Chapter 358: The Trillion Us Dollar Lunar Strategy
The delegates attending the meeting filed out one after another, walking along the dimly lit corridor in the White House with its long history. Jonathan listened to Little John Morgan and David Calhoun whispering behind him.
“For them, the stronger the enemy, the more budget they can get from NASA and the White House, which is of course a good thing.
As for the money going to General Aerospace, or even ending up in Chinese people’s hands in various forms, they don’t care at all.
Because Chinese people only earn hard-earned money from research and development and manufacturing, while they just need to resell, relying on the Morgan name to make a killing.
Congressional budget is one thing, Wall Street’s capital operations are another. Going long or short is just up to them. Nurturing upstream and downstream enterprises, then pushing them to listing—you’ll make a fortune, right?”
Jonathan has had a great time these past thirty years, no doubt. Though the moon landing ideal is far off, the days have been blissful, with big bucks in US dollars every year and work like a vacation.
But this bliss depends on who you’re comparing to. Compared to ordinary people, it’s great; compared to Little John Morgan, it gets less and less satisfying.
“.China”
“.Apollo.”
“.Lin”
He could vaguely hear a few words drifting over, followed by bursts of light laughter, showing how delighted Calhoun and Little John Morgan were.
But the question is, where does the money come from?
Jonathan’s mind was full of confusion.
Just now Sharvin said they were going to launch a trillion US dollar space investment plan, and Jonathan really couldn’t figure out where the trillion US dollars would come from.
The next morning, due to the White House’s extreme tension, he now had to start going to the company to work.
As soon as he arrived at the company, Aerospace’s Vice President Little Robert called him to the office.
He had no direct superior; Jonathan was the highest-level researcher in the lunar topography analysis category.
“Jonathan, congratulations. NASA sent us a letter; they’re giving us a lunar surface topography consulting analysis project.
80 million US dollars.”
Little Robert held up both hands, four fingers on each side, indicating how huge the order amount was this time.
Jonathan’s heart skipped a beat. “Aren’t we already doing lunar topography analysis for NASA? Does it need this many US dollars?”
He thought it was too expensive.
NASA gave the order to Aerospace not through competitive bidding, but via something called an interagency agreement, Interagency Agreement, IAA.
NASA first signs an IAA with the Air Force, specifying the use of Aerospace’s consulting services. This agreement is based on Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 17.5 and NASA’s internal policy.
Aerospace has always been NASA’s sole long-term source for this type of business.
In the past, even though NASA never did a moon landing, there were always sporadic lunar surface topography analysis orders given to Aerospace.
Otherwise, where would Jonathan’s salary come from? Where would Jonathan’s villa come from?
“Of course, we had them in the past, but the past precision wasn’t enough. Now we’re really going to the moon, so we need higher precision, and NASA will have higher requirements.
Yes, that’s right, this time we’re really going to the moon.” Little Robert said with a smile.
Little Robert had all black hair, no age spots on his face, very young, at most in his early forties, much younger than Jonathan.
When Jonathan heard the earlier part, he was somewhat speechless, because after the Artemis program started, NASA gave them a contract called IDIQ, worth 709 million US dollars.
Of course, this wasn’t just lunar topography analysis; it was a comprehensive project, with the bulk in lunar surface navigation, and only a small portion allocated to topography evaluation.
The pitch back then was that the Artemis program had started, we were really going to the moon, so higher requirements.
In reality? They just used the old model, tweaked the data a bit, resubmitted a report. Jonathan didn’t even participate himself; interns wrote the report, costing less than 100,000 US dollars at most.
Now it’s the same rhetoric again.
When Little Robert got to the later part, saying this time we’re serious, Jonathan was momentarily dazed; this was the third time he’d heard similar words.
Back in the millennium year when President Bush said it to him like that, and in 2016 after the Artemis program began, newly appointed Little Robert said the same to him.
What?
The first two times we were ‘serious’ was actually a joke, and this time is the real serious one?
Jonathan explained: “Of course, I know this time is serious.
The White House is giving this unprecedented importance. What I mean is, the White House’s budget for NASA is limited; under the current situation, shouldn’t we spend a little less budget? After all, our lunar topography analysis is a very mature model with a very mature methodology.
We’re just adjusting the past model with the latest data.”
What Jonathan meant between the lines was that they should save money for the country! No more endlessly consuming budget like in the past.
80 million US dollars? This job is worth at most 80,000 US dollars.
Little Robert’s smug smile froze instantly: “Jonathan, you want to save money for the country?
Don’t you look in the mirror? Are you even worthy?”
Little Robert’s expression turned slightly ferocious: “You’re not saving money for yourself; you’re saving the money in our pockets and giving it back to NASA?
Are you even worthy?
This 80 million US dollars isn’t just for you and me; there are many people along the entire chain who need a cut. Are you deciding for them to save this money?
If so, both of us can wait to go to hell.
Jonathan, you’re not a newcomer. What kind of institution are we? We’re a non-profit organization; we’re a profit-making organization backed by the Air Force.”
Little Robert didn’t continue; he just waved his hand, telling Jonathan to leave.
As Jonathan reached the door, Little Robert’s voice echoed eerily: “Jonathan, I know your idea.
The idea is beautiful, but reality is cruel.
Even if we save these 80 million, we’ll both be done for, and it absolutely won’t be used where you think it’s more efficient or necessary.”
Jonathan left without looking back, filled with infinite sorrow.
Because he knew Little Robert was telling the truth.
Washington has more than just Aerospace as a space consulting institution.
Saving 80 million US dollars here, NASA just hands it to another institution, and after going around, it still ends up in the hands of those who should get it.
Jonathan returned to his office, turned on the computer, and saw the news report:
“White House Chief Advisor Sharvin visits Japan; Japan is very interested in the White House’s moon investment plan and hopes to participate.”
Jonathan realized why this time his conscience acted up, wanting to save money for NASA and boost NASA’s competitiveness.
Because this time’s competitor gave him huge pressure; he felt the White House didn’t have that much budget at all.
Facts proved he was overthinking it.
Over the next month, developments far exceeded his imagination.
First, the President submitted the annual budget request through the Office of Management and Budget, including the plan in NASA’s budget, hoping to add 400 billion US dollars to NASA’s budget.
Then Congress passed a special bill authorizing the plan, using the budget reconciliation process to avoid Senate obstruction, and finally the Treasury issued 400 billion US dollars in special government bonds.
Jonathan suddenly realized that at the beginning of the year, the Treasury had frozen the federal debt ceiling, meaning the federation could borrow without limit.
Here was 400 billion.
Still short 600 billion; Sharvin went to Japan, Korea, Europe, Middle East respectively, and after a tour, these places each took on 600 billion US dollars in investment shares.
Totally scraping together a trillion.
Japan put together 100 billion, Korea 80 billion, Europe bundled 150 billion.
Anyway, you chip in a bit, I chip in a bit; not all in one year, but over five years.
A dizzying array of operations, and the White House’s moon investment plan, a trillion US dollars in investment, was successively in place.
“.Advisor Sharvin’s world tour is just like a salesman: Korea 80 billion, Japan 100 billion, Europe 150 billion—will this money really arrive on time?”
TV news reports were all covering this; in the face of this massive number, China’s pressure seemed to vanish instantly.
Jonathan watched the news report, thinking, no wonder he could never become a White House Senior Official. He only knew how to save 80 million US dollars in small change, while others go on a trip and shear 600 billion US dollars in wool.
On the other side of the Earth, since Apollo Technology’s announcement, discussions haven’t stopped.
Since modern times, China has absolutely been the country worldwide that most believes technological progress is everything, and also the one with the deepest experience.
From the initial ‘fall behind and get beaten’ to building a full industrial chain, then to industrial upgrading and climbing the slope, earning the nickname of developed country shredder.
Along this path, the great power unleashed by technology is something every Chinese person has seen and personally felt.
This lunar artificial intelligence superconducting computing center, with technology + infrastructure maxed out, such a project fits perfectly with Chinese people’s underlying code.
Now there’s an extra layer: Americans are catching up.
If Americans don’t follow, it’d be less fun playing alone; now that Americans are following, there’s an extra competitive element.
The latest Zhihu question “How to evaluate America’s trillion US dollar moon development fund?” garnered over two thousand answers in half a day after posting.
“Laxative post: I’m in America, just got off the plane, now in Hawaii. All of America is discussing this.
As per long-standing tradition, CNN is hyping how great the White House is, forcing allies to fork over 600 billion US dollars without bloodshed. With this plan officially launched, America will charge toward the moon.
Fox’s host roared on the TV program that old timers are squandering taxpayers’ money, a trillion US dollars smashed at the moon, while border crisis and infrastructure collapse remain unsolved.
Then said getting allies to pay 600 billion US dollars is no big deal; it’s trading on America’s influence, any president could do it.
Some Wall Street investment banks launched moon ETFs; related stocks are surging, even giants like Amazon are dancing like elephants, though Amazon has no relation to moon landing, and Blue Origin has no equity relationship with Amazon.
I’m in America; my direct feeling is that China’s lunar superconductivity plan pissed off Hajime, and now they’re furiously venting.
My white classmates are confident on one hand that America will win this moon race, saying we won sixty years ago, so we can win now.
On the other hand, they generally support General Aerospace purchasing technology from Apollo Technology, believing that to win, using US dollars to save time and accelerate progress is necessary.
At the same time, they generally refuse to enter aerospace themselves, feeling they should do computers instead of becoming engineers in the aerospace field.
In summary, I have a direct feeling: only the stronger individuals get respect.
By 2023, hardly anyone or media in America is still accusing Apollo Technology of stealing Apollo Moon Landing technology; such voices are now ‘others’.
From mainstream to ‘others’ in just one year, even though they still think Apollo Technology’s technology comes from NASA, this sentiment has shifted from negative to neutral.
More importantly, with this plan out, Americans immediately vented—this is respect based on strength.
If it were India, let alone building an artificial intelligence computing center on the moon, even if you say you’re turning the moon into a cosmic paradise, diverting Ganges water to India, moon is India’s territory, no one would care.
Because everyone knows it’s a joke; you can’t do it, you can’t even reach the moon.
China can do it; China’s plan has very strong feasibility. After evaluation, the White House believes this is the future direction.
So they’re not hyping AGI leading to manufacturing repatriation, moon landing is no big deal, or pushing artificial intelligence over aerospace.
Decisively using a trillion US dollars to boost US Stock Market confidence, promote aerospace development, create employment positions.
From this, you can see America is still China’s biggest competitor; they maintain considerable acuity and quick reaction decision making.
In just two months, they launched a countermeasures strategy.
As for other countries, Europe only hypes China unilaterally destroying space balance, causing world situation tension; Japan and Korea only highly follow, pushing their own moon landing programs.
These countries are all talk no action, only knowing to yap. They don’t say it, but actually they’ve given up this round of competition with China, only hoping to ride America’s coattails and get some benefits.
An interesting viewpoint: a Washington Post reporter wrote in the front-page report on this that the reason the White House decided so quickly this time is because old timers’ Cold War memory was awakened; the moon race made old timers give unprecedented importance, quickly formulating a countermeasures strategy.
I think this is very possible; meanwhile, the debt ceiling freeze at the beginning of the year also provided a good foundation for the White House’s quick reaction.
Next, the real competition begins. My suggestion is, Yanjing should give the support it should give. Americans are burning a trillion US dollars, while Apollo Technology only has that negligible cash on hand, estimated at three or four hundred billion US dollars—way too short compared to America.
I believe China’s funds utilization rate definitely far exceeds America’s, but no matter how high, it can’t be that high, right?
Can your 30 billion US dollars match their burning of a trillion?
Give the fiscal subsidies that should be given, allocate the funds that should be allocated; no need to save this money—Chinese official isn’t short of money.
