Chapter 303: The Professor Returns To His Loyal Washington
If this era had the concept of top stream, Lin Ran would be the undisputed top stream, not only in America but also globally.
The higher the education level of the group, the higher their recognition of Lin Ran.
And Washington D.C. is undoubtedly the area with the highest average education level in America.
Of those who could enter the NBC Washington studio live, nine out of ten are supporters of the professor.
“Professor, this is my second interview with you. The last time was after the joint US-Soviet moon landing, when I interviewed you and Yuri Gagarin in New York.
Although it’s the second time, my inner excitement, thrill, and tension are still the same as the first time.
This is an exclusive interview, and with a lot of recent discussions surrounding the professor, we just completed the manned moon landing, and in short, there are many major domestic and international events waiting for us to discuss.
I believe not only myself, but also the audience here and the audience friends in front of the television, are as eager as I am to hear the professor’s views and viewpoints!”
The studio was designed with a slightly dim style, lit by incandescent lamps on the ceiling, precisely to give the audience the illusion of watching a live broadcast when aired in the evening.
“Professor, the promise made by President Kennedy in his 1961 moon landing speech to achieve a moon landing in this decade was ultimately accomplished in the historic manned moon landing under President Lyndon Johnson and the NASA you lead.
We are also the first country in the world to land on the moon independently and return successfully. What were your thoughts after the moon landing success?”
As NBC’s news anchor, Cronkite didn’t want to offend Lyndon Johnson, so his speech aimed for impartiality.
In the original spacetime, the moon landing speech was in 1962; Lin Ran changed the spacetime to advance this timeline.
Lin Ran said earnestly: “This is not just the victory of President Johnson and me, but the victory of all Americans. We have the world’s best manufacturing workers, the most innovative spirit engineers, the best scientists; together we accomplished this moon landing miracle, sending humanity to the moon 380,000 kilometers away.”
The audience below felt a sense of pride; the professor is praising us!
To note here, compared to Lin Ran, von Braun in the original spacetime rarely appeared publicly, and he only did one television exclusive interview, before the Apollo moon landing, not after.
He had a dedicated spokesperson, Ed Barkby, also the author of Chasing the Moon, who spoke for him.
This was because von Braun’s past work for Nazi Germany led East Germany and West Germany to hound him; in December 1968 before the moon landing, with Apollo 8 lunar orbit imminent, a West German court forcibly required him to go to West Germany to face charges.
Because they found three former SS members from the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp as witnesses; these camps provided slave labor for V-2 ballistic missile production, and von Braun was the technical director of that project back then.
Under West Germany’s pressure, von Braun eventually went to the West German consulate in New Orleans in 1969 for questioning.
And as a former SS officer, von Braun’s handwritten ‘Führer!’ was dug up by East Germany as evidence to attack his Nazi record.
(Von Braun’s marriage permit application to Himmler, containing his handwritten ‘Führer!’, stored in the American National Archives)
Throughout the 1960s, East Germany kept chasing von Braun and Rudolf, reporting their ties to the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp.
So von Braun wasn’t unable, but dared not; he fundamentally didn’t dare to expose himself frequently to the public,thus unable to grab the moon landing glory from the White House.
Lin Ran is completely different; no past means no stains.
“But this is not the end, this is just the new beginning. Cronkite, remember what I told you last time?” Lin Ran asked in return. He was skilled in interview techniques, knowing exactly how to control the interview rhythm and keep the entire pace in his hands.
Cronkite nodded, a reminiscing expression on his face: “Of course I remember; during the last interview, you told me you would enable ordinary people to do space tourism, even to the moon.”
Lin Ran said: “Exactly, humanity is in the process of advancing from planetary beings to cosmic beings, and NASA will be the greatest boost on this journey.”
Cronkite leaned forward slightly, tone firm: “If anyone else said this, I would doubt it, but when the professor says it, I believe it unconditionally. The professor always creates one miracle after another.
So professor,
“We developed the most powerful rocket in history. There were many challenges during the development process. The scale of the Saturn V far exceeds any rocket we had before.”
Lin Ran gestured with his hand, emphasizing its enormous size.
“We need to solve problems such as engine design, fuel management, and structural integrity. For example, the F-1 engine’s thrust requirements are extremely high. We conducted countless tests, failed, and made improvements.
But every failure brings us closer to success. Through rigorous testing and repeated iterations, we ultimately overcame these obstacles.”
Later, watching the program, von Braun was quite unhappy. The Saturn V was clearly my merit, you just provided a few technical guidances, how did it become your merit? In terms of grabbing credit, what’s the difference between you and the White House?
But the situation was stronger than people; the White House couldn’t take away Lin Ran’s merit, but his contribution was easily erased. Moreover, von Braun not only couldn’t express dissatisfaction but also had to say that it was indeed all the professor’s merit.
His identity as a former NAZI German scientist is too sensitive, and even more so today after the moon landing is complete. If NASA doesn’t protect him, he would have long been sent back to Germany to go to prison.
Go back to Germany and go to jail; the Jewish people are waiting.
With one sentence from Lin Ran, von Braun would end up with the same fate as Rudolf.
Cronkite asked: “Now that we have landed on the Moon, what is the next step for NASA and space exploration? Reusable rockets?”
Because this concept was proposed by Lin Ran, the concept of reusable rocket has been very common in space popular science articles in recent years, including NASA’s external press conferences also mentioning that a reusable rocket named Falcon 9 is under research and development.
Enthusiasm ignited in Lin Ran’s eyes: “Of course, this is just the beginning! We plan to conduct more Apollo Missions to further explore the Moon.
I envision establishing a space station in Earth orbit as a springboard for deep space exploration, then building a base on the Moon belonging to humanity, and ultimately, our goal is to immigrate to Mars, transform Mars into a planet suitable for human habitation, so that humanity’s living space expands from one planet to two planets.”
Cronkite asked: “This sounds extremely ambitious, a Mars city? This sounds like a setting from a science fiction novel. Do you think these goals can be achieved in our lifetime?”
Lin Ran glanced at Cronkite and said, “I believe that in my lifetime we will certainly see human cities built on Mars. Cronkite, you are a bit older than me, and I’m not sure if my lifetime can cover yours.”
Cronkite sighed: “Indeed, every time I see the professor, besides the professor’s wise brain, what impresses me most is still the professor’s young appearance.”
Lin Ran deliberately observes his appearance every time he crosses spacetime. In the 2020 spacetime, he even frequently compares changes in his appearance by taking selfies.
But he discovered that even after several years had passed in the 1960 spacetime, the changes in the 2020 appearance were still minimal.
Therefore, he suspects that his lifespan does not mean a total of 100 years combining the two spacetimes, but rather different spacetimes have separate lifespan calculation mechanisms.
As for the specific situation, Lin Ran plans to explore it further later.
Lin Ran took over the conversation: “The success of the Apollo Program has accumulated precious experience and technology for us, and more importantly, we have built a powerful team. NASA is the best scientific institution and high-end manufacturing organization. As long as we maintain investment and determination, I believe that within the next twenty or thirty years, we will be able to see a small base on Mars become a reality, and within fifty years, a small city appear on Mars.”
Lin Ran paused, a trace of nostalgia in his gaze. He was thinking of the 2020 spacetime, the one he had not changed, where the NASA scientists after the Apollo Moon Landing might have been as ambitious about future space exploration missions as he was now.
Lin Ran then thought that the upcoming meeting with Lyndon Johnson seemed particularly important.
Strive for the remaining two years from Lyndon Johnson, and then it would be Nixon’s turn. The worse the Vietnam War got, the more confidence Lin Ran had in securing greater support from Nixon.
Cronkite, after listening, showed a longing expression: “Thirty years, I’ll still be young then!”
Immediately after, his tone became slightly serious: “Some people question the cost of the space program, thinking it too expensive. How do you view these criticisms?”
Lin Ran replied: “I fully understand these worries, but the returns of the space program far exceed the cost.
It has driven countless technological progresses, such as satellite communication and medical equipment, all of which have improved our lives. More importantly, it inspires young people to devote themselves to science and engineering.
When children see the footprints on the Moon, they will believe they too can create miracles. Investing in space is investing in humanity’s future.”
Lin Ran thought to himself, when the Starlink Internet appears and the Cyber God on the Moon delivers divine pronouncements, no one will doubt the significance of space exploration.
Cronkite continued: “Speaking of inspiration, what advice do you have for young people dreaming of becoming scientists or engineers?”
Lin Ran said: “I want to say, you should follow your passion. Science and engineering are fields that change the world. Don’t be afraid to dream big and strive to realize them.
The Moon landing proves that with determination and team cooperation, anything is possible. You will be the explorers of the future.”
This was the same logic as Humphrey advising Jenny. Lin Ran’s displayed IQ was too high, so when he said such things, their persuasiveness was greatly diminished.
Cronkite asked: “In the past, we achieved a joint Moon landing with the Soviet Union. At that time, people thought peace was coming, that America and the Soviet Union would join hands for the Moon landing, but now it seems peace only lasted until Gagarin appeared on the Moon. The space race has always been a contest between America and the Soviet Union.
Now that we have succeeded in the Moon landing, do you think this will promote international cooperation? Will there be joint Moon landings in the future, or perhaps joint development of Mars?”
Lin Ran said sincerely: “I hope so. Competition has driven our achievements, but space exploration is humanity’s common cause. The challenges and opportunities in space require global cooperation. The universe belongs to all humanity, but the gravity of reality is so heavy. I think it will be hard for us to achieve true peace.
As for joint space exploration, sorry, that’s decided by the White House, not me.”
Cronkite’s tone became excited, because he knew he was about to ask the gossip that America’s public cared about most recently, the mystery of the discord between NASA and the White House: “Professor, recently we’ve seen newspapers constantly reporting news of a rift between you and President Johnson. The marketplace is rife with rumors that the White House fears you and hopes to shift attention to the White House after the Moon landing success—this is the White House’s victory.
What do you think of this? How is your relationship with President Johnson?”
Lin Ran smiled and shook his head: “The guesses outside and the real situation have a slight deviation. I’ve read Jenny Hearst’s report; the description inside is factual, but there are also fictional elements.
I indeed did not appear at the celebration held at the White House, because my past work intensity was too high, and I hoped to apply for a long vacation to properly adjust and think. President Johnson immediately approved my vacation upon hearing.
This was something I proposed myself, not that President Johnson deliberately did not invite me to the celebration to ignore me.
I have cooperated very pleasantly with President Johnson over the past three years. I believe no matter who the president is, we will not have a rift.”
Lin Ran’s words already contained enough subtext.
Later, those watching the “live broadcast”—Nixon, Fred, Humphrey, and others—would all smile knowingly.
Knowing that as long as they offered enough chips, they weren’t worried the professor wouldn’t defect.
Cronkite concluded: “Professor, thank you for sharing this content with us. This has been an inspiring dialogue!”
Lin Ran arrived at the White House at one in the afternoon. The atmosphere at the White House was different from before. The White House officers saw his arrival and were still enthusiastic, but there was a subtle change from the past enthusiasm.
“Please come in.” After a knock, a Texas accent came from the Oval Office.
Lin Ran’s expression was grave: “Mr. President, long time no see. I ended my vacation early and returned to Washington because there is a terribly bad news to tell you.”
The vacation Lin Ran requested from Johnson was at most two months, meaning Lin Ran could vacation for up to two months, could end it midway at any time, and had to return early if the White House had matters.
The current situation was that Lin Ran had voluntarily ended his vacation early.
Johnson’s expression also became grave. You’re not going to tell me you’re resigning and going to support Fred, are you? If you really do that, I certainly won’t let you go!
Johnson said: “Professor, please speak.”
Lin Ran pulled out a stack of paper from his briefcase, on which were the latest data from NASA satellite observations and his manually calculated charts, and handed them to the desk in front of Lyndon Johnson.
He took a deep breath, pretending to be very nervous.
Lin Ran first opened a chart labeled Universe 367 trajectory. “NASA’s satellite observation team conducted detailed monitoring of this satellite launched on October 3 last year. The results show it is very likely nuclear-powered.”
Upon hearing this, Lyndon Johnson furrowed his brows, his body unconsciously leaning forward. If he didn’t lean forward, Lin Ran would suspect he wasn’t Johnson himself.
“Nuclear-powered? In space? That’s a bold guess, Professor. How did you arrive at this conclusion?”
Lin Ran pointed to two curves on the chart: “Please look here. The blue line is the actual orbital altitude change of Universe 367, the red line is the expected decay curve for a typical solar-powered satellite.
You will notice that the actual decay rate is far lower than expected.”
Lyndon Johnson picked up the chart from the table, his gaze shifting between the blue and red lines, trying to understand the meaning: “What does this indicate?”
“Let me explain.” Lin Ran said, “Universe 367 operates in a low Earth orbit of about 250 kilometers, where atmospheric drag is significant.
The orbital decay rate of any satellite is related to its cross-sectional area to mass ratio, that is, the ballistic coefficient.
If this satellite uses solar panels to power the radar system, assuming it needs 2 kilowatts of continuous electricity, given the Soviet Union’s current technology with solar cell efficiency of about 12%, it would need about 20 square meters of solar panel area, which would significantly increase drag, leading to an orbital decay of about 1 kilometer per month.”
“But our observations show,” Lin Ran continued, pointing to the blue line, “Universe 367’s decay is only 0.1 kilometers per month, indicating its cross-sectional area is far smaller than expected, consistent with the design of a compact power source like a nuclear reactor.”
Lyndon Johnson narrowed his eyes, trying to digest these technical details.
In his mind, images of the Soviet Union’s various actions during the Cold War emerged, and he inwardly became vigilant: “Professor, you mean the Soviet people used a nuclear reactor instead of solar panels? Are there other possibilities, like more efficient solar technology?”
This actually fit the Soviet Union’s style of using nuclear for everything, and they had previously developed nuclear-powered satellites themselves, just hadn’t continued launching them later.
Lin Ran shook his head, his tone firm: “We have considered all possibilities. Solar cell technology cannot provide such high power density without using large panels.
Moreover, through radar reflection data, we have estimated the satellite’s dimensions and shape, confirming it has no large solar array.
The nuclear reactor not only provides continuous electricity but also allows the satellite to maintain radar operation in both sunlit and shadowed regions, which is crucial for the Soviet Union’s goal of large-scale ground reconnaissance missions.”
Lyndon Johnson was silent for a moment, stood up, slowly walked to the window, and gazed at the White House lawn outside the window.
Complex emotions churned in his heart; he realized this was an unprecedented rare opportunity.
The Soviet Union launching nuclear-powered satellites into space to monitor America fully demonstrated the necessity of the Cold War and the Vietnam War.
He turned around, his voice low: “If you’re right, what does this satellite mean for us?”
Lin Ran replied: “Sorry, not just one. According to my calculations in Hawaii, they have launched a total of 8 nuclear-powered satellites since last year.
The existence of these nuclear-powered satellites indicates that the other side has achieved a breakthrough in space nuclear technology, which is most likely for military purposes, such as continuous ocean surveillance to enhance their naval intelligence capabilities.
Even worse, if this satellite loses control and reenters the atmosphere, the nuclear reactor will scatter radioactive debris. If it crashes in an area with gathered American public, it will cause serious environmental and security threats.”
He paused, “Although we haven’t seen similar accidents yet, the risk truly exists.
When the Air Force’s SNAP-9A satellite reentered in 1963, it scattered radioactive debris in the southern hemisphere.”
The radioactive debris scattered by the SNAP-9A satellite reentry was also an important reason why America subsequently suspended nuclear-powered satellite launches.
Lyndon Johnson asked: “Professor, what do you think we should do?”
“Although the Soviet Union’s satellites currently have no risk of falling, the probability cannot be ignored,” Lin Ran replied. “I suggest immediately strengthening monitoring of such satellites, particularly focusing on their disposal methods at the end of their missions, such as whether the reactor will be ejected into a higher orbit.
In addition, we can discuss space nuclear technology safety issues with the Soviet Union through diplomatic channels to strive for an international agreement.
Pushing for the signing of the Outer Space Treaty at the United Nations right away would be a very good opportunity.”
This was also Lin Ran’s test for Johnson, to see if he cared about the American public or the presidential position.
Although Lin Ran knew that he would 100% care about the latter.
Lyndon Johnson nodded, his gaze falling back on the charts: “I will report this matter to the National Security Committee for discussion, but you need to prepare more data for further discussion.
Secondly, Professor, remember to keep this confidential from the outside, don’t tell reporters, even if that reporter is Jenny Hearst.”
Lin Ran said: “Okay, so Mr. President, what do you plan to do?”
Lyndon Johnson said wistfully: “Of course, promote the Soviet Union signing the Outer Space Treaty, then use these nuclear-powered satellites to prove the Soviet Union’s ambitions, prove the Soviet Union’s unreliability, and the necessity of the Cold War.”
