Just as China was cheering for the triumph of the heroes, the news of the return of the Xiangrui was also reported by the overseas edition of the central media, as well as the public statements of NASA, ESA, Russian Space Agency and other institutions, and spread to every corner of the world.

Almost everyone, after hearing the news, reacted with surprise without exception.

Prior to this, the North American media had been reporting interviews with relevant NASA experts, believing that although Xiangrui had a 25-ton Earth-Moon transfer orbit carrying capacity, due to the haste of the lunar landing program, it might eventually face the same failure as the Soviets.

However, reality is like a slap in the face, not only in their faces, but also in the face.

Xiangrui not only successfully returned to the Jinling Space Launch Center, but also brought back three astronauts and lunar soil with a total weight of more than one kilogram.

Even if they don't want to admit it, they have to face a terrible reality.

Huaguo, which has achieved corner overtaking in the aerospace field through electric propulsion systems, is catching up with them at incredible speed.

Today it is a lunar module and a flag, so what will tomorrow be? What about the day after tomorrow?

Although it cannot be said that NASA's research in the field of outer space has made no progress in the past half century, the pace of development has undoubtedly slowed down a lot. Now that China has set foot on the moon, NASA's lunar space station program will not be launched until 2022, and the Ares program has been thundering and raining since it was announced, and no actual action can be seen.

All Americans who are concerned about this matter can't help but hold back their stomachs full of questions and even anger.

What the hell is their NASA doing?

In such a public opinion environment, the wind direction of the local media in North America has begun to change.

From cynicism about China's aerospace technology, to "anger and indisputability" against NASA. Especially led by the "New York Times", the opinions of NASA experts were adopted in several interviews, but after the report came out, they were indeed slapped in the face continuously, so that this time they finally did not invite NASA experts, but directly aimed their guns at NASA, and put a line of gunpowder headlines on the front page of the latest edition of the newspaper -

"When Hua Guo landed on the moon, what were our people doing? 》

Coincidentally, just when the "New York Times" began to attack NASA from love to hate, the "Los Angeles Times" and the "Washington Post" also attacked NASA's inaction from different angles, questioning where its annual funds are several times or even dozens of times that of China.

Among the many media, the most acute CNN current affairs channel even called for the establishment of a special investigation team to verify NASA's budget list over the years, claiming that there may be shocking shady scenes in it.

For a while, NASA was also overwhelmed by the excitement of the crowd.

In fact, if we make a pertinent assessment, the United States has made considerable achievements in the field of aerospace in recent years, and the boundary of its exploration has even reached Pluto, and the two Voyager probes have set foot in the field outside the solar system.

However, all of these results sound far less impressive than the moon landing.

After all, no matter how far the probe flies, it is also a probe, far less than the human footsteps to take a step beyond the earth, and it can stimulate people's senses more.

When something is enough to affect national cohesion and enough to affect the votes in the pockets of voters, it is not just a technical issue, but a political issue. Cure the problem.

The authorities have promised that they will continue to make America great.

However, these promises are things that need to be kept, and they cannot be fooled by casual words.

Now the target of the media attack is still NASA, but under normal circumstances, it may not be long before this fire will burn to the head of the White House......

……

White House.

In a conference room.

At the same conference table as the last time, the same crowd sat except for a few fresh faces.

When the incumbent president walked in, everyone stood up in respect.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated."

Walking over to the main seat and sitting down, the president looked around the conference table, stared at NASA Administrator Carson for two seconds, then withdrew his gaze and said directly, "I need an explanation." ”

Carson and the deputy chief looked at each other, and finally took a deep breath and stood up hard.

"We muttered about China's determination in the field of aerospace...... and technical prowess. Their use of electric propulsion systems exceeded our expectations, and we never imagined that electric propulsion would be able to provide the same thrust as a chemical rocket with sufficient power and working fluid. It has been proven that the electric propulsion system is also feasible for climbing gravity wells, and we have cooperated with PPPL Laboratories, MIT and other research institutions to improve the electric propulsion system......"

Knocking on the table interrupted Carson's chatter, the president reached out and pinched his eyebrows, and said impatiently.

"How long will it take?"

Carson was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly.

"This ...... There is no way to predict that before we can solve the thrust problem, we will first have to solve the problem of controlled fusion miniaturization. ”

Before we can solve the problem of miniaturization of controlled fusion, we must first solve the problem of controlled fusion. While intuition tells Carson that solving the problem of controlled fusion miniaturization may not be as difficult as it seems, at least not as difficult as controlled fusion engineering itself, analyzing none of these things is helpful now.

After all, according to the results of the negotiations, it will be at least next year before the two sides can reach a technical exchange in the field of controlled fusion.

And it's not a small price......

The president said with an unkind face: "Since there is no way to anticipate, please stop your fart, what I need now is a solution, not to listen to you explain your incompetence!" ”

As soon as he heard this, Carson almost didn't spurt out a mouthful of old blood.

Shet!

Isn't that what you have to ask for an explanation?

Of course, although he complained about it in his heart, it was naturally impossible for him to say it like that.

After a brief pause, he coughed lightly and continued.

"Of course, we've come up with a strategy to deal with it...... And we had already spoken with our Mr. Vice President before the meeting began. ”

The president turned his gaze to the vice president, only to see the thin old man sitting at the bench of the conference table nodding his head and speaking in a maddeningly warm voice.

"I chatted with Mr. Carson for a while before the meeting began, and his proposal was quite good, albeit a bit risky."

Although the vice president is just a mascot in American politics, if it is not a political one. The power of a strongman may not be as powerful as that of the governor of New Jersey, but it can work at certain times.

For example, in the case of a reorganization of the NSC and the vice president himself in charge.

In many cases, the president does not have direct care of the space sector, and in most cases it is coordinated by the presidential executive office and the vice president himself.

"Adventure?" The president frowned, looked at Carson and asked, "What adventure." ”

Carson took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "My suggestion is to start the first phase of Project Ares immediately and send our life support units to Mars!" ”

The president frowned: "...... Is this also called planning? And if I'm not mistaken, now the testing of the life support unit is not over. ”

"That's true, but time doesn't allow us to wait any longer, and as you said, if it's not a big problem, we should trust that our technicians have done their best," Carson continued, taking a deep breath, "If some of the troublesome formalities are omitted, we'll be in half a year at the earliest...... No, it only takes two months! We'll be able to send it to Mars! ”

As soon as the words fell, a discussion sounded in front of the conference table.

Carson was also sweating from his forehead.

Because he knew that his proposal was quite risky.

Or that this is no longer just a risk, but a gamble, taking the lives of astronauts as a gamble.

After the tragedy of the Columbia, few people dared to do this!

Sure enough, a middle-aged man with a serious look stood up, stared sharply at Carson, and spoke.

"Director Carson, may I guess if you are referring to the 'necessary testing sessions' by those cumbersome formalities?"

In the face of the adviser to the president's executive office, Carson took the plunge and explained: "Testing is not necessary...... In fact, we have been able to ensure that the life support unit can operate stably for at least two years when the power is sufficient. ”

The man continued: "What do you use to guarantee? ”

Carson was speechless, and just as he didn't know how to answer, the president suddenly spoke.

"He's right."

"Sometimes we need to be flexible, especially when it comes to a flexible adversary, and isn't that why the National Space Committee was formed?"

Hearing the president mention himself, the vice president smiled and reached out to straighten the tie on his chest.

Usually his sense of presence is always very low, and only on this occasion can he show his presence to others.

The president's words caused a lot of whispers, and the man who had challenged Director Carson hesitated for a moment, but said stubbornly.

"Mr. President, I must remind you that this is not in accordance with the procedure."

"No, the test doesn't have to be in the Arizona desert, it can be in the desert of Mars," Carson said immediately, "and we can send the life support unit up and start it remotely to see if it works." If we can, we'll send the astronauts up. ”

Although he didn't approve of this risky approach in his heart, he didn't care about it anymore at this point.

As earlier he stood in the satellite control room and said to his secretary.

NASA needs a win.

The United States needs a victory!

If you can't......

Both horizontal and vertical are the road to blame and resignation.

As a result, he had no other choice.

"Just do as he says, send the life support unit to Mars for testing," the president tapped the conference table with a pen as he saw that the annoying guy was about to say something, "there's no time to waste on us, every minute is precious to us after the Chinese provoked this race!" ”

Motioning with his eyes for the man who had risen earlier to sit back, the President then cast a meaningful gaze to Director Carson.

"Mr. Carson, I hope that in two months' time, I will be able to open the champagne with you and celebrate our success at a banquet at the White House. Please don't let me down, or no one will sympathize with you! ”

That meaningful look made Carson's head ooze a few cold sweats.

But even so, he stubbornly pressed his right hand to his chest and swore by it.

"I promise you."

"God is on our side!"