Chapter 252: After The Successful Launch
If Bilibili’s official live stream room is uniformly all 6s, then in reality, the reactions of the audience watching this live broadcast are all different.
A burst of cheers came from the dormitory at Yenching University.
As PhD students, there is no concept of winter vacation.
However, PhD in Mathematics is better, able to go back for about ten days, pitifully little compared to undergraduate students, but compared to other science and engineering PhDs, it’s simply too enjoyable, okay?
PhD in Materials who can go back for seven days would have to thank the lord for his grace.
It’s no wonder the domestic research environment is criticized.
Of course, such a push environment is also an important reason why China papers are published one after another.
Xu Xian and Li Yiqing are both watching the live broadcast on Bilibili.
Before the launch, Xu Xian specially sent a WeChat message to Lin Ran, congratulating Brother Ran in advance on the success.
“Ran Shen is too wild, but thinking about it carefully, there’s no problem, Ran Shen has indeed never failed in his life.”
“Not really, if not getting into Yenching University or Tsinghua University counts as failure.”
“How is that possible? Getting into Jiaotong University can’t be considered a failure no matter what, it’s at least Top 3.”
“Honestly, after Ran Shen, I feel Jiaotong University really might become Top 3.”
“Yeah, after all, this is too awesome, what does half a year orbit insertion mean!
I heard a lot of Jiaotong University students are interning at Apollo Technology, Apollo Technology has become a self-reserved internship ground for Jiaotong University students.
Participating in the R&D of a medium rocket for the first domestic private aerospace company, this resume is a bit too unbeatable.
Fudan is okay, after all Fudan mainly focuses on liberal arts and sciences, I feel Tongji must be sour to death, also a strong engineering school, Tongji’s strongest is Civil Engineering, what Civil Engineering is like after 2018, it’s turbulent.
As a result, traditional engineering majors like Machinery and Electrical Engineering can’t even get internship opportunities like Jiaotong University, Tongji is already shorter than Jiaotong University, now it must be even shorter?”
Xu Xian and Li Yiqing, as current PhD students at Yenching University, point out the Shanghai three schools with great authority, not taking them seriously at all.
“Jiaotong University picked up a leak, purely walking on the road and picking up a treasure, gaining a famous alumnus spanning Mathematics and Aerospace out of thin air.
The former pulls prestige to the max, the latter has invincible practicality, and prestige is also high, feels like Jiaotong University can suppress Fudan in the next few years.
“Yeah, half a year is too exaggerated, other small rockets relying on simulation I can understand, Ran Shen’s 8-ton payload multi-engine bundled rocket also relies on simulation?
Half a year, from design to manufacturing, definitely no time to send to wind tunnel for testing.
This is too awesome, back then Musk’s Falcon 9 also failed several times before succeeding, Ran Shen’s rocket R&D time is too short, even ground tests at most double digits.
You didn’t go to blow wind tunnel, didn’t do a lot of ground ignition tests, prototype tests, and it succeeded on the first try.” Li Yiqing felt like he was not in the real world.
He is a PhD in Applied Mathematics, these days after watching Director Bi and Tim’s videos, he went to cram some aerospace common knowledge.
In his view, Lin Ran leading this rocket launch to successfully achieve orbit insertion feels not like something a person can do.
“No way, this is Ran Shen, the world of gods and mortals is different.
I estimate that those private aerospace agencies are under immense pressure.
Brother Ran’s rocket with 8-ton payload succeeds on first try, plus they plan to improve into reusable field, I seriously doubt the living space of these domestic private institutions will be infinitely squeezed by Apollo Technology.” Xu Xian said.
Li Yiqing asked: “Do you believe what Ran Shen said, moon landing this year?”
Xu Xian was stunned, nodded after a moment: “Believe! Why not believe!
There are still nine months, why not believe?”
Li Yiqing teased: “Then why don’t you bet with those netizens on Zhihu?”
Xu Xian shook his head vigorously: “Believe is believe, bet is bet, betting on eating poop is a bit too much, if betting money, like 1000 yuan, I’d definitely bet.”
Li Yiqing smiled, then said: “Too unbelievable, although 8-ton payload is nothing, only one-third of Falcon 9, but half a year is really exaggerated.”
Inside Jiaotong University, in the president’s office, several university leaders are also watching the live broadcast together.
They naturally know what this means.
Jiaotong University has nurtured a private aerospace company, and the founder of this aerospace company is Jiaotong University’s undergraduate and professor, how close this connection is.
Plus Jiaotong University’s tradition as a strong engineering school, it’s equivalent to gaining a positive buff out of thin air.
Therefore, at the moment Lin Ran announced success, and said his life has only success no failure.
The university leaders in the office applauded while discussing.
“Professor Lin did great, young people need to be a bit wild, if I were as young as Professor Lin, with Fields Medal and launching rockets, I’d be even wilder.
I’d say I’m the king of the world.”
“Good, good, good.
President Lin, should we discuss with Professor Lin to see if we can synchronously start reusable rocket R&D.
After all, moon landing success is mainly symbolic significance, reusable rocket is the one with economic benefit and full practical political significance.
For him and Apollo Technology, it can obtain the greatest resource support.”
“I approve of Old Ding’s viewpoint, as long as Professor Lin masters reusable rocket, then all, I mean all rocket-making private aerospace enterprises on the market have no need to exist.
Because one is enough.
America only nurtured SpaceX, we have Apollo Technology is enough.
National level support for private aerospace enterprises will all tilt to Apollo Technology.
Other private aerospace enterprises, either transform to upstream and downstream supplier, or do other subdivided fields, like space tourism, electronic satellites and such.”
“When Professor Lin returns to school, I’ll communicate well with him.” Lin Zhongqing also felt this statement makes sense.
In their view, mathematics master doing reusable rocket has natural advantage.
And from Burning No. 1 being done in half a year, probably Lin Ran masters a new type of simulation method, this simulation method can avoid a lot of real world tests, complete tests with computer simulation.
Then this also means researching reusable rocket will be twice the result with half the effort.
“Next time Shanghai education system meeting, Old Lin, we can properly show off in front of Fudan!”
“Yeah, Fudan mathematics strong is strong, always saying domestic universities second, stronger than Tsinghua, but do you have homegrown Fields Medal!”
“Don’t say it, I already boasted when attending prevention and control security meeting with their vice president.
They say within ten years Fudan will cultivate their own Fields Medalist, I just smile and say nothing.
Within ten years, we will have become the first domestic university to land on the moon!”
“Hahahaha”
“President Lin, mention to Professor Lin, when moon landing, remember to bring Jiaotong University’s flag to the moon too.”
“Yeah, President Lin, next time you go to Hengshan Hotel to report work, remember to tell this good news to old leader, he will definitely be particularly happy.
The Long March 2F rocket of same level as this Burning No. 1, same payload, was successfully R&D during his tenure.
Now Jiaotong University student self-developed success of rocket similar function and payload to Long March 2F, more advanced in design.
New generation pushes previous generation, talented people emerge in each era, great thing!”
For Shanghai Jiaotong University, this is top-notch good thing.
To put it this way, not considering if moon landing can succeed, just self-developed medium rocket is enough to boost morale, in domestic it’s absolutely one of a kind.
And inside Jiaotong University’s various class groups, it’s like exploding.
Uniformly Lin Ran sticker packs.
Photo of Lin Ran standing on the podium in Jiaotong University classroom, with Ran Shen arrives text flooding the screen.
Lin Ran is Mathematics Department professor, usually only teaches Lin Ran mathematics class, additionally also concurrently serves as Mathematics Department number theory basics elective and analytic number theory these two courses, even the two also concurrently serves as courses most times taught by young lecturers.
Students who selected these two courses might see Lin Ran only once a month.
After all, big shots always have privileges.
But can’t stop Lin Ran being Shanghai Jiaotong University’s most popular professor, casually one lecture, a bunch of sticker packs flow out.
Like discovering during lecture everyone doesn’t know, Lin Ran helplessly shakes head, made into Ran Shen angry sticker pack.
Even Lin Ran drinking water can be made into incompatible with water and fire sticker pack.
Anyway, Jiaotong University WeChat groups playing Lin Ran memes has become habit.
Just like back then the hottest playing memes are Jiaotong University students.
In groups with counselors, counselors sometimes join in the fun.
“@Hard work, Director Zhang, how to apply now to intern at Apollo Technology”
“+1”
“+1”
A bunch of +1 followed.
“Yeah, advisor, before I failed to recognize Mount Tai, had eyes but didn’t see, now can I still go to Apollo Technology to gild in time?”
“Back then I disliked Kunshan far, disliked Apollo Technology name sounding like Marco Polo tiles without any prestige, disliked Ran Shen a number theory guy knowing shit about aerospace, now I know I was wrong, hope Ran Shen give another chance, hope Jiaotong University help ask, if Ran Shen side can still take me.”
“+1, it’s me not understanding genius’s world!”
“Ran Shen too pervert”
“Damn, Mathematics Department those people too lucky, from what I know, basically Mathematics Department except juniors preparing for postgraduate exam and direct PhD recommendation, other grades going to Apollo Technology to help proportion over 70%, picking up leak out of thin air.
Don’t after two years graduation stats find out, Mathematics Department people going to aerospace field more than aerospace major, destinations even better, then it would be laughable.”
“I heard too, Mathematics Department with some half-forced nature, I thought Mathematics Department leaders too flattering, need to use students to flatter Ran Shen?
Making it like finally got a Fields just supply him up. Result is their leaders have vision, know this is gilding.”
This is Machinery College’s group, discussion very heated.
WeChat group chat actually split sentence by sentence, here format merged somewhat, anyway meaning conveyed is fine.
Aerospace College all calling counselors to quickly go talk to Professor Lin, those who didn’t intern now all want to intern.
Don’t say Kunshan, even in Gusu, they have to go.
As for Mathematics Department, belongs to steady happiness.
What warms the heart more than picking up leak?
Plus they interning at Apollo Technology, very clear, Lin Ran said one year moon landing not baseless.
Once one year moon landing realized, entire commercial aerospace will usher unprecedented development, and they already occupied pit in advance, waiting to graduate enter top Apollo Technology, steady win life okay?
Just like 2018 semiconductor industry everyone stepping on wind mouth original place takeoff same logic.
Original place takeoff.
“Half a year to build 8-ton rocket?! I witness miracle at China version ‘SpaceX’ launch site”
This is the day after launch success, Tim team urgently edited video.
Once released, quickly topped Bilibili hot search list, views over a million.
Video starts, on reddish-brown Gobi beach, 35-meter tall silver-white rocket stands on launch pad, morning light flows on arrow body skin.
Close-up to Tim, Tim’s palm against cold arrow body, lens pulls from palm to full body, then Tim turns to face lens, wearing custom work jacket, left chest embroidered with rocket logo:
“Friends, the rocket behind me, Burning No. 1 named after Professor Lin Ran himself, from design drawing to launch pad only 182 days! It can throw 8-ton satellite to space, equivalent to sending a school bus to low Earth orbit! And today, we witness its launch!”
Scene to general assembly workshop, background full of carbon fiber frames and 3D printed fuel valves.
Tim uses AR gesture to bring up holographic rocket model, HUD interface floats in picture, click engine area triggers explosion view.
“Why so fast? Answer hidden in these 7 parallel engines, they autonomous synergy like bee swarm!”
Then cut to laboratory lens, engineers use game controller to control 7 engine vector nozzles synchronous deflection.
“Traditional rockets need thousands of people debugging for years, while Apollo Technology uses simulation system to compress trial and error cost into code world, look at this!”
Play simulation 3D animation video: rocket constantly disintegrates in virtual world.
Red text pops fuel oscillation FAIL turbopump overload FAIL, finally freezes to SUCCESS green light.
Tim’s voice-over timely appears: “The electricity fee their servers burned this half year, enough to buy 200 Mac Pros for my studio…, picture cuts to Apollo Technology office building mountain of coffee cans.”
Bullet screen uniformly salute!
During launch, film hurricane team sets up 8K panorama camera on 2 km away mountaintop, to shoot entire ascent arc.
After all this counts as Bilibili official task, others can be unimportant, but during launch process, Bilibili logo streaking sky must be shot clear enough.
Thermal imager aims at engine nozzle, high-speed camera array to capture ignition instant.
At 500 meters from launch pad set up explosion-proof box, built-in GoPro and sound pressure sensor to real measure 190 dB shockwave at launch.
“We can see, exciting moment is coming soon, my heart beats really fast!”
At ignition liftoff, that is T-10 seconds start, ambient sound disappears, only Tim breathing and heartbeat monitor ‘beep’ sound left.
T-0.5 seconds silence screen all black, suddenly roar explodes, picture switches from thermal imaging nozzle blue flame to rocket tail trail in clear sky.
Drone chases rocket through cloud layer, with Hans Zimmer style electronic symphony.
Interstellar, Dunkirk, Inception soundtracks all made by Hans Zimmer.
Bullet screen audience starts recording real-time speed, speed 4.2km/s↑ altitude 70km.
Video contrast animation, traditional configuration Long March 2F rocket and Burning No. 1 side by side sprint.
After successful orbit insertion:
Control room cheers lens, Lin Ran and Pony shake hands, engineers all cheering celebrate.
Final lens to Tim facing sunset, Gobi wind sand blows hair:
“Someone asks: what can private aerospace change? Look at these people, they walked old era’s ten years road in 182 days, turn rocket R&D into ‘software simulation iteration’.
When China young people no longer look up at starry sky, but personally participate changing space, this is true space revolution.
Space revolution cannot without China young people’s figure.
Finally I also especially thank Professor Lin accept my interview, give me this visit opportunity, I hope next time, I can still have chance to visit site.
I think I will become professor’s lifelong fan.
