Lease a port?

Musk's proposal surprised Jiang Chen slightly. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

In the discussion within Transwarp Trade on the profit plan of the space elevator, there is indeed a pre-selection plan for the lease of ports and berths in Transwarp.

After all, the scale of a person's market is limited after all. Instead of enjoying a piece of cake to yourself, it is better to unite everyone to make the cake bigger, and then cut the cake with the main knife. Only when everyone joins this vast market can the benefits of Transwarp Trade be maximized. At the same time, many unnecessary disputes can also be avoided.

Imagine that the development of outer space resources in the whole world has to pass through the space elevator located in the new country. Freighters from all countries will travel to and from the base station on the sea under the space elevator. All the resources from outer space have to be exported to the world's markets through the ports of the new country, what does this mean for the economy, currency, and international status of the new country?

Competition? Of course there is.

But if with a century-ahead technology, it can't compete with SpaceX, Planetary Resources, Deep Space Industries, etc., and all the employees of Transwarp Trade might as well find a piece of tofu and kill them!

However, what surprised Jiang Chen was that not to mention what kind of port and berth it was, now the space elevator had just been completed, and even the Star Ring City was just a prototype there. Before the United Nations Outer Space Development Summit was held, Musk had already considered going so far away, which really surprised Jiang Chen.

"How's it going?" Musk asked in a serious tone.

"Very interested...... I was surprised, rather. Jiang Chen said with a strange expression.

"Oh, I don't know where I offended—"

"No, you're mistaken. Jiang Chen shook his head, flicked the holographic communication window from the left to the right with his fingers, and continued, "We do have the intention of leasing the port, but the relevant plans are still only on paper. We can't give you an answer yet, but since you have proposed it, we will contact you as soon as the United Nations Outer Space Summit is over and we have worked out a reasonable cooperation plan. ”

With a happy face, Musk said with a smile on his face.

"Then please!"

"Is there anything else?" Jiang Chen asked.

"Of course, there is one more thing," Musk smiled, "we were scheduled to launch the Falcon 9 rocket in early February, carrying 450 kilograms of supplies to the ISS to complete the replenishment." But now it doesn't seem like we need to waste $60 million?"

"Are you going to outsource NASA's project to us?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and said with interest.

With a snap of his fingers on the other end of the phone, Musk replied.

"Exactly. ”

……

There is a difference between the cost of upward transportation and downward transportation, and according to the different types of goods, there will be certain differences in the carriages used and acceleration schemes, and the quotations will naturally be different. But in any case, the cost of transportation of a space elevator is definitely lower than that of a rocket.

The standard price for the Falcon 9 is $60 million, and even if the successful recovery of the first stage of the rocket can save 80% of the launch cost (the probability of success is not high), it is as much as $12 million. Compared to 450 kilograms of goods, the cost of transporting materials per kilogram is also as high as 26,000 US dollars.

The price quoted by Transwarp Trade was for a total of only S$2 million, including the Dragon spacecraft and the 450 kilograms of supplies it carried, to be sent to geostationary orbit. Converted to U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate, it would be just over $2.15 million.

According to the U.S. subsidy policy for the space industry, NASA pays SpaceX about $61 million. If it is outsourced to Transwarp Trading, it will be almost sixty times the profit!

And you don't have to bet on the probability of recovering the first stage rocket!

Such horrific profits are enough to drive any capitalist insane.

Even though outsourcing subsidized projects abroad could provoke the displeasure of the federal government, Musk made the decision. As for how to calm NASA's anger, he has already thought of enough rhetoric.

In addition, Jiang Chen also threw out a very tempting proposal. If the entire supply work is outsourced to Star Ring Trade, and the launch of a Dragon ship weighing about 8 tons is not necessary, the price quoted by Star Ring Trade will be reduced to hundreds of thousands of Singapore dollars. However, Musk did not completely lose his mind and declined Jiang Chen's "kindness".

After hanging up the phone, Musk immediately looked at his assistant.

"The February launch was immediately cancelled and the Falcon rocket-related technology was packaged for sale, as far as possible in time for the United Nations Outer Space Summit this week. I'm going to go to the launch center in person in a while, and I'm going to get rid of all the arrangements for the afternoon. ”

A look of surprise appeared on the assistant's face.

"But...... This is an order from NASA, and our Falcon rocket engines have already been produced. ”

"Has production started for any other parts than the rocket engine?" Musk asked seriously, turning his head as he stopped walking towards the door.

"Wait a minute...... the assistant reached for the stack of papers on his desk, and pulled out the one he was looking for, and quickly turned to the item on the production progress report, "It's not started yet-"

"Cancel immediately. By the way, the rocket engine that has already been produced is also packaged and sold. The development of the Falcon 10 rocket was also immediately terminated for me, and the extra budget was allocated to the third-generation Dragon spacecraft. ”

"But why?" the assistant couldn't help but ask.

Falcon 10 rocket, he thinks he is perhaps the person who knows best how much effort the chairman has put into it, besides Musk. He really couldn't believe that just after this phone call, Musk, who single-handedly promoted the Falcon 10 rocket research and development project, ended this great project so lightly.

"Because it's outdated. Musk said without hesitation.

Making such a decision, his heart was also full of unwillingness, but he knew very well that even half a minute ago, he had made the calmest and wisest choice in his life.

The birth of the space elevator marked the complete decline of traditional rocket spaceflight, just as the tank would eventually eliminate the cavalry. Even if you continue to spend a lot of money to build the Falcon 10 rocket, it will only be a dying throbe before dusk. Expensive incurring costs, there is no competitiveness in front of the space elevator at all!

By subsidy?

God, America is a capitalist country!

Subsidies alone can't last a lifetime! One day, the Congressional budget committee will lose patience.

Looking at the struggling expression on the face of the assistant who had worked for him for many years, Musk took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"My dear Mr. Besmore, my friend. You should be able to understand me, understand me at this moment, and my heart is definitely not as relaxed as I seem on the surface. Abandoning the Falcon family of rockets does not mean abandoning everything, but making such a choice...... I should be the hardest person in the whole company. But reason told me I had to. ”

"It is only a matter of time before rockets that go to outer space from within the atmosphere are eliminated. The Falcon has fulfilled its historic mission, and we will learn from it, as well as the technology, and then close the coffin with a solemn expression. I know it's not easy...... But if we don't want this series to be our swan song, then we have to go with the tide of history. ”

"Stronger, bigger, faster, ships that can come and go freely in the universe, that is our future!" )