(Happy June 1st)

"If you want to learn more about space tourism, you can go to SpaceX CEO Lawrence Paul for a consultation," Henry looked up at the ceiling, thought for a moment, and said, "If all goes well, the SpaceX space station will be built in about two years!"

At this time, the officials who had experience in the construction of the space station could not help but be surprised.

Building a space station in two years is a fantasy!!

Some people scoffed and retorted loudly: "Mr. Williams, I don't deny that SpaceX has the ability to build a space station, but the International Space Station gathers many countries around the world to build together, but it can't guarantee that a relatively complete space station can be built within two years, so why do you say that SpaceX can?"

Henry smiled slightly at the person who spoke, "What I said is naturally not empty words, but I can't tell you the reason yet, but you will soon know!" Henry immediately swept his eyes over the audience and said lightly, "SpaceX's investment in technology has never spared no effort, and SpaceX will definitely shock you!"

Henry actually has a lot to say. At present, many of SpaceX's projects are in the research or project approval stage, such as graphene-filled capsule, rocket recovery, nano detectors, "solar storm" propulsion system, anti-gravity, antimatter, "planet-scale" superhadron collider, etc......

Speaking of the "solar storm" propulsion system, it is not uncommon for the universe to use solar energy as an energy source, but very few use solar wind. The solar wind is a stream of supersonic plasma-charged particles ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star, and usually the energy of the solar wind comes from solar flares or other climate phenomena called "solar storms", and its speed is within 200-800 km/s, which is tens of thousands of times higher than the wind speed on Earth.

The "Solar Storm" propulsion system uses the solar wind to allow spacecraft to travel interstellar at unprecedented speeds and reduce their dependence on fuel. To use a simple analogy, it's like a boat moving in a river, with a headwind and a tailwind. The "Solar Storm" propulsion system is to enable the spacecraft to travel "downwind" in space!

This study, proposed by NASA in 2014, is called "Electric Sail", which is one of NASA's innovative and advanced concepts NIAC program. In 2015, the "Electric Sail" project entered its second phase. However, NASA has a pitiful amount of funding, with NIAC investing $100,000 in the first phase and $500,000 in the second.

In Henry's view, the "electric sail" scheme has a certain feasibility, anyway, Henry is not short of money, so he set up a "solar storm" propulsion system research group, with an investment of $10 million. If you don't invest, how can there be a return? NASA only invests a total of $600,000, which is like playing a house, too stingy!

Of course, the Solar Storm propulsion system can only be used as an auxiliary means, and the spacecraft still needs to use better energy sources, such as nuclear, solar, chemical fuels, etc......

However, the ideal energy fuel for a spacecraft is antimatter. However, among SpaceX's many research projects, the most difficult research is also antimatter!

The various macroscopic objects in nature are reduced to their microscopic origins, and they are all composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Whereas, antimatter is the anti-state of normal matter. When positive and antimatter meet, the two sides cancel each other out, exploding and producing a huge amount of energy.

Nuclear fusion is nothing compared to antimatter annihilation!

Nuclear fusion is just the synthesis of two matter, in which part of the mass is converted into energy, while antimatter annihilation is the complete disappearance of two matter, and 100% of its mass is converted into energy.

Antimatter in the universe is extremely difficult to find, and currently, only the Large Hadron Collider can make antimatter. The European Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and most energetic particle accelerator, which is a high-energy physical device that accelerates protons to collide. The project, which has been an international project since 1994, cost tens of billions of dollars, was built by 40 countries and involved 7,000 scientists and engineers from about 80 countries. The LHC is located in a 17-mile tunnel (including the ring tunnel) 100 meters underground in the Jura Mountains, on the border between Switzerland and France, near Geneva. SpaceX, as a world-class space company, is naturally involved.

In this extreme environment, the particles in the Large Hadron Collider are 100,000 times hotter than the inner temperature of the sun...... However, as far as Henry knows, it took 1,000 years for the LHC European Large Hadron Collider to collide with one microgram of antimatter. To get enough antimatter, you have to develop several planets and build giant particle accelerators around them.

The LHC is only so large-scale that it is completely inadequate.

SpaceX, although involved in the LHC program, ...... The right is to accumulate experience, and after that, Henry will let SpaceX build a larger "planet-level" Super Hadron Collider on an alien planet!!

However, it also takes a huge amount of energy to excite the Large Hadron Collider. As a result, some scientists say it could cost $100 billion to make 1 gram of antimatter. Uh, so expensive, it's horrible. As the richest man in the world, Henry said that he was really poor, and although he had trillions of dollars, he could only make more than ten grams of antimatter at most!!

But in any case, the "planet-class" Super Hadron Collider will definitely be built in the future, but it will not be possible in a short time......

Sometimes, Henry wondered if he could destroy the Earth if he had "so much" of antimatter.

According to Einstein's mass-energy relation (E=mc2), the energy released when matter and antimatter are annihilated is 1000 times that of nuclear fission. Therefore, the use of antimatter in the military field will be a "doomsday weapon" far beyond nuclear bombs, which can destroy the earth with only a few grams.

More than ten grams of antimatter are enough to destroy the earth two or three times, two or three times!!

Of course, Henry was not so mad, and the greatest use of antimatter was to use it as fuel for ships. The antimatter spacecraft can reach Mars in 40 days. 17 grams of antimatter can accelerate a spacecraft to one-tenth of the speed of light, and it only takes 40 years to get from Earth to the immensely distant Centauri-Alpha star (4.37 light-years from Earth)!

However, for now, these are all whimsical.

The point is that it's too hard to make antimatter...... In addition, the container for storing antimatter is also a major problem. Once the antimatter comes into contact with the container, the antimatter will be extinguished, producing a catastrophic explosion! However, scientists have proposed that if an electric or magnetic field is added to the container where the antimatter is stored, the antimatter can be suspended, and an antimatter storage container may be created!

Henry narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, if one day he could build an antimatter spaceship, it would be a bunker, and it would open a new chapter in the field of spaceflight-the interstellar age.

"Mr. Williams, how can we believe you if you talk like that? Can you reveal it so that we can know what to do?" said a wealthy man, "After all, the International Space Station is built by so many countries, but you are the only company on your SpaceX space station, and if we really want to choose space tourism, we would rather choose to go to the International Space Station!"

"That's right!" many rich people couldn't help but agree.

Henry thought about it for a while, and if he didn't reveal it at all, who would dare to go? After all, building a space station in two years is indeed a bit exaggerated for them.

Henry cleared his throat and considered what to say.

"Well, then, I'll reveal a little bit to you," Henry said aloud, "SpaceX is going to develop an inflatable capsule, which will then dock with the space station to form an inflatable space station." So, the construction of our space station will be very fast!"The space station is actually a manned spacecraft, and then the space launch vehicle will put the components into orbit in batches and assemble them in space. SpaceX can reduce the number of components by simply launching a large manned spacecraft and then using an inflatable capsule.

Henry thinks so, the key factor in an inflatable capsule is the material, without graphene, without high-strength synthetic fibers, it is impossible to make an inflatable capsule. Henry is not afraid of others competing with him at all!

However, as soon as Henry's words were finished.

There was a burst of laughter below.

"Mr. Williams, are you whimsical, and an inflatable space station?!haha...... I just laughed off my big teeth. ”

"Oh God, what a stupid plan this must be if you touch the meteorite garbage, the space station will leak, right?"

The rich shook their heads and said, "Forget it, I'm not going to travel, it's too dangerous." ”

"I'm the same, it's too insecure. I think Mr. Williams might be insane, otherwise how would he have come up with the idea of building an inflatable space station?"

"Yes, at least the space station must be made extremely hard, so that we can rest assured inside!"

“……”

Henry touched his forehead and sighed slightly, Nima, he didn't trust himself, "Everyone, I can assure you that the safety of the inflatable space station is no worse than that of other space stations!"

"Mr. Williams, if SpaceX builds a space station with a metal shell, maybe we will consider space tourism, but the inflatable space station, I think it's better to forget it!"

"That's right, Mr. Williams, this project of yours is not reliable at first glance. I suggest you, give up quickly, so as not to waste material and financial resources!"

Henry was speechless, why did he say that the truth is always on the side of the few, because there are too many stupid people!

Well, since everyone is not optimistic about the inflatable space station, then I will build it. Henry's heart is becoming more and more determined, you can laugh at our plan, but when the inflatable space station is completed, I am sure that no one will dare to laugh at it again!!

And at this moment, a rich man actually came out and said to Henry: "Mr. Williams, I believe you, the inflatable space station is definitely a revolutionary space technology! If you agree, I am very willing to invest in this project!"

"Are you?" said Henry, looking at a man in his forties, of medium stature and with a slightly thin face.

"Robert Bigelow!"

"Oh, it's Mr. Robert Bigelow, an American budget hotel tycoon," Henry nodded to him, "Thank you very much for agreeing, if you want to invest......" Henry said this, and couldn't help but ponder, at this moment, he already knew who Robert Bigelow was. The inflatable capsule is the creation of Bigelow Aerospace, and when you hear the name of the company, you know that the space company belongs to Robert Bigelow.

Bigelow Space was founded in 1998, and it is clear that Robert Bigelow had not yet set foot in the aerospace sector. But he has been interested in the sky since he was a child. When he was a young boy, he heard about his grandparents' terrifying experience of encountering a mysterious spaceship, and since then exploring the mysteries of the universe has become his constant pursuit. Don't look at him as opening a hotel and engaging in real estate business, in fact, he is also a paranormal researcher, as for what he studied, it is unknown.

This is really "Ghost Li met Li Kui", heroes cherish heroes?

Henry was a little embarrassed to see Robert Bigelow looking at him with burning eyes and expectation.

"Among so many people, you are the most discerning! Okay, I agree with you to invest! Wait a while, you stay, and we will have a good talk. Henry smiled at Robert Bigelow.

Robert Bigelow seemed very excited, and hurriedly responded, "Good!"

And at this time, the eyes of others looking at Robert Bigelow are like looking stupid~force. Robert Bigelow also felt it, his face couldn't help but turn red, but he still insisted on his own idea, he has been in the industry for more than ten years, and from his experience in the industry, the inflatable space capsule is cheap, easy to carry, and has great development potential!

Henry then said a few more words, and finally said to the crowd that if you want to cooperate with SpaceX, you can talk to SpaceX employees.

Everyone is still quite convinced of SpaceX's technical strength, rockets, satellites, spaceships, etc., some people have consulted, but no one cares about the space tourism project.

On the contrary, some wealthy people asked NASA if they could do space tourism...... Seeing this, Henry was also speechless.

Henry then went to the back of the hall and asked for a copy of Robert Bigelow's information, and after reading it, returned to the hall. Henry's gaze swept around, then beckoned to Robert Bigelow, motioning for him to come over.

"Mr. Bigelow, since you want to invest, how much money are you going to invest?" asked Henry with a smile as he walked over to Robert Bigelow.

Robert Bigelow had clearly thought it through and replied directly, "$200 million!"

Henry nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I can separate the inflatable capsule department, but if you invest $200 million, you can only get 20% of the shares." ”

When Robert Bigelow heard this, he thought about it for a moment and agreed: "No problem, but before signing the agreement, I want to know more about the inflatable capsule department!"

"Of course you can!" Henry smiled, with the current technology of the inflatable capsule department, Robert Bigelow invested in, I am afraid that it will also be pitted, the inflatable capsule department must continue to raise funds in order to develop better and safer technology, and it is unknown how many shares he can hold in the end (hehe)! In addition, the cost of space and rocket launch is extremely expensive, and the market for inflatable space capsules is not very large for the time being. However, the outlook is promising. Once the rocket launch recovery technology is solved and the cost of flying to space is reduced, I believe that many rich people will be willing to go to the sky to play, and at that time, the inflatable capsule department can make a lot of money!

(To be continued.) )