I have to say that when Chen Wenhao said "50,000 yuan", everyone present was shocked. The reason is simple, the gap between the horizontal contrast is too large, and it forms a strong conflict with the known cognition.

When it comes to space tourism, twenty years ago it was just a scene in science fiction movies and movies, and even now, several private aerospace companies have hyped up the concept of space tourism after their establishment, but in fact it is still "better said than done", especially for vehicles used for transatmospheric flights, which have bounced several times in succession, not one skipping tickets, but several skipping tickets.

Take the suborbital vehicle of the American XCOR Space Company as an example, in May 2015, it claimed that it had completed the installation of the main wing and other major components, and it could be delivered in the autumn of that year. The result? Two or three years have passed, and not even a single hair has been delivered. In the first half of 2015, more than 300 people made reservations to pay the fee, with an average price of $100,000, but because the reservation situation was too hot, the company also increased the price, and the cost of a flight became $150,000, on the grounds that "the middle class who can afford to spend $100,000 should be able to accept the increased $50,000." It's fucking up.

In addition, private aerospace companies such as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin in the United Kingdom have also begun to accept reservations for suborbital flights, with ticket prices basically higher than $150,000. As for Musk's proposal of "traveling to Mars for $200,000 per person", which has been somewhat deified in recent years, it can only be said to be a beautiful vision.

So don't look at the more and more news mentioning space tourism in recent years, in fact, there is no substantial progress, if you really want to count the examples of real tourists going to space, it still has to start from 2001 when the Federal Space Administration of Lao Maozi sent an American billionaire into space, which made the latter the first space tourist in mankind, and the rich man paid $20 million for this space trip. Subsequently, six more people entered space through this method, and the unit price is still $20 million.

So when a few years ago, when several aerospace companies set the threshold for entry into space at $150,000 or less (although it has not yet taken place), many media outlets and adventure enthusiasts applauded and responded enthusiastically.

Despite this, space tourism is still in the name of the "rich man's club", in fact, it is not wrong, 150,000 US dollars, even if it is placed in developed countries in Europe and the United States, how many middle-class families can get this money at one time? It's not because it's a necessity, it's just to hang around the high skies of the earth.

And 50,000 yuan, converted into US dollars, is less than 8,000 yuan, which is within reach of ordinary families.

"With such a low fee, can the company make a profit?" That's the question that all the executives in the room want to ask. According to what Chen Wenhao said before, the manned aircraft has four seats, and the income of 200,000 yuan when it is full is full. With such a small amount of money, is the cost of letting the aircraft take off and land once?

"We need to form a new concept, starting with us, that the progress of transatmospheric vehicles will be intergenerational. Its significance is no less than the production capacity of human society from the era of handicraft workshops to the age of steam machines. ”

Chen Wenhao's voice was not high, but the content was so high-pitched that it was deafening, and everyone stopped what they were doing, stopped whispering discussions with colleagues, and focused all their attention on him.

"I don't want to talk about the scientific and technological content and innovative significance of the electric propulsion system today, I just want to tell you a set of comparative data: during the service of the US Space Shuttle, each time it enters space, it can carry 22,680 kilograms of cargo, and the comprehensive cost of each launch is 500 million US dollars. The cost of sending each kilogram of cargo into space is about 22,000 US dollars; the US company SpaceX has announced that its Dragon spacecraft has a carrying capacity of more than 3,300 kilograms, and that it can bring back the same weight of cargo from outer space, and the unit price of each kilogram of cargo going to space does not exceed 20,000 US dollars, and if it is launched multiple times, the cost per kilogram can be reduced to 18,000 US dollars. ”

"Although the cost has been decreasing with the advancement of reusable rocket technology, it is also the case, if the traditional chemical propulsion method is still used, it is difficult to have a breakthrough change."

"And the aircraft that we are going to put into production can be reused, and the payload will reach more than 3,000 kilograms. According to preliminary calculations, the cost of each flight can be controlled within 2 million yuan, and the cost per kilogram of load will not exceed 400 yuan, which is equivalent to about 60 US dollars. ”

The inner emotions of everyone here are mixed: the comparison between $18,000 and $60, the company is hanging up again. As long as the aircraft passes, it is equivalent to opening up a sunrise industry. And for a long time, I'm afraid it was a monopoly business.

However, there are still doubts, in the atmosphere of surprise and joy, someone asked weakly, "But there is still a lot of gap between 200,000 and 2 million, is this fee too low." ”

Chen Wenhao flicked the projection of the aircraft in front of him with his fingers, making it rotate and display a few points faster, "First of all, the price of 50,000 yuan is only valid for Chinese nationals. Secondly, I don't intend to make money on manned business. Look at the top of the aircraft, there is a small cargo compartment design, which can carry all kinds of small test instruments, and the design load is 500 kg. ”

"Based on the current market situation, every 100 kilograms of equipment high-altitude carrying service, a single charge is about 3 million yuan. Many universities and research institutes in China have scientific research needs in this area, but because the unit price is not high, the domestic units that have the ability to provide this service are not enthusiastic about it, and the market is in a state of short supply. We can provide this service to multiple units at once. The price is preferential, even if the unit price is 1.5 million, this alone can earn 7.5 million yuan, deducting the depreciation expenses of the aircraft, and it is still profitable. ”

"However, that's not all. In order to make full use of the capacity of the aircraft, there is also a suspension pod design in the rear half of the aircraft, which can also carry 1,500 kg of cargo into Earth orbit when the spacecraft's passenger and instrument installation area is fully loaded. ”

"I won't say much about the market value and potential of this part of the capacity. In short, not only do you not have to worry about operating at a loss, but this will also become a new profit growth point for the company. ”

In fact, Chen Wenhao has his own plans and uses for this piece of capacity, but it has not yet been made public. Every step he takes, he strives to change the world positively. In his view, too many disputes in the world are because of resources and interests, and if everyone is confined to a small earth, the contradictions will only become more and more intense.

Why not go out and open the sky?

Maybe some people will laugh at you, what's the matter with you, this salty radish heart.

Let's just think of it as an idealist obsession. When it can't be realized, it may be the second second, but now maybe, probably, there is hope to make it.