Chapter 757: The Placement of the Space Elevator
Translator: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
In the modern world.
237 nautical miles east of Ange Island was Xin’s territorial border. Going further southeast was the vast international territory without a single island nearby. However, because of the recent application for the mining of manganese nodules, Future Mining used a construction vessel and dragged an offshore platform to this location.
However, it was strange. After Future Mining left the offshore platform alone in the sea, there was no sign of work starting. Other than a few soldiers patrolling the location and several workers, there weren’t even mining equipment.
What is Future Group planning to do?
It was undoubtedly the UA that was the most curious after they started extensive monitoring after the completion of Penglai City. While curious, they could not ask directly. Then the Capital used its usual tactics to disclose this information through an official who wished not to be named, and then let these reporters go find the news.
However, Future Group apparently did not take the reporters’ bait. When the reporters asked about the offshore platform of Future Mining, the answer was the same one—”Legal activity. No comment.”
The “disguise” of Future Group actually made the public more curious. For the time being, all kinds of rumors began to sprout. Each of the keyboard warriors analyzed the actions of Future Group and searched for their deeper motive. Some people said that Future Group was building a second Penglai City, and some people said that they were building submarine cities. Some people even said that they discovered the remains of aliens under the sea…
Public opinion was easily led to odd places.
What is Future Group really doing?
Everyone was curious about this problem…
…
“What is that?”
On the offshore platform, Calvin, the CEO of Celestial Trade Aerospace Space Technology Institute, glanced over the platform at a board 20 square meters long. From the appearance, it didn’t look like solar panels, he really couldn’t think of the functionality of this thing.
“The anti-satellite laser array. It is too cumbersome to explain. In short, the spy satellites on our heads can only see a luminous spot of more than a dozen square kilometers. The radio signals they monitor will just become white noise. “Jiang Chen patted the fence on the platform and smiled at Calvin. “This is one of the top secrets of Future Group. Now you still have the chance to go back.”
“But it will make the curious me unable to sleep at night.” Kelvin shrugged and followed behind Jiang Chen.
The Droplet stopped at the offshore platform, but Jiang Chen obviously didn’t plan to look at this bizarre submersible.
After entering the Droplet, Jiang Chen established a route on the holographic screen, and then opened panoramic imaging, turning the whole Droplet into a real water drop, transparent inside and out…
“Stunning technology.” Calvin reached out and touched the wall, his fingers poked the steel plate. “It is the first time I have seen such a magical underwater submersible vehicle… Is this the top secret?”
“Do you think this needs to be kept a secret?” Jiang Chen laughed.
Calvin also laughed.
It made sense, this was nothing more of a secret compared to all the technology Future Group introduced. Even in Penglai City, Jiang Chen did not hide anything from the media during its construction. Halfway through the project, he began auctioning off the property on the artificial island.
Obviously, there was something incredible hidden underneath the sea.
However, what puzzled Calvin was why Jiang Chen asked him to come along for something under the sea. His field of expertise was aerospace.
He didn’t have to wait long, that is, around two minutes of time, the Droplet had slowly submerged to the bottom of the sea. When the searchlights were turned on, Calvin followed the beam and his eyes widened suddenly.
There was a giant metal cube. From the top down, it looked at least two or three kilometers in length and width. Compared to Penglai City, this cube was not shocking, but for some reason, he felt a more science fiction design from the structure…
And intuition told him that this must be related to aerospace.
Reminiscent of what Jiang Chen said about space elevators in the past, his heart suddenly felt a hint of enlightenment. Could it be…
“This, what is this thing?” Kelvin asked in a trembling voice.
“I thought you’d be able to guess it,” Jiang Chen grinned back and pressed down on the holographic screen to stop the Droplet in place. “The base station for the space elevator. Though not yet completed.”
Yes, this was just a semi-finished product.
The space elevator base obtained from White Beluga Station was disassembled. Jiang Chen mobilized all the amphibious engineering robots that he brought to the modern world and assembled it for half a month before seeing this half-finished product now.
Calvin was silent for a long before sighing.
“I don’t know why I feel regretful.”
“Oh, why?” Jiang Chen asked.
“I have used what I have learned in my life and the rocket era is already over,” Calvin said in a sly tone.
At least, the era of the space rocket is over.
If the cost of aerospace could be reduced from tens of millions of dollars to a thousand dollars, who else would pay for space rockets? Even SpaceX’s Falcon Rocket would not be this cheap. It could be foreseen that Celestial Trade, with control of the space elevator, will undoubtedly control all global satellite launch projects… At least commercial satellite launch projects.
“It’s too early to say that.” Jiang Chen shook his head and smiled. After a pause, he continued, “The space elevator has only completed its first phase of the project, which is the base of the space elevator. The remaining part needs to be completed by both the Aerospace Technology Institute and the Future Heavy Industries.”
Unlike all buildings on earth, this “Babel” tower leading to synchro orbits was built from the top down. The space station of the synchronous orbit was built first. Then the construction of the terminal balancer and the 36,000-kilometer orbit must be started simultaneously.
This meant that all construction materials must be launched into outer space through rockets. Regardless of the cost of the material itself, the cost of the rocket launches would not a small figure. This was also the reason why Jiang Chen began to merge and acquire private aerospace companies since last year to develop the Celestial N-series rockets. Only by lowering the launch cost to a relatively reasonable price could Future Group have the conditions to build a space elevator.
As early as last year, Jiang Chen was preparing for this moment.
“All technical information on the space elevator has been developed and all we have to do now is to bring the blueprints to life. I will not set a ceiling for the project budget, and your only task is to complete this for me. Babel.”
After a pause, Jiang Chen smiled.
“If it is completed, your name and my name will all be celebrated in history.”