In Li Maoye’s Star Sea Plan, the space electric thrust engine is a very critical technology!

Once the engine thrust reaches 1,000 N, it means that the second phase of the [Earth Cannon] project can also be carried onto synchronous orbits.

The specific method is very simple. Just add four electric thrust engines to the electromagnetic rocket, and then use the [Earth Cannon] to launch the rocket into low-Earth orbit, and start the engine at the edge of the earth's atmosphere. With the help of 4,000 knots of thrust, you can definitely transport 5 tons of objects to the synchronous orbit.

If the energy and working fluid provided to the engine are sufficient, you can even consider whether the moon landing plan can be planned. However, considering that the maximum transportation capacity of the [Earth Cannon] is only 5 tons, it is probably impossible to achieve the moon landing target by just one launch.

"We can transport all the supplies and spacecraft parts to the space station through multiple launches, then assemble them on them, and then fly from the space station to the moon!"

Li Maoye wrote and painted on the whiteboard, and marked that the moon landing belonged only to part of the second phase. The ultimate goal of this phase is to build a base on the moon.

"Moon Base?" Academician Ma leaned forward and asked with a bright look: "What is Mr. Li planning to build a moon base?"

Zhou Lin frowned, and he also felt that the idea of ​​the moon base was too advanced and too crazy!

Even if Meow Star Group can achieve a space station, it is very difficult. If it really wants to build a lunar base, it will take a lot of money. Unless the national government does such a thing, there may be some explanations. If a private company also wants to build a lunar base, wouldn’t it be reversed!

"Mining!" Li Maoye's answer was unexpected.

Academician Ma and Zhou Lin thought he wanted to do some important scientific research on it, so he spared no effort to build a base on the moon. For example, building a lunar hasron collider, a lunar observatory, or even helping the country build a lunar military base.

But mining is too low!

The input and output are almost indirectly proportional. No one would have thought that Li Maoye would cross the starry sky and run to the moon to mine, and there would be any valuable minerals on it!

In the case where only 12 people have landed on the moon in human history, some people actually want to mine on it? Not to mention what kind of mine can make a profit, just consider how miners send it to you!

"It may not be accurate to say that mining is the case. I plan to build a metal smelting base on the back of the moon, and mine it by looking for lunar meteorites. If conditions permit, the spacecraft can also go to space to find ore and then drag it back to the back of the moon for processing."

"As for where the miners come from, we can just send them with the [Earth Cannon]!"

Li Maoye's statement made people even more confused. Academician Ma first asked: "Do you want to build the third phase of the project? Isn't that what we use to fool people?"

[Earth Cannon] The third phase of the project can theoretically be sent to heaven, but in fact it is difficult to do it, and the cost is not very low. Its safety and comfort are much worse than the rocket launch method, so Academician Ma was unwilling to jump into this pit.

"Phase 3? No, I don't even plan to do the second phase. If the space electric-pushing engine technology comes out, the second phase will be a waste. It's better to find a way to make the current cannons hit a few more times a day!"

Li Maoye quickly explained to the two of them: "Miners don't need real people to go up. We can completely replace them with intelligent robot miners. Humans only need to conduct remote control command on the earth!"

This method is really good. Robots are not human flesh and blood. They can definitely be launched into the sky through the [Earth Cannon], and then transferred to the lunar base through the space station. You can only have a group of cheap laborers by ensuring energy supply, and there is no need to provide a living system and daily supplies at all.

As a result, the cost has indeed dropped a lot, and maybe there may be a lot of profits. However, this project is also very large, and the Meow Star Group will definitely not be able to swallow it. It must cooperate with the country to have the possibility of success.

"But someone still has to watch it on it. Well, there is no need for a real person to go up. It's better to use remote remote control to let the bionic robot substitute supervise the work of other robots!"

Li Maoye immediately thought of Qin Hua's technology of remote remote control mecha. Although mechas are not used on the moon, it is also good to replace them with Zhao Baibing's bionic robot.

The real person is still on the earth, and then remotely controls it through the egg-shaped remote control cabin. Perhaps this process will have a signal delay of about 2 seconds, but it is more than enough to be used for supervision.

"Yes, Qin Hua has to step up research and development later, so he can't slow down the project plan!" Li Maoye secretly decided to put pressure on the people below.

Not only does Qin Hua's remote control cabin technology need to catch up, Zhao Baibing also needs to start a new project, that is, to create a computer angel stand-in, which does not require a bionic skin coat, and a full metal shell like m800 can also be used, but it must be able to adapt to the moon and outer space environments.

Academician Ma and Zhou Lin were already stunned by Li Maoye's jumping thinking and felt that they were almost unable to keep up. At first they just wanted to talk about satellite communication networks, but as they talked about how to mine on the moon, and then how to solve the miner's problem, etc.

"Okay! Then I'll tell you again. Our Cat Star Group's Star Sea plan is divided into several steps!"

Li Maoye pulled out another whiteboard and then wrote on it: "First of all, the communication satellite network is formed. We plan to build a space communication network with synchronous satellites and space stations as the core and low-Earth orbit satellites as the auxiliary. There is a prerequisite here that the space electric thrust engine technology is successfully developed."

Then he drew a question mark next to the electric thrust engine, thought for a while and said: "I expect the engine to complete the test within two months and be mass-produced and put into use within half a year."

"Half a year is enough?" As a scientific researcher, Academician Ma certainly understands what it means to achieve mass production in half a year. Moreover, this is a brand new black technology product, and its difficulty is no less than that of a bald eagle landing on the moon.

Many high-tech products have been successfully developed and manufactured in laboratories for a long time, and there is no problem with performance testing, but once mass production is involved, it will definitely not be able to do it.

Because it can be put into use in mass production, it means that the production cost is controlled at a relatively low level, at least within a range that humans can bear. However, it will take 20 to 30 years from the birth of high-tech products to mass production. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reduce costs, and the performance of laboratory manufacturing can be maintained after industrial mass production.

Li Maoye glanced at Academician Ma and just smiled and said, "Half a year must be enough. If they can't even get it done with the design drawings, I'll help you take a look!"

The implication is, "Don't ask, it's black technology if you ask!"

Academician Ma laughed a few times and stopped asking. After all, he is a tycoon of black technology, so of course he can do things that ordinary people cannot do.

"The next one is the lunar base smelting metal factory, intelligent robot miners and remote remote control robots. In fact, as long as you can deliver things to the moon, these technologies should not be a problem."

Li Maoye said it very simply, but in fact, it is still a very complicated thing to do, at least it will not be easier than building a space station in space.

But he said it right. Since all the things have been delivered, no matter how difficult it is, it will not be sad to go to heaven!

Moreover, the use of ready-made technologies or things that are being developed. Compared with space electric thrust engines, other technologies are really not worth mentioning.

Next, the three people continued to discuss the general steps and time planning of the entire plan, and even considered the source of the project start-up funds. Li Maoye's idea was: "Don't Musk's Starlink plan use our [Earth Cannon]? Then just give him half a year to launch more than 10,000 satellites into the sky, and then you will earn this money!"

In fact, it takes only half a year to launch more than 100 satellites every day, and it can be done in at most more than three months. Even if the time to charge and repair the electromagnetic track of the power storage station, it is estimated that it will only be four months.

Therefore, in addition to launching satellites for Musk's Spacex company, we also have to find other satellite launch services to achieve the greatest value of the [Earth Cannon].

...

A few days after the discussion between the three, Musk suddenly received a reply from his subordinates, saying that the Meow Star Group finally planned to sign a satellite launch contract with them, but the asking price may be relatively high, so he needed to go over and make a decision.

So Musk came to the Cat Star Group to negotiate in person. After fierce debate between the two sides, the negotiation finally came to a satisfactory result.

"A contract with a total amount of up to $5 billion, with an average launch fee of $2,500 per kilogram, and has priority launch rights within half a year. It can be said that Musk is determined to make the Starlink plan first!"

Zhou Lin exclaimed afterwards that Musk was really ruthless when he spent money. These billions of dollars in launch costs only account for part of the entire project. If satellite manufacturing costs, insurance premiums and operation fees were calculated, it would probably cost at least tens of billions of dollars.

The total market value of the users this Starlink project is only US$30 billion, and the total value of the global market is much smaller than other markets that often cost hundreds of billions of dollars. After all, surfing the Internet through satellite is still a very new thing.

In other words, even if Musk reaches the extreme, it will only be 1 dollar for revenue to be 3 dollars, and it will still have to remove various costs. I am afraid it will be a bit difficult to break even.

However, analysts believe that Musk is aware of the future market. Perhaps in a few years, satellite connections to broadband will become a common method. By then, no matter where you are on Earth, you can use the signals of the satellite base station overhead.

"No matter what, Musk dares to make a big gamble for the future!"

Zhou Lin cannot help but admire this point alone. Those who dare to use hundreds of billions to win are werewolfs. No matter how confident they are, it is worth admiring!

But this time Musk may have a capsized boat in the gutter!

Zhou Lin knew about Li Maoye’s space plan. In his opinion, the probability of this plan being successful is too high. Once the space electric thrust engine is developed, the next question is whether enough funds are invested.
Chapter completed!