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Chapter 834: Nanyang's Space Advantage (First Update, Please Subscribe)
"This is really a money-eating beast!"

Finally, they arrived at the launch site. Looking at the Wanhu-5 rocket towering into the sky, Li Yian thought silently in his heart.

Although the rocket looks spectacular, Li Yian is well aware of the cost behind it - 350 million yuan!

This is just the cost of one rocket. In fact, in the past eight years, Nanyang has invested more than 4 million yuan in the entire "Kuafu Project", which is the "space program" including missiles.

The Nanyang aircraft carrier construction plan has only invested this much, and that’s two aircraft carriers!
Such an expense is definitely a huge burden for Nanyang.

During the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, although national honor was involved, funding shortages have always plagued both countries. This was true for the Soviet Union, and the United States as well.

So what about Nanyang in the future?
"We can't fight for hegemony. Fighting for hegemony costs money. We have to find a way to make it lay golden eggs!"

Li Yian thought so in his heart, but his eyes were fixed on the rocket.

Although it is now a money-eating beast, it was this money-eating beast that dragged the United States and the Soviet Union, the two top superpowers on the blue planet, into the track of technological competition, thus promoting a great leap forward in human technology - the technological progress achieved in just thirty years even exceeds the sum of human achievements in thousands of years.

It has to be said that as long as you are willing to spend money, the speed of scientific progress is amazing. This is also the reason why the "space race" that seems to be unprofitable still attracts countries around the world to compete for investment.

Because it will indeed promote the technological development of various countries. And this kind of technological development is often impossible to measure with money.

This is also the reason why Li Yian chose to join this competition.

Of course, the role that Nanyang will play in the future should be similar to that of Europe - competing but not competing.

That is, we should not compete for first place unless necessary, but only compete for technology. That is, we should improve our own scientific level through the research of space technology.

Although he didn't know who would win the first prize, Li Yian was now certain that the Soviet Union's artificial satellite launch should be imminent.

After all, in another world, not long after the Soviet Union launched the intercontinental missile, they sent the artificial satellite into space. At that time, Korolev bundled the artificial satellite with the intercontinental missile, and the two projects were actually completed as one project.

If the Soviet Union had launched a satellite three years earlier, the stimulus to the United States would have been far greater than another world. It would also mark the beginning of a fierce competition for space.

Perhaps before Kennedy came to power, Eisenhower would have mobilized the whole nation to compete with the Soviet Union for the "moon landing". The most impressive brain-opening project would have been gone.

However, this is no big deal, after all, compared with the technological progress of all mankind.

It all depends on when the Soviet Union can send the first artificial satellite into space and arouse the fighting spirit of the entire United States.

Li Yian couldn't help feeling proud whenever he thought about how he had brought the United States, the Soviet Union and Russia into the space race.

"We are already a small broken ball, but we still spend so much money on atomic bombs. Human progress does not rely on fighting and killing, but on technological innovation! It would be better to spend the money on the right things..."

Complaining in his heart, Li Yian, who had already entered the launch site, expressed his support and encouragement for the aerospace industry to the scientists and engineers present.

"…The government and enterprises plan to spend 5 billion yuan in the next five years as support for the "space program". As we all know, our "Kuafu Project" is not just about entering space, but about using space to serve mankind. Launching artificial satellites is only the first step of the entire plan. In the next step, we will send humans into space, and even challenge the moon, Mars, and the distant deep space... In the future, there will be a large influx of talents and thousands of companies joining in..."

Under the No. 6 launch pad, under the huge "Wanhu- rocket", Li Yian gave some chicken soup to the scientific researchers, encouraged them, and painted a beautiful vision for mankind's conquest of space.

When it comes to making big promises, Li Yian is very good at it. After all, in another world, he has seen Musk's videos of making big promises more than once. That guy is really good at making big promises.

As for his 70 billion yuan grant, 30% of it is government funding, and % comes from financial support from dozens of private enterprises including the North Borneo Company. Of course, they are also project contractors and can directly use the relevant technologies developed in the space program.

The 3 billion South African dollars and the tens of billions of dollars invested by the United States are obviously not comparable, but this number is already an astronomical figure, enough for Nanyang to build two aircraft carrier battle groups.
It can be seen from this that the space industry is definitely a money-eating beast. The funds it requires are staggering, and what is even more terrifying is that you have burned so much money. In the end, you will find that you need to burn more money. Only by burning more money can you get the corresponding return.

But the payback is not 100%. It's just a possibility. That's the most frustrating thing about the space program - you never know how much money you're going to have to spend.

In other words, no matter how much money you spend, it may just be the beginning. After all, the universe is so vast that you can never see the end of investment.

As of now, Nanyang’s support for space programs is definitely far greater than that of the United States and the Soviet Union, but that is only for now.

"The Americans should wait until the Soviet Union slaps them in the face before they become more motivated to become stronger."

Thinking of von Braun who was still making movies, Li Yian couldn't help but shake his head. In terms of talent, who can compare with the United States? They have not only von Braun, but almost the entire V2 missile team.

How many talents does Nanyang have?
Eugene Gesan was good at rocket engines, and Dr. Gertrop, who was responsible for the overall design of the rocket, was the chief designer of the V2 missile guidance system...

Compared to the United States, Nanyang just picked up some leftovers.

And what about the United States?

Basically, they just packed it up and took it away, but in the end, the talent was left idle. But he is not an American, and he has no obligation to remind them. Of course, the Americans reacted quickly. After being exported by the Soviet Union, they would learn from their shame and then regard the aerospace field as a track related to national honor and future.

This is also what Li Yian hopes to see. After all, only when the United States and the Soviet Union link the "space race" with national honor and even national security and future, will they continue to invest in the space race.

Only in this way can the whole world benefit from the technological development promoted by the space race. Not to mention, baby diapers are all space technology, and they were originally developed specifically for astronauts.

"We can try this space technology!"

Thinking of the "gold content" of diapers, Li Yian immediately started to think about it. After all, facing this money-eating beast, any project that can recover a certain amount of investment must be fully utilized.

This is of course also Nanyang’s advantage. At least we know where space technology should be used and how to promote and apply it.

In fact, compared with the United States and the Soviet Union, the only two superpowers in the post-war world, what is Nanyang’s biggest advantage?
This is the detailed "space program" implementation plan formulated by Li Yian. This plan is really very clear and feasible. How can it be feasible? After all, the United States and the Soviet Union spent hundreds of billions of trial and error to come up with it.

As for other advantages, there really aren't any...it can't be said that way. At least for now, the Wanhu-5 rocket is Nanyang's advantage.

Looking at the huge Wanhu-5 rocket, its appearance looks somewhat similar to the later CZ-5 rocket. In fact, Li Yian came up with the idea based on a sketch he drew based on its appearance.

Although Korolev plagiarized, the final appearance is still the historical R7, but Nanyang still maintains the appearance of the CZ5 rocket, but it looks more delicate. That is, the core stage is not so thick.

"Well, the advantage is mine!"

Staring at the rocket in the distance, Li Yian muttered to himself.

In fact, he knew very well that Nanyang’s greatest advantage was himself.

It means standing on the shoulders of historical giants and providing certain inspiration to this era.

However, even so, it still cannot change the reality that the space program is a money-eating beast.

"Okay, then just burn the money slowly!"

(End of this chapter)