Lin Qiangsheng and Chen Bin entered the office, while Mary and the others were taken to the exhibition hall by a woman in military uniform.

"Director Chen, I wonder if these people will affect you?" Lin Qiangsheng looked at Chen Bin restlessly and asked.

What he is most worried about is exposing the true identity of Mary and others, although Lin Qiangsheng consciously does this for himself and the country will not lose anything, but there is always a kind of sneaky psychological shadow!

Chen Bin said to Lin Qiangsheng, who wanted to stop talking: "Since the Americans want to see our satellite launch, let them be optimistic, in fact, there is nothing that cannot be shown, for the time being, there is still a big gap between our carrier rocket technology and satellite technology and the United States and other developed Western countries!" ”

Lin Qiangsheng breathed a sigh of relief, he nodded and asked, "On what day is the satellite launch expected to take place?" ”

"If the local weather conditions in Xichang on the 29th are good, it will be launched on time!" Chen Bin said with a smile.

Then he said: "Comrade Xiaolin, you have done the country a great favor this time, if it weren't for the delay in the development of the Chang-San rocket, my country's communication satellite would have been launched long ago!" If you succeed this time, your three satellites will be launched together in April, killing three birds with one stone! Director Chen Bin's expression was a little excited.

Lin Qiangsheng also said with some uncertainty: "I hope everything goes well, the three satellites plus the rocket cost and launch cost are a total of 110 million US dollars!" Is there any certainty in the country? ”

couldn't help but make Lin Johnson a little nervous, this is like he bought a huge sky monkey, more than 100 million US dollars swooped into the sky, who knows if it can shoot three satellites into the sky!

"There must always be a start, and this is also the first time to undertake commercial satellite cooperation in China! This time we will launch a test satellite first, so that you can see the level of China's aerospace industry! After all, it is such a big order, we are serious and responsible for customers! Chen Bin said with a smile.

In the entire industrial chain of commercial satellites. According to the internationally accepted algorithm, the average cost of manufacturing a satellite for each satellite launched is about $120 million, the cost of a rocket is about 25 percent of the cost of a satellite, about $30 million, the launch cost is also 25 percent of that of a satellite, or $30 million, and the insurance cost is about 20 percent of the first three items, or $36 million. This totals about $216 million.

But this is the international price after 30 years, minus the rise in prices, inflation, etc., in the early 80s, commercial satellites were half of this price, and even the international satellite market in the past two years competition has intensified the launch market The European Union's Ariane rocket has made a strong debut, many satellite manufacturers and rocket launch agencies can still negotiate prices, and China entered this market ten years earlier and did not know what changes it would bring to the international satellite market!

In order to show the sincerity of the country and to realize the launch of satellites as soon as possible and become a big country in the aerospace industry as soon as possible, the superior leaders decided to give Lin Qiangsheng the most preferential price, 24 million US dollars per satellite and 21 million US dollars for rocket manufacturing. The launch cost was $21 million, and the two sides signed a contract for $110 million.

This price is very competitive in the international commercial satellite market, at least half cheaper than other commercial institutions, Lin Qiangsheng is sure that after the launch of his satellite, China will definitely make a big name in the international community about this achievement!

Chen Bin happily walked to Lin Qiangsheng's side and patted him on the shoulder and said: "Good boy, the people of the motherland will not forget your contributions, and you also have a stroke in the history of the development of the republic's satellite industry!" ”

Lin Qiangsheng was a little excited by what Chen Bin said, but he quickly shook his head and said helplessly: "Director Chen, don't be too happy. Don't forget that the three satellites I ordered are not yet insured! There is no insurance company willing to accept our policy, what can we do? ”

"This. It's not like I haven't found an insurance company that is willing to take this business! Chen Bin was embarrassed for a moment, and said with a dry laugh.

After all, China is still a newcomer to the satellite launch market, and the outside world is also skeptical of domestic space technology.

China's first insurance company, PICC, was established at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, but the company soon ceased business under left-leaning extremist ideas, and it was not until 1979 that PICC began to resume business again.

The insurance company had limited strength and was unable to undertake the guarantee business for satellite launches, so the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense wanted to contact insurance companies in Hong Kong in Hong Kong. However, people are not stupid, and they have little confidence in China's rocket technology and launch technology, so they have politely declined domestic invitations. And international insurance companies, not to mention, will never accept insurance until China has proven its aerospace strength!

Therefore, if the three satellites ordered by Lin Qiangsheng still can't find an insurance company willing to take orders in the end, they really have to be naked. Run!

Thinking about the fear of the launch failure, Lin Qiangsheng was a little stunned. He said to Chen Bin: "How about I also propose to China to jointly set up an insurance company before? Has the superior considered it? ”

Chen Bin said: "Your proposal is being organized by relevant experts in China to conduct research and demonstration, and I am afraid that there is no hope in a short period of time, but you can rest assured that our Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense will definitely find an insurance company that is willing to accept insurance!" ”

Lin Qiangsheng shook his head and said: "If it is decided earlier in China that Dongxing can jointly invest in the establishment of an insurance company with several units, I can contribute 300 million US dollars, and I have thought of the name of the company, it will be called Pacific Insurance!" The launch of the three satellites will be insured by this insurance company, and this insurance company can receive a large order just after its establishment, which is a good thing to kill two birds with one stone! I don't know what else to hesitate in China? ”

Chen Bin asked suspiciously: "What about in the future, will this insurance company have insurance business?" ”

Lin Qiangsheng further said: "The number of cars in China has increased every year, and hundreds of thousands of units have increased every year! This insurance company can cover vehicle insurance, mandatory third-party liability insurance! Nowadays, many vehicles are operated by the public, and if there is a major accident that causes the death or injury of the people, the public will be very passive! If the vehicle is insured by a third-party liability insurance, the insurance company will come forward to be responsible for compensation, so that there will be a lot of trouble for the public, and the people will not have any emotions! ”

"Mandatory third-party liability insurance? I'll ask the relevant researchers to consider this! Chen Bin nodded, which was regarded as giving Lin Qiangsheng a promise that was not a promise

In the early morning of January 29, Lin Qiangsheng and others got up early and were invited to the Xichang Satellite Launch Command Center. The day before, he and Mary and others arrived in Xichang on a military plane, and the engineers brought by Mary were immediately greeted warmly when they arrived at the base, and even Lin Qiangsheng felt very surprised!

What Lin Qiangsheng didn't expect was that the two rocket and satellite experts were really professionals. When communicating with domestic technicians, he showed his own professional level. This led Lin to speculate that they might really be engineers lent to the CIA by Hughes. This is a big accident, in history Hughes is one of the first two major manufacturers of American satellites to contact domestic space research!

The United States has been imposing a strict technology embargo on China, and its licensing system not only strictly prohibits China from approaching any component of a U.S. satellite, but also imposes strict restrictions on the technical data and assistance that may be provided to China.

Lin Qiangsheng saw that the two American engineers seemed to communicate well with the Chinese personnel, and these Chinese personnel seemed to be deliberately selected. From their conversations, sensitive information was inadvertently asked, and the two Americans, although they kept silent most of the time, occasionally spoke. And the people here will take the opportunity to ask them something.

Lin Qiangsheng looked at Chen Bin, who had been following him, and he nodded to himself. Lin Qiangsheng immediately understood that this was arranged by the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and they hoped that the Americans would be able to say anything sensitive and important technical data, even if it was only a few words, it would be of great help to China's satellite industry!

At 6:50 a.m., the weather was clear and cloudless, and the Long March-3 carrier rocket, which carried out the first launch mission, was erected high on the launch stand.

"X. Nine. Eight. "Seven" launched at nearly seven o'clock sharp, and the countdown was ready.

"Ignition!"

With the order of the reporter, Lin Qiangsheng saw from the TV screen that the lower end of the rocket body suddenly burst into a blazing orange-red flame. Cameras at the top of the Accusation Center building faithfully recorded the entire lift-off, and people watched the rocket launch from multiple large television sets.

The earth roared and thundered, Lin Qiangsheng felt as if he was in the scene, and a slight tingling feeling came from under his feet!

There was silence in the command center, and hundreds of technicians sitting in the hall and Chen Bin and others from the base's leading Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, including Lin Qiangsheng and Mary, were all attentively watching the rocket liftoff process on the screen.

At 7:05, the rocket had entered a very thin area of the atmosphere after burning the fuel of the rocket body of the first-stage engine, and the second-stage engine was ignited. It felt like a long time after the rocket rushed out of the atmosphere.

"The three-stage engine did not ignite, and the three-stage engine failed to burn twice!" Suddenly, a trembling voice rang out over the radio of the accusation center.

The launch commander suddenly looked at the screen, only to find that it was already blank. Then he hurriedly ran to the accusation table to inquire about the situation, and many technicians at the scene also hurriedly ran forward.

"Calm down! Whatever the panic, go back to your seats! Chen Bin suddenly yelled, and the demeanor of a veteran appeared at this time, and he walked to the console with a serious expression to ask the technicians and the commander-in-chief about the cause of the failure.

Lin Qiangsheng noticed that Mary, including the two American engineers, showed a slightly relaxed expression at this time, and when Mary found Lin Qiangsheng staring at her, she said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry." I really don't know what to say at this time! ”

Lin Qiangsheng shook his head and said, "It's nothing, this is not my satellite!" ”

Mary was stunned for a moment, she glanced at Lin Qiangsheng strangely and then nodded to him. Two American engineers also ran forward to find out, and Mary followed.

Lin Qiangsheng turned his head to the officer beside him who was glaring at him angrily and said, "I'll go back first, if Director Chen looks for me, please notify me!" ”

The young officer snorted heavily. said: "Mr. Lin, don't walk around at will at the base!" ”

Lin Qiangsheng ignored the young officer's attitude, after all, he seemed to have said something wrong just now, and slowly walked out of the building and looked high into the sky.

After a while, Lin Qiangsheng lowered his head and looked at the empty launcher in the distance, and muttered, "It failed!" (To be continued.) )