Chapter 924: The End of an Era
Translator: _Min_ Editor: Caron_
Moscow, Kremlin. There was a conference being specifically held on the s.p.a.ce elevator built in the territorial waters of Xin.
“Yesterday, Celestial Trade sold us the RM-320 rocket engine promised to us. Reverse engineering has started. Within one year at most, the new rocket engine will replace the old engine. We will take one year to surpa.s.s the gap the UA took decades to maintain.”
“Unfortunately, when Celestial Trade handed this sword to us, they also pulled down the curtain of the entire stage. Whether it’s economics, politics, culture, or military, everything tomorrow will be different from today since it’s unknown there, and unknown means infinite.”
Here, the director of the Russian s.p.a.ce Agency, Oleg Aosta, lowered his eyes and stated the facts in an artistic way. He looked at the members of the Russian Federation Committee present there, as well as the person sitting at the head of the table, President Putin.
After a pause, Oleg continued.
“Guys, the old era is over.”
Taking a deep breath, the Minister of Defense looked at Putin, who was silent. He murmured, “If the s.p.a.ce elevator can send tons of supplies to outer s.p.a.ce, then the s.p.a.ce-defense force we’re most proud of will be a joke.”
Putin tilted his head slightly.
“Fortunately, our relations.h.i.+p with them is good?”
“That’s the case, but we cannot place all our hopes on good diplomatic relations,” the Minister of Defense said with his voice lowered, he continued to whisper, “The United Nations will discuss the safety and reasonable use of the s.p.a.ce elevator. I am very much in favor of maintaining good bilateral relations with Xin, but only an alliance with matching strength is in line with our interests. Is it appropriate to weaken them…”
Putin lifted his hand and interrupted the statement made by the Minister of Defense.
“If the United Nations is destined to become history, then what significance does it have for us to make things difficult for them at the United Nations?”
…
In the Congress building in the faraway Capital, a special hearing was also being held.
At the meeting, with Congress members, experts, and scholars present, the director of the National Aeronautics and s.p.a.ce Administration, Charles Bolden, read the ma.n.u.script in his hand.
“Although Congress has been trying to reduce our budget, we will still use a limited budget to advance the s.p.a.ce program step by step. The results achieved over the past decades have been great, shockingly great. We haven’t only focused on the privatization of the s.p.a.ce industry. Even the seemingly loss-making facet project finally achieved profitability.”
“Yes, we’ve lead before.” Mr. Bolden paused there and scanned the members in the hearing. “We once convinced the world that the Statue of Liberty was the future.”
The Congress Budget Committee members who aggressively reduced NASA’s budget in the past all looked defeated. They lowered their heads and didn’t dare to make eye contact with the old man.
Secretary of State Kerry coughed.
“This is the Congress hearing, not federal court. What we should discuss now isn’t determining who is accountable but how to deal with it.”
“I didn’t mean to determine who’s accountable, Mr. Kerry.” Mr. Bolden looked at Kerry. “But I must remind you that we shouldn’t make the same mistake again on the same issue.”
“Your opinion is?” Hill asked, sitting in the hearing.
“Increase NASA’s budget. We must immediately begin research on s.p.a.ce elevator technology. Compared to Hua and Russia, we have a unique advantage in global influence. We can replicate a s.p.a.ce elevator in the Atlantic Ocean!”
“How much money do you need?” Hill looked at Bolden and asked earnestly, “I mean, from research and development to completion.”
Bolden directly turned the ma.n.u.script to the last page, sniffed, and said quickly, “If we can get technical support from Future Group, the investment budget will be about 20 billion to 40 billion dollars. If we start from research and development, NASA needs 200 billion dollars and construction will start in 2030 at the latest.”
The hearing members present all stared at each other and the experts’ expressions weren’t the most pleasant. Hill and Kerry exchanged looks and saw the obvious disappointment in each other’s eyes.
Help? How could UA get help from Future Group? If this technology was mastered by more than two companies, then they would, of course, try to sell their own technology in order to obtain a s.p.a.ce elevator order from the UA government. However, there was only one company who mastered the s.p.a.ce elevator technology now. What could be more profitable than a monopoly?
As for the 200 billion budget application, disregarding the fact that Hill wouldn’t give the nod of approval, but the budget committee at the hearing would directly shoot down the project.
“200 billion? G.o.d, this money is enough for us to create two aircraft carrier battle groups!” Sure enough, Hill didn’t even speak before an opposition member said in a mocking tone, “Unless Hua continues to lend us money, where would this money come from? Do you expect taxpayers to pay for this whimsical project?”
It wasn’t a whimsical project. Someone had secretly completed it already.
Bolden just wanted to say this before an expert in the s.p.a.ce field who was neutral said, “The UA also has a large number of private aeros.p.a.ce companies. We’ve proved the enthusiasm and innovation of private enterprises in half a century. Rather than arguing here about an unsolvable problem, why not ask for s.p.a.ceX’s opinion?”
Bolden’s face was a bit ugly.
Ask for s.p.a.ceX’s opinion? What do your think s.p.a.ceX is? A Magic Conch Sh.e.l.l (1)?
Long before the hearing began, he had already spoken with s.p.a.ceX’s founder, Elon Musk, to ask about the feasibility of building UA’s own s.p.a.ce elevator. However, Elon Musk’s response was that he felt deeply powerless.
According to information released by Celestial Trade, if the UA wanted to build a similar s.p.a.ce elevator, it must begin with the most basic elevator materials.
Two hundred billion?
What was presented to the Budget Committee had always been conservative estimates.
After the hearing was over, Kerry walked with Hill side by side. On the way, the two spoke about the problem of the s.p.a.ce elevator without reaching a resolution.
“He doesn’t care that Xin has a breakthrough in aeros.p.a.ce technology compared to the UA. He only cares about NASA’s budget.”
“You’re an expert on international issues, Mr. Kerry. I want to hear your opinion,” Hill said with no expression.
Lowering his voice, Kerry said seriously, “We can use the United Nations to put pressure on Xin! This is a big cake. Russia and Hua shouldn’t give up sharing a piece of the cake on the s.p.a.ce elevator. As long as we make slight concessions on the cake, they’ll agree to our joint efforts to pressure Celestial Trade. The outer s.p.a.ce belongs to all of mankind, and a worldly elevator project is supposed to be shared by all mankind…”