Chapter 298: Not Asking For Much
Valentin’s eyes narrowed, the smile on his face froze, and he immediately raised his guard inwardly.
Technology leakage is the Russians’ eternal pain.
After the Soviet Union collapsed, America targeted the Russians with a large-scale talent poaching operation similar to Paperclip, just like they did with Nazi Germany.
However, this wool is not only being pulled by the Americans; countries big and small are all pulling it.
(The two charts above come from the report “Reexamining the Talent Loss of the Former Soviet Union” written in 1996 by Adam Moody, a scholar at the James Martin Center for Academic Studies. The first chart describes specific cases of Soviet experts working in countries other than Russia after 1991, and the second chart describes the loss of staff from various institutions within Russia. These are verifiable situations, and the actual loss situation may only be more serious.)
Among them, the part mentioning China in the first chart includes: By the end of 1994, up to 1,000 Russian experts were working in China to improve China’s nuclear weapons and rocket research and development work; by the end of November 1994, three Russian scientists were working at a nuclear energy company in Pengcheng, China, and the company’s president said they would hire more Russian scientists. The first chart failed the review, and its appearance is similar to the second one.)
Because China didn’t skimp on pulling wool from Russia, especially in the field of military technology.
As for the big bear being vigilant against China and trying to avoid being pulled too hard, some technologies with strategic significance that China cannot buy at all are another matter.
Because if you don’t sell, you can’t stop Ukraine from selling. Ukraine is tens of thousands of miles away from China; if you don’t sell, I will.
In the Russians’ view, Ukraine selling is also pulling our wool.
So from this perspective, China is definitely one of the biggest beneficiaries in terms of technology transfer after the Soviet Union’s disintegration.
And Valentin thought that the other party was 100% wanting to come pull our wool again, not selling us your reusable rocket technology, and now wanting to pull wool from us.
Since the war began, Russia has been surrounded by enemies everywhere it looks.
Valentin sighed inwardly. As a high-level official, barely counting as one, he naturally knew that the East Asian little brothers dared to make requests, so it was normal for the East Asian big friend to have some requests too. After all, the most important thing now is to win the war; as for technology, sell it, sell it.
The son selling the father’s land doesn’t hurt.
“Professor, go ahead. I will relay it to the Moscow side. I probably can’t make the decision on what you want.” Valentin grinned, but this smile was uglier than crying.
Lin Ran said faintly: “I want all technical data and historical archives surrounding the RORSAT system.”
Valentin thought for a long time before realizing what RORSAT was; it had to be awakened from his ancient memory. This memory was too distant, distant to forty years ago.
At that time, he hadn’t graduated yet, hadn’t started working.
Seeing that Valentin had reacted, Lin Ran added: “Valentin, you know, don’t fool me with ordinary materials or fake materials. I want the real ones, your internal core ones, the firsthand real materials from back then, including technical data and launch archives, the more detailed the better.”
Valentin took a deep breath. “Sorry, professor, in my view, this technology has no value to you.”
It’s not the Cold War now, and even if it were, RORSAT has no value to Lin Ran.
Because RORSAT is a highly maneuverable satellite system built by the Soviet Union in the 1970s for monitoring ocean conditions, and the satellites used in this satellite system were nuclear-powered satellites.
At that time, nuclear-powered satellites were used because battery technology wasn’t advanced yet, there were no reusable rockets, and launch costs were relatively high.
Using nuclear power could extend satellite lifespan. As mentioned earlier, with high maneuverability, nuclear-powered satellites could simultaneously ensure high maneuverability, long lifespan, and good stability.
But in 1967, the United Nations signed the Outer Space Treaty, and over these decades, battery technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, as has solar technology.
Plus, Lin Ran and they have mastered reusable rocket technology, so the cost-effectiveness of launching nuclear-powered satellites is far inferior to conventional satellites.
Nuclear-powered satellite technology is not even worth mentioning as chicken ribs to Lin Ran.
As for the launch logs and related materials they have, they have even less value; apart from archaeological value, Valentin really couldn’t think of any use for this stuff to Lin Ran.
Even if you want to launch satellites on the Moon, there’s no need to use nuclear-powered satellites. Their RORSAT series nuclear-powered satellites didn’t use nuclear fusion, but nuclear fission power generation.
He couldn’t figure it out even if he racked his brains; this thing really is useful, and very useful to Lin Ran.
Here’s a brief introduction to the history of nuclear-powered satellites; this thing has a long history.
The predecessor of the GPS project Lin Ran participated in was called Transit, and the power source used by the Transit-4A satellite was essentially nuclear energy.
It used a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RPS), which relies on the decay of suitable radioactive materials to release heat, then converts thermal energy into electrical energy via the Seebeck effect.
While the Russians’ RORSAT actually mounted a small nuclear fission reactor on the satellite, with output power around 5 kilowatts, whereas RPS power is only between 40 watts and 300 watts.
Of course, America did the same thing too; they
launched SNAP-10A in 1965, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying a nuclear fission reactor to provide power.
But SNAP-10A wasn’t under NASA; it was fully managed by the American Air Force. Lin Ran just knew about this thing, but only that; he didn’t even participate in the research and development.
America only ever launched this one nuclear-powered satellite, SNAP-10A, and the technology proposal was soon left only at the research stage afterward.
While the Soviet Union’s RORSAT series nuclear-powered satellites began launching in 1967, a total of 33 were launched, until 1973 when Peter Watman, the Assistant Secretary for Naval Research and Development, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, mentioning that the Soviet Union had an ocean surveillance system based on highly maneuverable satellites. That’s when America guessed that the Soviet Union was doing nuclear-powered satellites.
Specific confirmation had to wait until 1978, when the nuclear-powered satellite numbered Kosmos 954 reentered the atmosphere, and its scattered radioactive debris crashed in the northwest region of Maple Leaf Country.
This triggered Operation Morning Light, simply put, America and Maple Leaf Country jointly cleaned up the nuclear radiation from the satellite crash and, according to the Outer Space Treaty, demanded 6 million Canadian dollars in compensation from the Soviet Union; the Soviet Union ultimately only paid 3 million.
The Soviet Union confirmed on the day of the crash that Kosmos 954 contained 50 kilograms of uranium-235.
This was also the first confirmation of nuclear-powered satellites.
And the time node anchored by Lin Ran’s 60-space-time institution is early 1967; this year they are about to sign the Outer Space Treaty at the United Nations.
The Soviet Union was cunning enough, preferring to sign this treaty rather than let the Western camp guess they were doing nuclear-powered satellites.
At this time point, probably few even within the Soviet Union itself knew that their RORSAT was a nuclear-powered satellite.
Lin Ran looked at Valentin from the 2020 space-time and thought, this is truly a coincidence of fate: Valentin 60 years later telling himself top secret intelligence from the Soviet Union 60 years ago.
At the 1967 time point, in Lin Ran’s view, this intelligence could play an unimaginable role for him, even relating to his golden cicada escape in the 1960s.
As for Soviet technology? Or Russian technology? It has no meaning to Lin Ran.
In the 2020 space-time, the largest industrial country, the country with the most massive science and engineering talent pool, holding in the 1960 space-time the world’s most research funds and absolutely accurate technological vision, Lin Ran truly looks down on the Soviet Union’s meager offerings.
“No, I’m very curious. Satisfying my curiosity is its greatest use.” Lin Ran said casually.
Valentin murmured: “Professor, alright, I can fully understand. I think there shouldn’t be any big problem; the Moscow side won’t make things difficult for you on this.”
Indeed, a technical archive and data from sixty years ago could flatter a big shot figure in China’s aerospace field; this deal doesn’t seem like a loss to Valentin at all.
Before Valentin left, Lin Ran added:
“Don’t forget, complete materials. Your research on satellite nuclear weapons, show it to me too. I won’t make it difficult for you; I just want some rough time nodes, no technical details needed.”
Valentin didn’t ask how Lin Ran knew about this thing; he only saw the related materials after reaching high-level in the aerospace field.
Because there’s no need; smart people can guess it.
Since the Soviet Union could do nuclear-powered satellites, they must inevitably have done satellite nuclear weapons too; otherwise, why did the Soviet Union jump in so eagerly when Reagan mentioned Star Wars.
Wasn’t it because they had researched it in advance and even achieved good results? With confidence, after losing the moon landing race, they still wanted to play space race with the Americans.
Moreover, the Soviet Union historically developed a partial orbital bombardment system, deploying nuclear bombs in low Earth orbit.
It was perfectly normal for Lin Ran to guess this from nuclear-powered satellites.
“Okay.” Valentin agreed.
Anyway, you don’t want technology, just these historical archives; if you like to look, I’ll give them to you.
From Lin Ran’s past actions in America, reviving the Americans’ Saturn V from historical archives, it’s normal that he likes this kind of historical material, Valentin thought.
If China develops satellite nuclear weapons based on the technical data he provides, the one to worry about wouldn’t be Russia, but the Americans; the ones who should have a headache are the Americans.
As for China secretly developing them, under such advanced modern detection equipment, it’s impossible to secretly pull out a low Earth orbit nuclear bomb.
You launch on your front foot, and American satellites dare to collide with you on your back foot.
So Valentin wasn’t worried; providing the technical data to China wouldn’t have any consequences for them.
Seeing this, Lin Ran also put down his suspended heart.
Getting these two pieces of material from the Russians opens up a lot of operability.
Who says only Reagan can do Star Wars? I can too.
Congress wants to cut my budget? I want to increase the budget even more.
I launch global satellite internet; you want to take them down? They’re all nuclear-powered satellites one by one; where they fall after being shot down is hard to say. Do you really dare to shoot?
Lin Ran has already seen the future from now.
“Hello everyone, I’m Lin Ran. This is the second episode of the Burning Program. In the past month, the outside world has had all sorts of sayings around our second moon landing.
The reason I haven’t shot a video to respond, some right, some wrong, is because I wanted to wait until our astronaut Wei Xuhang finishes isolation and returns to Shanghai, then invite him to record this program with me.
We’re doing this as a live broadcast, with a bullet screen Q&A segment in the middle. I’ll click on bullet screens from various platforms; everyone doesn’t need to crowd on the same platform to avoid putting too much pressure on the platform.
After the live broadcast ends, the recorded broadcast will also be edited into a program and posted on our official accounts on various platforms.”
Because the program had advance notice, plus the live broadcast time being Saturday prime time, the total viewers across platforms reached nearly 50 million.
After Pony became CEO, he successively talked with major domestic platforms, so Apollo Technology’s official accounts went live simultaneously on Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Channels, and such places.
Sponsorship fees vary by platform; Douyin is 100 million a year, Xiaohongshu is 50 million a year.
The price here mainly depends on each platform’s will; as the short video leader, Douyin’s will is definitely the strongest.
This is limited to domestic; Youtube and Instagram have even stronger will, even willing to pay 100 million US dollars a year, but Apollo Technology didn’t go.
Because of the cooperation reached with Young John Morgan, the White House has relaxed on the ZC intensity.
Apollo Technology still cannot buy technology and tech products from foreign enterprises; things like AI computing cards and aerospace engines are definitely out of the question, but whether Chinese companies or foreign companies, general cooperation is fine.
Otherwise, the previous lunar rover solicitation wouldn’t have dared to come from those new forces listed on Nasdaq.
Executives from different platforms are also watching the live broadcast; Bilibili executives rolled their eyes hearing this: You’re saying it like that; we wish everyone would come watch the live on Bilibili to bring us traffic.
Wei Xuhang seemed slightly reserved. “Hello everyone, I’m Wei Xuhang.”
The bullet screen was all spamming blessings for exams and such to go smoothly.
On the internet, Wei Xuhang is nicknamed Koi Fish; this title is not only on the Chinese Internet, but abroad too, he’s also considered a lucky boy.
Various rumors abound, saying Japan and Korea are both trying every way to poach him, after all, everyone is East Asian countries, and the same on superstition matters.
Like JAXA official, director of the manned lunar rover engineering center Tsutsui Fumiya, in an interview said that Wei’s performance on the Moon was stunning, even saying things like we are trying to bring in Chinese astronauts.
Other JAXA officials have also said that China’s Wei, we very much welcome him to join Japan.
This is because Japan also aims for the Moon; they’ve launched who knows how many unmanned moon probes, always wanting to piggyback on America’s Artemis program to go to the Moon.
(Japan’s 2019 lunar rover concept diagram, with TOYOTA’s LOGO at the front; the 2023 new version concept diagram is not much different from 2019.)
(Japan’s designed lunar rover solar panels deployed; this proposal looks much more reliable than the one from the American supplier just from appearance.)
You know, Japan obtained two moon landing seats from Artemis; in the cooperation agreement signed with Japan, America guaranteed to take two Japanese astronauts up.
Therefore, in Japan’s view, planning Wei Xuhang wouldn’t that be great?
In the past, Japan planned Brazilian players to develop soccer; now planning Chinese astronauts for moon landing is standard operation.
As for Korea, Korea isn’t so favored in America’s sphere, can’t get such treatment; they were just incidentally mentioned by self-media bloggers on the Chinese Internet when discussing this.
“I see the bullet screen all spamming Koi Fish and blessings; won’t you wish everyone smooth exams?” Lin Ran had a look like you’re so dense.
Wei Xuhang hurriedly said: “Oh oh, wish everyone smooth exams.”
Lin Ran helplessly: “No, you don’t know to say more nice words?
Alright, I’ll do it: Wish the audience friends watching the live broadcast on your screens smooth exams, good physical health, and smooth lives.”
The Chinese netizens watching the live broadcast thought, Koi Fish lives up to being Koi Fish; it fits everyone’s perception of him having only the advantage of good luck.
Lin Ran continued: “The focus of our conversation today is naturally around the second moon landing; this moon landing is of great significance.”
