Chapter 370: The Cornerstone Of The Moon Base
Perhaps if Lin Ran didn’t do this, nothing would happen, and there would be no influence at all.
He would make such a decision because Lin Ran had been mingling in the White House for many years. Apart from the identity of scientist, he was already a skilled politician, or rather politician.
This was the result of thinking from a political angle based on his past experiences.
Give to get.
What is the difference between a politician and a politician? The former can trade anything for personal interest, putting anything on the trading desk; the latter has his own core persistence and ideals and ambitions, refusing to yield an inch on core persistence. Even if the current situation is unfavorable to him and he has to yield, yielding would lead to a vast sky and sea, but he would not choose to yield.
“Professor Lin, alas, I rarely treat you as a young person. In the process of usually dealing with you, only when I see your face do I remember that you are so young.
To have such awareness at such a young age—a truth that most people who have been rolling in officialdom for many years may not even learn.
Some say Lin Taihang is lucky, but I don’t think so. His educational concept may have surpassed this era.” Lin Zhongqing sighed.
Lin Ran thought to himself, ah, besides giving money, has my dad helped me in any other way? I purely got here by rolling and crawling on my own.
“But actually, you didn’t have to go this far. Yanjing definitely trusts you 100%. No matter who comes to provoke, it won’t affect this. The point you’re worried about is a very extreme situation. I think under our current situation, it’s almost impossible to happen.” Lin Zhongqing continued.
Lin Ran grinned: “Only history will judge whether I am right or wrong.
Reputation is all external; you can’t take it with you when you die. A scientist like Dean Qian, doesn’t he sometimes have to dance with the wind to ensure that his core scientific research institution under him is not affected?
It’s just preparing for a rainy day. I also hope it won’t happen and believe it won’t happen.”
Yanjing, before Lin Zhongqing was transferred from Shanghai Jiaotong University to local government, he had to go to Yanjing for a talk.
“That’s roughly it.” After Lin Zhongqing finished reporting.
The middle-aged man sitting opposite him burst out laughing: “What a ‘only history will judge whether I am right or wrong.’ President Lin, I think Professor Lin is the real interesting character. He said nothing, but also said everything.”
Lin Zhongqing understood: “Yes, he said nothing, but also said everything.”
What hope it won’t happen, believe it won’t happen, and specially mentioning Dean Qian—isn’t this the best implicit statement?
What is the current situation? Under pressure from America, what China needs is breakthroughs, and technology breakthroughs are absolutely the top priority. Not to mention Lin Ran is not a saint; even if Lin Ran really became a saint, no one would do anything to him.
Even the same speech, if Jack Ma gave it at the Bund Summit, he would disappear from public view, but if Lin Ran gave it, it would only be downplayed and would absolutely not affect him personally.
But this is now. What if the situation changes? If China surpasses America and external pressure disappears, can you still enjoy such unconditional preferential treatment then?
Dean Qian, whom Lin Ran specially mentioned, was both an example and a statement of his ambitions.
“Alright, I understand. No need to pay attention to it. Our not stating a position is the best statement. Everyone should perform their duties: we do our things, Professor Lin does his things. No need to spell things out too clearly between smart people.”
Then, the middle-aged man sighed: “This is what truly means the younger generation is formidable in the real sense. With this awareness, if his talent weren’t so outstanding in the scientific research field, I would want to send him to local government for training. I’m really quite curious: if he went to local government, could he blend in and achieve something?”
He finally shook his head: “Unfortunately, unfortunately. Geniuses are always so rare. There’s no way to handle Lin Ran’s arrangement according to my personal preferences.”
“No, President, this?” Peng Hui is the president’s assistant. He was promoted to academician only last year. Before that, he was the director of the polymer science department at Fudan, always engaged in polymer materials.
He came to school today and was shocked by the bad news.
A while ago, everyone was discussing how to compete with Jiaotong University in Shanghai territory. Facing such an unfavorable situation, Jiaotong University’s national admission score line was already nearly twenty points higher than Fudan’s average.
Twenty points already created a gradient.
Moreover, things like IMO gold medals, which in the past only Yenching University could get, and Tsinghua University had Shing-Tung Yau’s support but still struggled to get, now Jiaotong University could occasionally get them too.
In the outside world, Jiaotong University is deservedly top 3, while Fudan has fallen to competing with Zhejiang University for top 4.
In Shanghai territory, many local Shanghai students can marginally get into Yenching University or Tsinghua University. In the past, those choosing to stay local picked good majors, splitting fifty-fifty with Jiaotong University. Now, the first choice is Jiaotong University, and only then Fudan.
Facing such a situation, the recent photovoltaic module is another new accelerator.
It’s like everyone is race cars on the road, competing on who goes faster. Everyone’s speed was originally similar, but Jiaotong University often gets a speed buff, pulling ahead. Recently, they got a big acceleration buff, surging ahead again.
Fudan is also applying for something like a frontier science research center. Theirs is called the Materials Science Intelligent Research Center in the Department of Materials Science, focusing on the application of artificial intelligence in complex scientific problems, promoting the combination of artificial intelligence and materials science.
The report was submitted to the Ministry of Education and has been submitted for several years, starting from 2018. Now it’s 2024, and the report hasn’t been approved yet. In the blink of an eye, they hear that Jiaotong University got special approval for a frontier science research center with almost the exact same functional positioning as what they want to build.
Approving it for Jiaotong University means Fudan’s chance of approval is even more slim.
And facing Jiaotong University’s continuous suppression.
Like this photovoltaic breakthrough publication, Fudan only sent two young scholars. In their view, this is suppression. Jiaotong University sent nearly 50 people, and we only sent 2? Are we inferior to Jiaotong University in the materials science field?
However, Peng Hui never expected that while he was just discussing countermeasures with the president, the president had already defected to the enemy.
“Yes, the organization has decided. I am to be transferred to Jiaotong University to serve as president of Jiaotong University.
I’m not being modest: if selecting from Shanghai’s local education sector, I am definitely the most suitable one.” Jin Li explained.
Peng Hui was dumbfounded. You are indeed suitable, but the problem is, you are from Fudan. Going to Jiaotong University as president—is that appropriate? That’s defecting!
He muttered: “No, President, didn’t we agree to revitalize Fudan and beat Jiaotong University down?”
Peng Hui really didn’t dare to imagine what the Jiaotong University president would think of the things he said before, like beating down Jiaotong University. He even less imagined that one day the Fudan president would become the Jiaotong University president.
Jin Li said righteously: “Yes! My bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD were all at Fudan. My feelings for Fudan are beyond doubt!
My going to Jiaotong University this time is also to find a way out for Fudan. After I go to Jiaotong University, I can figure out why Jiaotong University has developed so well in recent years. I’ll learn from Jiaotong University, and then come back to make Fudan great.”
Peng Hui was completely speechless. Isn’t what you’re saying a bit too far-fetched?
How Jiaotong University rose—we’ve discussed it many times, right? Isn’t it because they got lucky and produced a character like Lin Ran, directly taking Jiaotong University to flight?
If companies like Deep Red and Apollo Technology were closely related to Fudan, and Fudan students could intern at these places and seamlessly join after internship, Fudan’s score line would also rise accordingly.
Having more top scholars has some effect, but having two giant companies that are not school-run enterprises but are even better than school-run enterprises, that is the most critical thing.
The problem is, where can Fudan go to get two giant companies? And they are the most difficult ones: aerospace and artificial intelligence.
Moreover, if Jin Li goes, will he really come back? Peng Hui is very suspicious. This is probably thinking of going and never returning, and after going, just like the Jiaotong University president, jumping from the university administrative system to the local government.
That is, the other party is his immediate superior, so Peng Hui has to maintain his composure and cannot open the mic to question, but he is still at Fudan and has to strive for Fudan: “President, it’s like this, didn’t Yanjing approve Jiaotong University to establish the Frontier Science Research Center?
If you go over as president, can this center give some positions to Fudan’s young scholars? This way, nominally it’s run by Jiaotong University, but in reality it becomes jointly run by Fudan and Jiaotong University.
Later, we can first apply to Yanjing to make it a research institution jointly run by Jiaotong University and Fudan. After achieving results, upgrade it from a research institution under one university to a research institution directly under Shanghai local government or even Yanjing.”
Peng Hui’s idea is to first operate it this way in practice, then seek nominal joint operation, and upgrading is all pie in the sky.
Jin Li nodded and said: “That is certain, but this is not up to me. You know who caused this center to be established. Even if I am the president, I have no say in front of Professor Lin!
I will definitely do my best to strive for Fudan!”
Doing one’s best to strive means not striving. Peng Hui understands this subtext too well. He is the president’s assistant, which is already a high-level position. He understands these administrative phrases too well.
After all, he sometimes uses similar phrases with his subordinates.
As for Professor Lin, Peng Hui has even less expectation. Do you expect a Jiaotong University person to look at Fudan differently? Especially a young person who graduated only a few years ago from Jiaotong University undergraduate, famous worldwide and never suffered setbacks.
Peng Hui finally asked: “So President, I see that the Frontier Technology Center should also lack a deputy director in charge of administrative affairs. What do you think about me?”
Jin Li nodded and said: “I think you are quite suitable. I will try.”
Why agree again? Because when Jin Li goes to Jiaotong University, he also needs his own people. For a position like deputy director in a newly established institution, arranging his own people is very appropriate, right?
Secondly, Lin Ran is the director, and the deputy director often deals with Lin Ran. Arranging his own people indirectly brings them closer.
It can be said the abacus is calculated very shrewdly.
But he never expected that Lin Ran had already made arrangements. It can only be said that all schemes are exhausted but didn’t calculate that Lin Ran would arrange his own dad to take this position.
On the Chinese Internet, attention to Apollo Technology’s moon base construction project initially reached a peak, then slowly declined, and recently has slowly risen again.
This is related to their high-profile announcement of the moon superconducting computing center, but also because it is an infrastructure project, and infrastructure projects have tangible objects.
It is a large-scale infrastructure project, visibly expanding to the naked eye.
At the edge of Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole, eternal sunlight shines on the photovoltaic array that has expanded to several square kilometers.
These arrays are not laid flat, but vertical. Vertical arrays can reduce dust accumulation, and the moon dust problem is much more serious than on Earth.
The supplier found by NASA uses lunar photovoltaic vehicles for lunar photovoltaic power generation. Solar panels are on the vehicle, and when collecting solar energy, the solar panels lay flat; when not needed, they switch from flat to vertical to avoid moon dust accumulation.
While China directly uses vertical ones. Benefiting from low deployment costs, China can sacrifice some photoelectric conversion efficiency to gain higher stability and longer service life.
These silicon-based photovoltaic modules are specially designed for the lunar environment, each with an area of about 2 square meters, efficiency around 23%, transported by Apollo Technology’s multiple launch missions, with total output reaching 50 MW, enough to support the energy needs of the entire base.
In the shadowed region of Shackleton Crater, the land area of these photovoltaic modules is expanding very quickly.
In each launch mission of Apollo Technology, the most numerous are these photovoltaic modules.
Then these photovoltaic modules, due to lack of energy, initially needed astronauts to assemble them themselves.
That is, in the past few months, it was Wei Xuhang, Qian Fei, and Zhao Jianguo these astronauts who personally laid them: wearing spacesuits, dragging modules, fixing them one by one on moon soil brackets.
The process is tedious and dangerous. Moon dust electrostatically adsorbs, modules easily slip, and considering the moon’s gravity is only 1/6 of Earth’s, every step feels like walking in water.
From the live broadcast perspective, it’s astronauts laying human artifacts on the lunar surface. The first time it’s novel, but after that it becomes less and less interesting.
But when it reaches the bottom, it rises again, because the area you lay becomes larger and larger, and the visual effect becomes more and more intuitive.
Chinese people naturally like this kind of farming feeling.
Plus, this time is different from the past, because the construction of photovoltaic modules and supporting power supply facilities is completed, this is the first time robots are operating on the moon.
Thereafter, even without human astronauts on the moon, robots will automatically operate and lay photovoltaic modules.
This is a six-wheeled tracked robot named Wu Gang, weighing about 300 kilograms, equipped with mechanical arms and laser scanners, capable of autonomous navigation and laying photovoltaic modules.
It uses the latest algorithms, based on SLAM technology, to plan paths on lunar terrain, avoiding craters and rocks.
Power comes from small lithium-sulfur batteries, combined with photovoltaic self-charging, able to work continuously for 72 hours.
This time, it is the robot’s first independent operation—humans only need to monitor.
Wei Xuhang stood in front of the observation window of the control cabin, hands crossed over his chest, the display screen transmitting the robot’s perspective in real time: “This damn moon dusting career is finally coming to an end.”
Zhao Jianguo corrected: “This is not dusting, this is laying solar panels.”
Wei Xuhang was speechless: “Laying solar panels on the moon is different from Earth. Laying this stuff on the moon has moon dust. What’s the difference from dusting? Spacesuits are always covered in dust.
But fortunately, the first step is finally completed. No more human astronauts acting as laborers dusting on the moon.”
Zhao Jianguo glanced at him: “You think there will be no more dusting later? Didn’t you see the plan?”
Wei Xuhang said with a mournful face: “You’re right. Just finished here, and the next engineering project comes, without a break.
Astronauts and workers are no different, doing physical labor.”
What is the next step? The next step is to build the electromagnetic launch rail.
The rail extending from Shackleton to Degelach Crater.
The rail here is in flat form, which can be used for launching spaceships out of lunar orbit, and also as a transportation device for travel between the two craters.
It’s somewhat similar to the maglev train concept on Earth.
To avoid the complex environment on the Moon affecting this electromagnetic rail, it is necessary to first lay a foundation using moon soil as the structural material, then install the rail, and finally cover the structural material.
More intuitively, it means using moon soil as the framework and foundation for retaining walls, support, and radiation brackets.
The entire process of laying the framework can be done by robots, but the final assembly and splicing of acceleration modules are not precise enough for robots, so astronauts must ultimately do it.
Lay photovoltaics first, then build the railway—pure manual labor.
In Apollo Technology’s official live broadcast room on Earth, the anchor is very excited: “Look! Our Wu Gang first uses laser to scan the surface and calculate the slope.
If it exceeds 5 degrees, it automatically adjusts the bracket height to optimize the module tilt angle to 23.5 degrees, matching the Moon’s rotational axis.”
To be an official anchor at Apollo Technology, one must start with dual master’s degrees in science and engineering, and after training, professional knowledge comes effortlessly: “The efficiency of the photovoltaic array depends on the angle of incidence. In the quasi-permanent light zone at the Lunar South Pole, it can achieve a yearly average 80% capacity factor.
As for everyone’s concern about robot reliability if a lunar dust storm hits, we have already considered this!
Wu Gang has a vibration cleaning system that can shake off dust.”
The anchor continued: “Dear audience, you are witnessing history! This is the first time on the Moon that a robot has autonomously laid photovoltaic modules.
Wu Gang is setting off from the base, its tracks rolling over moon soil at about 2 meters per second. Why so slow? Because the lunar terrain is complex, it must perform real-time calculation of its center of gravity to avoid tipping over.
These photovoltaic modules are gallium arsenide thin-film type, lightweight, highly radiation-resistant, and can operate in the Moon’s vacuum for 20 years.
Now, the robot extends its mechanical arm, grabs the module, and aligns it perfectly! It uses ultrasonic welding to fix the bracket, with strength 1.5 times that of Earth steel.”
The live broadcast image switches to the robot’s first-person perspective: the mechanical arm precisely picks up a photovoltaic panel, scans the surface, sprays a small amount of gelling agent to fix the base, then unfolds the panel and connects the cable.
The entire process is as smooth as water, taking only 5 minutes per panel.
The anchor continues the commentary: “This is not just laying; it’s the cornerstone of our Moon Base!
After the photovoltaic array expands, it will provide redundant electricity for the 3D printing factory and nuclear fission station, supporting oxygen production and water cycle.
This is also the beginning of full energy independence.”
The bullet screen in the live broadcast room is flooding the screen:
“So cool! Robots are much steadier than humans; finally, no more watching astronauts’ shaky hands!”
“I want to ask, what framework is the robot AI based on? TensorFlow or PyTorch?”
“Lunar version of photovoltaic paving machine!”
“No wonder they’re infrastructure maniacs; starting infrastructure on the Moon too.”
“No, when are they planting vegetables? I want to see vegetable planting.”
“Historic moment! Humanity’s first step in conquering the Moon starts with energy independence.”
Amid the bullet screen, the robot completed the first row of laying, expanding the array edge by another 10 meters.
