Yannick originally planned to go directly to the command and control hall, but he was worried about unnecessarily adding psychological pressure to the staff, so he chose to watch the rocket launch from the observation station.

"Prepare in 30 minutes!" A sonorous and powerful command sounded from the loudspeaker erected at the launch site, and a group of technicians quickly evacuated the launch site.

"15 minutes to prepare!" The last group of technicians also evacuated.

"10 minutes to prepare... 5 minutes to prepare... 1 minute to prepare!" I saw the swing rods supporting the rocket on the launch tower opening one by one, and the various systems and equipment connected to the rocket on the launch tower also quickly fell off, and the rocket was ignited and lifted off. It has entered the countdown stage.

"...5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" Everyone in the observation station was nervous and did not dare to blink, for fear of missing this historic moment.

"Ignite!" Accompanied by a loud noise, a dazzling flame spurted out from the bottom of the rocket. Thick smoke rose hundreds of meters high, so much so that the entire launch pad and rocket were obscured.

A ten-story-high rocket rose from the ground amidst a thunderous roar, with white flames shooting out from its tail like a sharp sword. It first rose slowly, then gradually became lighter and faster.

As people looked up, the "Hati-1" rocket, dragging a long column of fire, began to tilt slightly and flew eastward, drawing a long white track in the sky.

The sound barrier was soon broken.

Then it was one times the speed of sound, three times the speed of sound, five times, seven times...

Soon, the shadow of the rocket could no longer be caught by the naked eye, and only the low and harsh "crackling" sound that pierced the air was still roaring in the sky.

Looking back at the launch pad, it was already silent, with only a huge cloud of white smoke slowly dissipating.

120 seconds after the rocket was launched.

"The booster engine is shut down!"

"Separation from the concentric stage is successful!"

The core stage rocket continued to work for 180 seconds.

"The rocket has reached the predetermined height!"

"The rocket and satellite have separated successfully!"

"The satellite has entered orbit!"

Yannick's heart was almost in his throat. The satellite entering orbit does not mean that the launch was successful. The most critical point is whether the signal connection with the ground can be established. Once it fails, the satellite will become a piece of waste.

"Signal connection successful!"