Chapter 469: The Empire’s Fading Glory
Valentin wanted to rely on the Russians’ own efforts to reconstruct the N1 rocket and return to the Moon, to pay tribute to the tireless efforts made by Soviet engineers in history for the goal of moon landing.
He thought of Korolev, the great designer who sent humanity into space for the first time under rudimentary conditions.
All his grand blueprints were crawled out step by step from the most basic, almost manual calculations.
He thought of Glushko, the engine genius shackled by dogma and personal grudges.
Even though N-1 failed, his NK-33 engine was still one of the most powerful masterpieces in human history.
Those engines sealed away by them made Westerners drool with envy over the long years of the past.
That was the Soviet engineers’ faith in the limit of thrust!
Let me say a few more words here. Although N1 failed, the NK-33 engine succeeded. It is an engine that uses an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle.
This is a design with extremely high technical difficulty.
Its vacuum thrust-to-weight ratio reached an astonishing 136.66:1, which is still top-tier level to this day.
America has never had successful experience in the field of oxygen-rich engines.
After the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Russian Space Agency inherited a large number of unused NK-33 engines, which were secretly sealed in a warehouse in Samara due to the cancellation of the N-1 project.
Valentin still remembered that at the time, their internal engineers jokingly called it the “engine forest,” little knowing that in the future they would have to expend great efforts to pick up the technology to manufacture this engine again.
And in the 1990s, America’s Aerojet company saw the huge value of these engines.
They purchased about 36 to 40 NK-33 engines at extremely low prices and transported them to the factory in Sacramento, California.
Aerojet conducted detailed technical analysis and ignition tests on these second-hand engines and found that the Soviets had not lied.
They conducted the first NK-33 ignition test on the test bench in California after the N1 bankruptcy, and the results confirmed the performance parameters claimed by the Soviet Union, proving that the engine fully met the design specifications.
Later, this company was committed to replicating the NK33 engine, but they only succeeded halfway; they could only modify old engines but had no way to manufacture identical ones themselves.
Modifying the old ones, the problem is that the old ones are limited, only about thirty units, and they’re gone once used up.
Later, the NK-33 was left in history and became dust.
As for the Russians themselves? They had no need to return to the Moon, so no idea to restart NK-33.
Just like NASA in the past couldn’t recreate Saturn V, the Russian Space Agency couldn’t recreate NK-33 either.
The good news is that because Apollo Technology succeeded in moon landing, NK-33 was also restarted, though progress is limited.
Valentin’s idea was to go back and persuade the Kremlin to restart N-1, and along the way, strive for more resources for the NK-33 engine to speed up progress.
Unfortunately, the report in the Kremlin was not so wonderful.
Obviously, the big shots’ ideas were completely different from his.
The Kremlin’s meeting room was huge and luxurious.
The long polished table reflected the light from the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling.
Valentin, with the fervor of a sleepless night and technical data from China, reported his moon revival plan.
The seats opposite him were filled with people, all of whom were the power core of this palace.
Among them, sitting at the very edge, was his direct superior, the director of the Space Agency, Dmitry Bakanov.
Valentin didn’t waste time and briefly explained the matter clearly.
“. Gentlemen, what I bring is not a request, but a victory that is fifty years late.
We have found the real reason for the N-1 rocket’s failure and found a solution.
This data proves that N-1’s structure and NK-33 engine had no problems; the failure was due to latency in the control system calculations.
We don’t need to redesign the rocket; we just need to restart this project with our own strength!
We will replicate the N1 rocket, plant our flag on the Moon with our own wisdom! This is also the best tribute to the Soviet engineers!
The quotation from the Chinese side is very low, just 2 billion RMB, and they are willing to transfer all the information to us.”
This quotation is indeed low. A complete, successful N1 rocket quotation, priced in RMB, for Russians, they can pay with RMB exchanged through oil or other resources, which is equivalent to no cost.
This was already a super discount price given by Lin Ran out of respect for Korolev.
Valentin’s tone was full of passion and pride, but what he got was a long silence.
The first to speak was the Space Agency director, Dmitry; his voice was calm.
“Comrade Valentin, I understand your enthusiasm.
N-1 is our pride, for technical personnel.
But for the public, it is the past, failed, unsuccessful, dark history that brought them no surprise.”
Dmitry’s tone grew lower and lower as he spoke to the end.
“So what you propose, relying on our own strength to restart, is not feasible in 2026 today.
The reality is, our opponent is not the America of back then.
Our main competitor is China; what they have achieved on the Moon far surpasses what America achieved on the Moon back then.
Their base on the Moon is already comparable to a small town, their lunar electromagnetic rail comparable to a town’s railway.
The reliability and payload capacity of their latest rocket have surpassed all our designs.
And your plan requires billions of US dollars in funds.
It requires us to restart supporting production lines that have been shut down, to retrain semiconductor technology talent that has been lost, completely relying on our own capabilities.
Its cost will skyrocket.”
Valentin tried to argue: “We can tackle it with our domestic existing industrial capabilities.”
Another big shot interrupted: “Comrade Valentin, we are not talking about romantic aerospace epics; we are talking about national interest.
Restarting N-1 is a political tool for us.
It can show the world our determination, and serve as a symbol of our capability, but the premise is that we cannot pay too much real cost.
Our economy is already overwhelmed by the war; we cannot afford to restart N1 for completely independent production and complete the moon landing plan on our own.”
Obviously, everyone who could sit here understood Russia’s current situation; only Valentin was unclear.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to rely on themselves, but that they didn’t have the strength to do so.
The current industrial production capacity focus is all on military industry.
Where to transfer personnel to you to restart the replication of N1.
Resources, people, time—everything is a problem.
Finally, the one sitting in the main seat summarized:
“Comrade Valentin, we need to achieve it as soon as possible. Since there is already detailed information, and China’s Apollo Technology is good at technology replication.
We should cooperate with them, strive to complete the moon landing with the N-1 rocket by the end of this year, and bring a great victory to the Russian Federation’s public.
This matter is entrusted to you to handle with full authority.
As for your idea, I think it’s very good; in the cooperation, we can train as many of our own talents as possible, let them participate in this project.
Chinese people lead, but we must figure out how they do it, master the entire production and manufacturing technology of the N1 rocket, master the moon landing navigation system.”
He set the tone for the final decision.
Valentin’s expression was calm, but his heart was dejected; his simple and fanatical dream of “Russians’ own glory” was completely dashed against the Kremlin’s cold pragmatism.
He thought that the Soviet Space Agency’s mission, delayed by half a century, would still have to move forward with the shackles of reality.
“What’s the difference from 1966?” Valentin sighed in his heart.
Because he suddenly realized that although it was now 2026, this was the Russian Federation’s meeting room, not the Soviet Union.
But the people sitting at the table, their mindset, their worries, their decision-making mechanisms, were exactly the same as what he saw in the archives sixty years ago.
1966, the Kremlin of Korolev’s era.
“The N-1 project is too dangerous, too radical; we cannot bet the fate of the country on an unproven technology.”
“We lack funds, we lack advanced microelectronics technology; we must prioritize political stability and military confrontation.”
2026, the current Kremlin is just a reenactment of history.
“History has not progressed, and history will not progress.”
“Sorry, he can’t wait; your plan is too long, at least three years, at most five years. Given our current situation, it might take until 2035 to go to the Moon. The Kremlin can’t wait that long.” Back at the Space Agency, Director Dmitry comforted.
Russia certainly has its own moon landing plan; their moon landing program was to complete technical preparations before 2030, later changed to achieving the first manned moon landing between 2031 and 2040.
This plan is very dynamic and flexible, plus they have already delayed once, full of uncertainty.
Under the current situation, China’s moon landings are like making dumplings, base construction speed comparable to land reclamation from the sea, America has also completed several moon landings, of course the Russians are anxious.
In the last century’s moon landing race, they were one of the only two participants; now? International media discussions don’t even include Russia in the scope.
Everyone is following what progress China has made, what reaction America has.
It’s impossible not to be anxious, but without strength, no matter how anxious you are, how you adjust the plan from the original 2031-2040 to before 2035, no one cares; purely roadside grass.
If it were just the Western world’s reaction, it would be fine, but the domestic dissatisfaction with their slow progress in the aerospace field is even more overflowing.
Under the news about moon landing in Russia, there are cold mocks and hot sarcasm at the Russian Space Agency, saying they are not even as good as the 1960s, regressing more as they live longer.
Dmitry continued: “We have no time, no resources; we need China’s help.
Comrade Valentin, no need for too many emotions. America can borrow China’s power for moon landing, can borrow China’s power to save their astronauts; why can’t we?
What we pursue is not returning to the Soviet Union, so we don’t need to pursue doing it completely on our own in this moon landing matter.”
Dmitry’s comfort seemed somewhat powerless; Valentin was thinking, is it us who have no time or the Kremlin who has no time?
Is it us who need this victory, or the Kremlin who needs this victory? To consensus all Russians’ consensus, to give them the illusion of returning to the Soviet Union’s golden age last century?
If combined with victories on the front lines, combined with moon landing, Valentin thought this would indeed have a good effect, making the public feel like returning to the golden age.
But thinking of the infrastructure miracles completed by Chinese people on the Moon, Valentin suddenly couldn’t be happy, realizing that this feeling is an illusion.
They have built electromagnetic cannons with tracking functions on the Moon, and we are still cheering for a single moon landing?
Dmitry seemed to see through what Valentin was thinking inwardly, “Comrade Valentin, even if we rely on technical cooperation with China, we will be the third country to moon land. There are over a hundred countries in the world; top three is not shameful.”
Valentin murmured: “Of course, third place is not shameful, just compared to the Soviet Union.”
Dmitry interrupted: “Comrade Valentin, the Soviet Union is gone! It no longer exists. We don’t need to compare with it; we are not it, and we probably can never become it again.”
The room was silent for a long time.
Both knew that never being able to become it again was not a good thing.
If they were really willing to accept never becoming it again, then why bother drinking the horses in Kiev.
In other words, Dmitry was making a pessimistic prophecy for the war: they might win tactical victories, but strategically, victory is already impossible.
When Valentin appeared in Lin Ran’s office again, although the other’s appearance hadn’t changed much, Lin Ran could clearly feel that a certain temperament on him had disappeared.
Lin Ran couldn’t quite describe the specific temperament; it was probably the pride and persistence unique to Soviet engineers. He had felt a similar temperament in Korolev.
When they met in London, even when he pulled out the foundational algorithm for reusable rockets, Korolev only expressed appreciation without being convinced, as if to say, I could calculate this too.
Lin Ran sat calmly behind the desk.
He knew that the one sitting in front of him now was no longer the engineer yearning to reclaim Soviet glory, but a special envoy driven by political power.
Valentin then spoke with difficulty:
“Professor, I think we need your company’s help.”
Valentin’s intention, Lin Ran already knew beforehand.
Regarding the cooperation around the N-1 rocket, he had communicated with Yanjing on this side, and the Moscow side had also communicated with Yanjing in advance.
This time the two chatting again, for Lin Ran, was just a simple political task.
“Of course, Apollo Technology is a commercial aerospace agency.”
Lin Ran’s answer emphasized the word commercial, as if reminding Valentin to add money.
Valentin nodded: “Don’t worry about that; we will definitely give your company an ideal reward.”
Lin Ran reminded: “Our moon landing cooperation with General Aerospace was priced at 10 billion US dollars.
That was based on our already successful replication of Saturn V.
And this time, we have to replicate the N1 rocket from scratch, this product that never succeeded in history.
No engineers to consult, no historical data to reference, only the technical data I found in America, existing in calculations and blueprints.
Considering our long-term cooperative relationship and the friendship between Yanjing and Moscow, still 10 billion US dollars, paid in RMB equivalent.”
This quotation was completely within Moscow’s psychological tolerance.
Valentin agreed without hesitation: “No problem, but Professor, please understand my situation.
The Kremlin needs a ‘great victory’ by the end of this year to declare to the world that we are still a space power.
And you are the only team that can launch the N-1 rocket in such a short time.
This quotation is not excessive.
Money is not an issue.
But my personal request is about people.”
Valentin’s gaze became firm; he lowered his voice even more: “Professor, we sign the contract, let China Aerospace lead the replication and launch of N-1; no objection to that.
But please, please allow and require more Russian engineers to participate in the entire project.”
He stretched out his fingers and began counting: “Not just visiting and learning, but core participation.
From software programming of digital controllers to reconstruction of NK-33 engine production lines.
Beg your side to let us participate in these core processes.”
Valentin’s tone was almost pleading: “I hope this cooperation can become a talent training and technology reconstruction project.
I hope that after we successfully moon land, we can also have the ability to remanufacture this rocket.
This is the last thing we can do for those Soviet engineers forgotten by history, and the final tribute.”
He paused, and finally said the most crucial words in a tone full of great humiliation: “Please give us an opportunity to learn by stealth, let Russia’s aerospace spirit be continued through your technology.”
Valentin didn’t shy away at all; this was exactly learning by stealth.
But saying it was still too sorrowful.
Soviet technology, now Russians have to learn by stealth from China.
What made Valentin abandon dignity and say this was this old-school engineer’s loyalty to the empire; he hoped to leave a kindling for this country in this way.
If the 21st century is really the era of commercial aerospace, really the beginning of humanity stepping into the universe.
Then this batch of kindling would retain a sliver of chance for Russia to stay at the table.
Lin Ran looked at the old engineer in front of him; he saw that after the Soviet collapse, there were still people loyal to its remains, and couldn’t help but sigh.
At the same time, he also thought that when Chinese engineers were transferring technology from the Soviet Union in the past, were they the same?
He let out a long sigh, “Comrade Valentin, what you said is not difficult.
In Chinese culture, we have always been happy to help others.
Technology is meant to be disseminated, not monopolized.”
He paused and added: “But cooperation is two-way.
We hope to conduct deeper research on the NK-33 engine production process and fuel cycle system, not just simple replication.
After all, I believe your side also hopes that the future N-1 can have the most reliable heart, right?
