Chapter 75: Lin Ran’s Plan
The last live broadcast explosion was embarrassing enough. If the astronaut dies in space this time, the embarrassment will increase even more.
Of course Lin Ran knew that the control system failure was a failure, but the failure did not affect Shepard returning to Earth alive by his own strength.
So Lin Ran was not panicked at all.
Lin Ran explained: “Sometimes not reminding is much better than reminding.
Anyway, I already have a complete plan. Let’s discuss it after we return to Redstone Arsenal.”
“But…”
“Director, there is no but. One failure will not affect the overall situation. If NASA continues to be so negligent, that will affect our moon landing goal.”
In the JFK Library, the complete report of this accident gave Lin Ran full confidence. He knew this was a rare opportunity.
There is an accident. Is the accident big? Very big, but it will not cause personnel casualties. It can become his perfect personal show.
After returning to Redstone Arsenal, Lin Ran finally laid out all his observations and follow-up plans:
“Mr. Webber, according to my observations, the automatic attitude control system of Freedom 7 spacecraft has a serious failure. This failure is not a system failure but a hardware failure. The capacitor failure will cause the system to be unable to correct the spacecraft attitude flip.
This is because NASA’s tests are too rough, quality control management is almost zero, the entire design lacks redundant system, and the test program is perfunctory.
What we need is to completely reverse this situation and rebuild the public’s confidence in NASA.
So this will instead be the best opportunity.”
James Webber vaguely grasped Lin Ran’s idea: “We need to prove that the current NASA has very big problems, to the point where changes are unavoidable.
But if it comes at the price of the astronaut’s life, the declassification afterward will cause an uproar.”
As a politician, James Webber did not really care about the astronaut’s sacrifice. What he cared about was that if it was proven afterward that they clearly knew the spacecraft had a problem but still let the astronaut go up and take this risk, it would be somewhat like intentional murder.
Lin Ran corrected: “Who said to let the astronaut go up?
Before launch, we just replace the astronaut with a gorilla, right?”
Lin Ran continued to explain his complete plan:
“What I want to do is prophecy, to predict in advance that this launch will fail, invite reporters from all newspapers to the scene, predict in advance, and let them witness the failure of the first step of NASA’s Mercury Program together.
Let them witness the Freedom 7 exploding in the air on site, thereby proving that the previous NASA was not capable. To make NASA capable, it must rely on our efforts.
Completely modify NASA on the basis of the existing NASA.
I hope to invite all the major newspapers in the country to the scene to watch, and then put the prediction note into the sealed container in front of the reporters’ witness in advance.
After Freedom 7 explodes, open the container and show the prediction note to everyone.
At the same time, this is also a deterrence to these NASA parasites now. Problems you didn’t discover, we as outsiders can spot at a glance.
Doesn’t this just prove the incompetence of NASA under Keith Glinnan’s leadership before? And prove that we have the strength to modify NASA?”
What Lin Ran said moved James Webber’s heart.
He realized that once this is done, it can reduce how much resistance to his reform and accelerate how much progress.
However, the problem is, the premise is, what if it succeeds?
This is completely based on trust in Lin Ran.
NASA’s failure is certainly gratifying, but if NASA succeeds, won’t they instantly become clowns?
“Professor Lin, if Freedom 7 does not explode in the air as you guess, but returns to Earth smoothly, what then?” James Webber asked.
Mainly the entire plan is only vetted by Lin Ran from beginning to end. James Webber could not possibly ask other NASA experts if there is really this problem.
The entire plan is completely built on Lin Ran’s ability. Lin Ran is a mathematics master, also endorsed by Haines and John Morgan, but a problem not discovered by NASA’s thousands of experts and engineers, he spotted at a glance.
Even if James Webber trusted him so much, he could not overcome the inner doubts. Moreover, he did not even reach the level of trusting Lin Ran’s aerospace-related strength.
Because if this plan is vetted by other NASA experts, once it leaks, the entire plan collapses.
Regardless of whether the problem Lin Ran mentioned exists, it will bring serious consequences.
If the problem exists, then you two discovered the problem but did not tell us, wanting to see everyone make a fool of themselves, even letting the astronaut risk life and death, their prestige will be swept away.
If the problem does not exist, it proves Lin Ran’s professionalism has issues. James Webber did not want Lin Ran to have problems at this moment.
So James Webber had to be cautious.
Lin Ran explained: “Doesn’t this just prove a great victory for NASA after the personnel change?
As for the previously sealed prediction slip, everyone can pretend it didn’t happen.
The container can be made with a mechanism, seemingly sealed but actually not sealed.
Our purpose is to manipulate public opinion.
There are actually two notes inside, one with the failure prediction, and the other with the success prediction.
If it fails, then a random reporter on site opens the container and takes out the prediction slip from it.
If it succeeds, then the pre-prepared person takes out the success congratulatory letter from the interlayer.”
Who says to honestly follow the game rules.
Although Lin Ran was 95% sure that Freedom 7 would definitely fail, what if it succeeds?
At the same time, to convince James Webber, he also had to prepare complete plans for both scenarios.
After hearing this, James Webber was moved.
“There is one more thing, that is, if Freedom 7 succeeds, and we replaced the astronaut with a monkey.” James Webber raised the last question.
Lin Ran said: “Doesn’t this just prove that our management style is different from the previous NASA, we are more rigorous.
First send up a primate similar to humans, and only after no problem, then have human astronauts go to space?”
Lin Ran’s design was comprehensive, obviously already convincing James Webber.
Because once their plan succeeds, Freedom 7 explodes under the watchful eyes of numerous reporters, and they predicted this explosion in advance.
This not only helps his modification of NASA, but also greatly enhances NASA’s credibility among the public. Although in this way, NASA’s credibility is built on Lin Ran, it is still much better than before.
Because Lin Ran’s plan considered sufficiently comprehensively, and the consequences of success are sufficiently rewarding, James Webber made up his mind.
“Good, I will report to Mr. President as soon as possible. If possible, then we will prepare to take action.”
