vstars Chapter 686 Thanks to my old buddy Hans for the big rocket gift!
Chapter 686 Thanks to my old buddy Hans for the big rocket gift!
World War II ended.
The internal problems in Southeast Asia are equally numerous and complex.
Domestic economic policies need to be changed to adapt to the subsequent period of peace.
The wartime-like general mobilization system must naturally come to an end.
The oil, coal, iron, cobalt, and nickel mines in Borneo and Sumatra should be explored as soon as possible.
Cooperation between the several northeastern states of India and Persia needs to be deepened.
……
There are a lot of things that require the decisions of the Grand Commander Zhang Chi.
However, he still made a special trip to fly to the rocket base in southern Penang for inspection. The reason was simple: the atomic bomb is the shield of the nation, while rockets, or missiles, are the spear of the future.
As a time traveler, Zhang Chi's greatest advantage is knowing what the future holds, which allows him to avoid many detours in his development.
The reason why Zhang Chi made the arbitrary decision to locate the important rocket base in Penang, in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, far from the capital, was because he took into account the future prospects of space development.
The special plane is descending.
Zhang Chi looked down at the emerald-like peninsula below.
Choosing Penang as the base for the rocket was a decision he strongly advocated.
Here, being close to the equator, the linear velocity advantage brought by the Earth's rotation can save rockets up to 30% of fuel, which translates to heavier payloads and longer ranges.
This is an excellent starting line for launching geostationary satellites in the future.
Moreover, the geological structure here is stable. The southeastern coast of Penang is mostly a gentle alluvial plain with a stable geological structure and is far from the Circum-Pacific seismic belt.
The construction of the launch pad does not require much land leveling, and the antenna array of the subsequent tracking station can be pointed at the sky without any obstruction.
More importantly, after the rocket takes off, the landing zones of the debris from each stage of the boosters can be planned directly in international waters, which avoids harming civilians and reduces diplomatic disputes.
John's colonial era left behind the port of Penang and a basic road network, enabling the extra-long rocket bodies and sophisticated launch pad components to be transported directly to the base via sea and land combined transport.
The dense river network in the area perfectly meets the huge cooling water demand during rocket launches.
Of course, there is an even more important point—human nature.
Penang was one of the places where Chinese people who went to Southeast Asia in the early years gathered.
Even Mr. Sun came here five times to raise funds, and the Chinese community here has a very high sense of identity with the United States of Nanyang, led by Zhang Chi.
He felt at ease placing such a vital national asset here.
The convoy traveled along the coastal road in southern Penang.
The scenery outside the window gradually becomes desolate, with dense coconut groves and undeveloped wasteland appearing alternately, and the only road stretching into the distance like a gray ribbon.
At that time, Penang was far from the bustling tourist city it would become in later years, so the area around the rocket base was sparsely populated.
The outline of the rocket base, codenamed "Kuafu," appears in the distance.
The sentry stood at attention and saluted as the gate slid open.
As soon as the car came to a stop, a middle-aged man with dark skin, wearing a green training uniform, quickly walked up to greet them.
He is the head of the base, Lü Guofu.
"Old Regimental Commander!" Lü Guofu straightened his back, gave a standard military salute, and his eyes were a little red.
He was a graduate of the Yunnan Provincial Military Academy and was discovered by Zhang Chicong during the Independent Regiment period.
Later, they discovered that he had more potential in management, so they promoted him all the way to the point where he could take charge of the industrial sector.
Zhang Chi patted him on the shoulder, as if it were back when he first started out: "Hey, Guofu, you've worked hard. Look at you, you've gotten even darker."
"I dare not complain about sharing your burdens." Lü Guofu's voice was loud and clear, then he looked at the convoy with a slight puzzlement, "Why didn't we see Prime Minister Guangsong come along for the inspection?"
Zhang Chi waved his hand casually, "I left him at home to look after the house and handle those headache-inducing government affairs. I ran away to have some peace and quiet."
This is half true and half false.
He did need to step away from the tedious administrative work, but more importantly, this was a test for Zhang Guangsong.
The post-war economic transformation will inevitably affect the interests of local powerful families and clans.
His absence was precisely to see if this fellow countryman, the prime minister, could withstand pressure and temptation from all sides and steadfastly implement the established reform path.
If so, he is a true pillar of the state; if not, it is better to replace him sooner rather than later.
In the core area of the test site, a massive launch pad stands between the sea and the sky.
A slender, silver-gray rocket was already in place, gleaming coldly in the blazing sun.
On the arrow, the Han letters that once marked it are still faintly discernible.
Two principal scientists waited beneath the launch pad.
One of them was Albrecht Schmidt, a German, who was originally a member of the inertial navigation team at the Peenemünde base and was "invited" to Southeast Asia during the chaos before the defeat.
Another is Dr. Chen Zhiyuan, a power expert who studied in the United States in his early years and returned to China after hearing about the rebirth of his motherland.
“Your Excellency, President.” Chen Zhiyuan stepped forward and introduced in Mandarin with a slight Hokkien accent, “This is our preliminarily assembled V-2 rocket. It is 14 meters long and weighs about 13 tons. It uses liquid oxygen and 75% ethanol as propellants. It is equipped with an inertial guidance system and gas rudder control technology.”
"According to Hans' data, this rocket has a maximum range of 320 kilometers, a speed of over Mach 4.8, and can carry about one ton of high explosives."
He then pointed to the complex fuel lines: “These fuels are extremely dangerous, highly corrosive and explosive, and are usually only added temporarily before launch.”
Zhang Chi stared at the enormous arrow and nodded.
He recalled that early large rockets and missiles were fueled by liquid fuel, unlike anti-tank rockets or rocket artillery, which required refueling before launch.
Therefore, these rocket soldiers actually face very great danger.
Refueling is a delicate matter, especially in case of a leak of highly toxic fuel.
Or, after refueling, they might find the rocket won't ignite, and they'd still be responsible for emptying the fuel—all dangerous tasks with a high chance of survival.
The cautionary tale of the Russian rocket explosion that later destroyed an entire top research team remains fresh in our minds.
"Safety procedures must be the top priority." Zhang Chi turned to Lü Guofu and the other scientists, his tone serious. "You are all pillars of the nation. Any experiment must prioritize personnel safety above all else. Protective measures and emergency plans must be foolproof."
"Yes, Commander!" the men replied in unison.
Zhang Chi then turned his gaze to Schmidt: "Mr. Albrecht, I recall that your country seemed to have made some explorations in solid fuel and staged propulsion technology towards the end of the war?"
Schmidt paused for a moment, then replied:
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Upon hearing the translator mention the word "head of state," Zhang Chi raised an eyebrow: "We don't have a head of state here. Just call me the Grand Commander."
Schmidt was somewhat embarrassed, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue:
"For example, the 'Rhine Envoy' program was designed with four stages of solid fuel propulsion. In theory, each stage separates after the fuel is exhausted, which can reduce dead weight and increase range and speed."
He shrugged, a hint of regret in his voice:
"Unfortunately... the war is over. The Rhine Envoy hadn't even had time to be perfected..."