334: Chapter 334 Stars VS Starlink

August 15th, 2:00 PM, Hawthorne, California.

The SpaceX headquarters is located in the outskirts of Los Angeles, in an unassuming gray building.

But at this moment, the atmosphere in the CEO's office was far from calm.

Musk stood in front of the large screen, watching the footage of the Star Rocket launch.

The fifty-year-old Musk was wearing a black T-shirt, his hair messy—he had been at the company for three days without going home.

On the screen, the tianlong-1 was trailing a tail of flame, soaring straight into the sky.

COO Gwynne Shotwell stood beside him, holding a comparison report in her hand.

Musk, the data is out.

She began to read:

The tianlong-1 has a payload capacity of 33 tons, which is 1.5 times that of the Falcon 9.

The launch cost is 15 million USD, which is one-third of the Falcon 9.

The satellite computing power is twice that of Starlink.

The laser communication speed is ten times that of Starlink.

Solar energy efficiency is 35%, while ours is 25%.

Musk was silent for a long time.

Then he asked, How soon can we catch up?

Shotwell shook her head.

Five years. If there is sufficient funding.

Musk smiled bitterly.

Five years? In five years, they will have already launched ten thousand satellites.

4:00 PM, a call from The Pentagon.

Musk's phone rang.

Caller ID: Secretary of Defense.

He picked it up.

Musk, the Star Rocket tianting project is a national security threat to us. You must accelerate your progress.

Musk rubbed his temples helplessly.

Mr. Secretary, I need money. At least 50 billion USD to keep up with their pace.

The Secretary of Defense was silent for three seconds.

We will find a way. You go lobby Congress.

The call ended.

Musk looked at the sunset in California outside the window and sighed deeply.

The next day at 10:00 AM, Command Center, Xingchen Aerospace Headquarters.

Su Chen arrived in Command Center again.

Chu Tianming accompanied him to visit the final assembly workshop.

In the huge factory building, on the assembly line, the rocket bodies of the tianlong-1 were being assembled one by one.

Beside them, hundreds of satellites were waiting to be tested, and engineers in white work uniforms were busy at their respective posts.

Su Chen asked, How did you manage to build all this in four months?

Chu Tianming smiled.

President Su, Xingchen has the most complete industrial chain. Xinghuo Chip supplies radiation-hardened chips, Xingchen Heavy Industry builds the rocket bodies, Xingchen Electric provides the engines, and Xingchen Materials supplies the composite materials. Plus, with the help of the veterans from Aerospace Science and Technology and Aerospace Science and Industry, construction started in four provinces simultaneously. Four months is enough.

Su Chen nodded.

He walked to the window and looked at the launch tower in the distance.

We have already taken the lead in the ground market. It is our turn in space. Although Musk has the first-mover advantage, he is still vulnerable in the face of advanced technology. We must occupy space orbital resources first and leave no room for latecomers.

2:00 PM, Command Center seaside.

Su Chen stood on the observation deck by the sea, facing dozens of media outlets. Behind him was the deep blue ocean, and the sea breeze blew his shirt, causing it to billow slightly.

A reporter raised their hand: President Su, will the satellite internet of Xingchen threaten the sovereignty of other countries?

Su Chen smiled.

Sovereignty? The satellites are 550 kilometers in space and do not belong to the airspace of any country. Xingchen's satellites only provide communication services globally; they will not provide military services, nor will they threaten the security of other countries. Any country, any enterprise, or any individual can access the tianting project equally.

He paused.

Some say this is space colonization. That's wrong. This is space equality. In the past, satellite internet was the privilege of a few developed countries. Today, Xingchen wants to let villages in Africa, islands in the Pacific, and scientific research stations in the Arctic enjoy high-speed internet of 100 gigabits per second.

The sea breeze blew over, stirring up waves.

Su Chen looked at the distant horizon and slowly said the last sentence:

Space does not belong to any country. But Xingchen's technology will serve all of humanity.

4:00 PM, global media.

CNN Headline: Star Rocket tianting project Sets Sail: The Era of Western Dominance in Space Is Over

In the footage, it shows the stunning moment of the Star Rocket launch.

BBC Headline: One Rocket, One Hundred Satellites: How China Caught Up with Ten Years of SpaceX in Four Years

The article detailed the technological gap between the two companies.

The Economist cover: Space Race 2.0: This Time, the East Leads

The cover is a photo of a Star Rocket against the backdrop of the blue Earth.

Nikkei News: Japan Should Join the Xingchen Satellite Internet Project as Soon as Possible

Al Jazeera: Middle East Countries Line Up to Access Xingchen Satellites

8:00 PM, Command Center, Xingchen Aerospace Headquarters cafeteria.

Su Chen and Chu Tianming sat together, holding their food trays.

In the cafeteria, engineers were celebrating. Some were popping champagne, some were hugging each other, and some were slumped on the tables, muttering to themselves.

Chu Tianming looked at them and said with emotion:

President Su, these people have worked 16 hours a day for the past four months. Some haven't been home for three months. Some had their wives give birth and could only see them through video calls. They have sacrificed so much for the tianlong-1, but with yesterday's successful launch, it was all worth it.

Su Chen was silent.

Is it worth it? he asked.

Chu Tianming thought for a moment and said:

It is worth it. Because what we are building is not just rockets. It's the future.

Su Chen looked out the window.

Outside the window, on the launch tower, the next tianlong-1 had already been erected.

Ten days later, it will ignite again.

In the distance, the starry sky was brilliant.

120 newborn satellites were marching in formation in orbit.

They will connect into a network, covering the globe.

They will change the world.

With the official launch of the tianting project, Russia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia sent applications hoping to access the Xingchen satellite internet. Xingchen Aerospace announced that starting from January 2019, it would provide satellite internet services to global users. The first to enjoy this service would be ocean-going vessels. They sail on the high seas for long periods and desperately need this service, which allows them to enjoy stable calls and high-speed internet services, providing the crew with more entertainment activities.