Chapter 362: Can Something Made In China Be Bad?
“Huh?”
Li Xiaoman knew that America was pretty outrageous in many ways. During her time working at Apollo Technology, she had heard plenty of various NASA jokes.
At Apollo Technology, NASA jokes were as common as Soviet jokes on the Chinese Internet, serving both as banter during leisure time and as a reminder to themselves to never fall into such a situation no matter what.
But what Lin Ran was saying now still exceeded her imagination.
“You mean the lunar rover that’s already nearly complete in NASA’s promotion is just a picture?” Li Xiaoman said in shock.
Li Xiaoman was an American of Chinese descent, and one living in New York.
This was somewhat like having a perception that the Great Ming situation was rotten, but after all, as a resident of the Capital, it was hard to imagine that the situation had rotted to this extent.
Lin Ran waved his hand: “Not at all, not just a picture, there are also parameters.”
He switched the computer page from the webpage to a PDF file, pointing to the parameters on the file and saying: “These specific parameters are their work achievements and also their requirements.”
Li Xiaoman then asked: “You mean Young John Morgan asked you to help NASA make a lunar rover?”
Lin Ran replied: “Yes.”
Li Xiaoman lowered her voice, but her tone was filled with disbelief and accusation: “This is illegal!
This violates the Wolf Amendment!”
Li Xiaoman’s legal professional background plus her law firm internship experience made her keenly aware of the problem.
That’s right, this was exactly why General Aerospace could do it but NASA couldn’t; the Wolf Amendment passed in 2011 perfectly answered Grov’s question.
Lin Ran grinned: “Do they still care about that?
I don’t know exactly how they plan to operate it, anyway it’s none of my business, I just take the money, deliver the goods, that’s it. Just one lunar rover, and Young John Morgan quoted 200 million US dollars over there, money that’s free to make is a waste not to take.”
Young John Morgan was quite conscientious.
He only made 300 million from it.
Apollo Technology struggling to do OEM for NASA could at most earn just over 100 million, while Young John Morgan resold it for 300 million; Americans were still too rich.
With such profit efficiency, who would bother struggling with real industry?
Li Xiaoman murmured: “Now they’re not afraid of it having a backdoor?”
America rejected Huawei communication equipment, not only refusing it themselves but even requiring their allies to refuse it too, with the biggest reason being fear of backdoors.
Now importing a rover from China wouldn’t be a problem either? Casually install a backdoor, and your data would be right here with me?
Li Xiaoman felt her faith shattering; was this still the invincible NASA that won against the Soviet Union and achieved the first moon landing, as described in her elementary school history books?
Although she was now in China and prepared to never return to America, she had still received an American education.
The American army had scandals like dropping Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, and the White House had endless events like the Watergate Scandal and the Zippergate Scandal, but NASA as an aerospace agency had no scandals worth mentioning in the past.
In history, general knowledge, and science textbooks, NASA had an impeccably glorious image.
Had the current NASA really degenerated to this point?
For Li Xiaoman, it was unimaginable.
Lin Ran said: “Maybe the spacetime background is different. Whether we need to worry about this, my personal understanding is that it’s a Schrödinger’s state. Washington politicians bring it out as rhetoric when they need it, and when they don’t, they can even cast aside the Wolf Amendment, let alone this.
Honestly, I really kind of want to play a prank.”
Li Xiaoman asked: “What kind of prank?”
Lin Ran said: “Isn’t our lunar rover sponsored by Xiaomi? So our lunar rover has Xiaomi’s LOGO on it. Every time there’s a live broadcast, Xiaomi posts on Weibo with promotional text and hypes it up big time?
Promoting that they sponsored Apollo Technology’s moon landing project.
I’m quite tempted to put a Xiaomi LOGO on the lunar rover we’re sending to General Aerospace too, to see if they notice.
I want to see just how far NASA has fallen.”
Li Xiaoman said in shock: “No way? How could they possibly not notice even that?”
Lin Ran waved his hand: “It really might be possible; reality doesn’t follow logic.
They didn’t make this rover themselves, what if they really don’t notice?
NASA’s lunar rover with a Xiaomi LOGO on it—think about it, wouldn’t that be interesting?”
Lin Ran laughed loudly: “I’m really curious how NASA will explain it then?
Anyway, I can’t think of it now, but the expressions of NASA’s senior officials at that time, hahahahaha~”
Apollo Technology had always had a lunar rover project; after all, they sent a lunar rover up during the second moon landing. This time, NASA’s requirement was just to make it unmanned, with some changes to the overall framework.
For Apollo Technology, it was a piece of cake, not even needing Lin Ran’s personal involvement.
The engineer team responsible for the lunar rover could handle it directly.
The head of the rover team was Zhang Xiaoming, who had participated in the Chang’e series and was poached from China Aerospace.
It couldn’t really be called poaching; he wanted to jump ship himself.
In the past, China Aerospace had the advantage of a sense of accomplishment in career achievements, and compared to private aerospace agencies, China Aerospace offered much lower salary and treatment, but the sense of accomplishment could make up for the shortfall in pay.
On the other hand, his project experience was too niche; private aerospace hadn’t even figured out rockets yet, so when would they start a lunar rover project?
Going to new energy vehicle automakers wasn’t entirely unrelated, at least it was somewhat in the ballpark.
So although Zhang Xiaoming had always had slight complaints about his work at China Aerospace, he stayed year after year until Apollo Technology burst onto the scene, and he resolutely chose to jump over there. It even led in sense of accomplishment and gave him a grassroots management position.
He gathered the team: mechanical engineer Wang Lei responsible for the mobility system, Liu Yuanmin responsible for communication and power, geology instrument commissioner Chen Hao responsible for integrating scientific payloads.
Zhang Xiaoming spread out the specification sheet: “This is the task Professor temporarily added for us. Everyone has seen the parameters: dimensions about 2.4 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, 2 meters high, mass 430kg.
4-wheel drive, can climb 30-degree slopes, under lunar extreme climate, full charge driving distance at least 20 kilometers.
Instruments include NSS neutron spectrometer for detecting hydrogen content; NIRVSS near-infrared spectrometer for analyzing volatiles; MSolo mass spectrometer for measuring gases, drill bit capable of drilling 1 meter deep for samples.”
Wang Lei worked quickly and had already completed modeling in CAD software: “Mobility system key is low-gravity adaptation.
Moon gravity is only 1/6 of Earth’s, tires need special moon soil grip design. For the details they’re missing, we can use metal mesh wheels to avoid dust sinking; these are all ready-made designs, no need to remake molds on the production side.”
Chen Hao weakly added: “Zhang Gong, why do I feel like this thing is very similar to NASA’s VIPER lunar rover?”
He held up his tablet computer, which showed the NASA VIPER project page. Then Chen Hao zoomed in on the picture and pointed respectively to the lunar rover in the blueprint on the table and the lunar rover displayed on his tablet computer screen.
“Aren’t these two exactly the same?”
Zhang Xiaoming looked and said: “There is a slight difference.”
Chen Hao asked: “You mean the Xiaomi LOGO on the front is different?”
Zhang Xiaoming nodded: “Exactly.
Alright, that’s not our concern. Even if it’s exactly the same as NASA’s VIPER, it’s not strange. Even if NASA’s VIPER is exactly the same, it’s normal.
Professor has always liked to replicate some of NASA’s things. We’ve successfully replicated Saturn V; a VIPER lunar rover is nothing.”
The wildest imagination couldn’t guess that this VIPER lunar rover with a Xiaomi LOGO was really made for NASA.
Seeing that Zhang Xiaoming made sense—who would find it strange for Professor to do some replication work?
They built it in four months, and four months later this lunar rover would be on the Moon. Then promote it again, slapping NASA’s face: not only did I build your lunar rover, I launched it to the Moon. Stimulate the Americans some more.
Their discussion around the lunar rover continued, and Liu Yuanmin added: “Power is solar panels, output about 650 watts, combined with lithium-ion batteries to handle shadowed regions.
But for thermal management, we directly use the previous ready-made set? Multi-layer insulation materials and active heaters to prevent electronic components from failing at -230°C.
Communication uses X-band antenna to ensure 1.3-second latency data transmission with Earth.”
Zhang Xiaoming nodded: “Priority: first build up the framework, modify where needed, adjust where needed.
Chen Hao, you handle instrument integration.
We’ll use domestic equivalents: for the neutron spectrometer, use the prototype designed by Chinese Academy of Sciences for us; I remember there’s a ready-made proposal for the drill bit. Anyway, communicate with me promptly on adjustments needed, and we’ll coordinate with other teams.”
Huzhou’s aerospace manufacturing factory, workshop lights blazing.
Workers wearing protective suits, movements precise.
This used to be LandSpace’s factory; after private aerospace agencies were collectively integrated, it became Apollo Technology’s factory, close enough to Shanghai, just 170 kilometers in a straight line, two hours by car, so most production and manufacturing links were placed here.
After the proposal was confirmed, Zhang Xiaoming led the team here to supervise the vehicle’s manufacturing and integration.
“Zhang Gong, according to your proposal, we’re using aluminum-lithium alloy, lightweight and high-strength, reduced to 430kg.
Wheel hubs 60cm diameter, four-wheel independent suspension, electric motors 100Nm torque per wheel.”
Then the factory’s engineers took them to see the drive system test: in the vacuum simulation chamber, the vehicle slowly climbed the slope.
“Zhang Gong, look, 30-degree slope, good traction.
But in real environment, there might still be some minor issues.
Because you know, moon soil particles are too fine; I’m worried about dust interference with sensors. Your design proposal has no dust protection measures—should we add them?”
Zhang Gong nodded: “Add them. Focus is focus; the mass isn’t set in stone anyway.”
Liu Yuanmin was integrating circuit boards in the electronics lab:
“Power system: solar array deployment area 4 square meters, efficiency 22%, battery pack capacity 2kWh, supports 3 hours operation in shadowed regions.
Thermal control: radiators and heat pipe cycles, simulation tests from -200°C to +100°C.”
“Communication module uses software-defined radio (SDR), supports Ka-band high data rate.”
Chen Hao handled the instruments: “Helical drill rod, drilling speed 10cm per minute, integrated vibration sieving for samples, NSS neutron spectrometer uses helium-3 detector, sensitivity to 100ppm hydrogen.”
Midway, there was a thermal vacuum test that caused battery overheating and explosion.
“Nearly destroyed the prototype; 4 months was still a bit too rushed.”
Finally, at Shanghai’s lunar simulation field, the VIPER lunar rover underwent tests for driving, shadowed region communication, drill sampling, etc. After passing tests, it was packed and shipped to America.
Zhang Xiaoming and they thought this unmanned lunar rover was being shipped to the launch center, preparing to step onto the moon soil in the next moon landing process.
In fact, it really was going to a launch center, just not Wenchang’s launch center, but the distant Cape Canaveral Launch Center in Florida on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
“So beautiful!” Before America’s moon landing, looking at the VIPER that had crossed the ocean, Grov felt very smug inside.
So what if I took a cut? Just tell me if I’ve solved the problem.
Isn’t this rover built?
The lunar rover exactly like the one on NASA’s official website, silver exterior, sensors everywhere, long drill bit, unmistakably a high technology product.
Melroy’s suspended heart finally relaxed: “The appearance is indeed good.”
She leaned close to Grov and whispered: “Is this really okay? What if something goes wrong on the Moon?”
Grov waved his hand: “Director, it’s normal for problems to arise. If there’s a problem, just build another one.
Honestly, compared to succeeding on the first try, I hope it has problems more. NASA’s projects go back and forth, repeatedly, problems arise, adjust and optimize, then problems again—isn’t that the norm?
I forgot to remind Young John Morgan to tell the Chinese not to make this thing too good quality, best if it travels twenty or thirty kilometers then fails.”
Melroy felt like she learned something again. She’d only been at NASA for a little over a year, and she felt there was still much to learn. She finally understood why Grov could steadily hold a high-level position at NASA—whoever came as director, he was the director’s secretary.
This problem-solving ability, this ability to line his own pockets, was more than enough to be director.
Why couldn’t he be director? White male identity was tough in this White House.
Or rather, Grov was born at the wrong time.
This White House’s strategy was to place women, black people, LGBT groups in unimportant positions, while important positions were still held by old white male establishment officials.
The problem was, NASA wasn’t important before; it only became important recently, and Grov just missed the timing when it became important.
Melroy looked around and clapped: “Very good, very good!”
How could one made in China not be good?
