33: Chapter 33 Space Bus and Iron Curtain
Three days later, the press conference hall on the top floor of the Dragon Kingdom Ministry of Commerce building.
Unlike the futuristic, metallic press hall of the Imperial Alliance, the design here leaned towards steady pragmatism: a podium made of dark walnut wood, with a massive dynamic electronic screen in the background displaying abstract art of the Dragon Kingdom's landscape intertwined with the starry sky. The air was filled with a faint scent of tea and paper ink, mixed with the slight humming of high-frequency cameras in operation.
The hall was packed. Reporters from major domestic and international media and news agencies had already set up their long lenses and short cannons. Many representatives of commercial aerospace companies and research institutions from various countries had joined remotely via encrypted lines, their virtual images appearing on the translucent light screens on both sides of the venue. Their expressions varied, but all carried an obvious sense of tension and anticipation.
Everyone knew this was the first formal response to the "Artemis 2.0" declaration.
The Minister of Commerce, a middle-aged man with a refined face but sharp eyes, walked steadily onto the podium. He did not speak immediately, but slowly swept his gaze across the audience, as if confirming that every pair of eyes was watching. A brief silence stretched the suspense to its peak.
"Distinguished guests, members of the media," the Minister's voice came through the high-quality amplification system, clear and steady, carrying an unquestionable certainty. "Today, we are not here to announce a competition, but to launch a service—a public service aimed at lowering the threshold for humanity to enter space and promoting the peaceful use of space resources and scientific exploration."
The big screen behind him switched, revealing a simple and high-tech logo: against a Deep Blue cosmic background, a smooth silver arc swept across, its end evolving into an abstract train shape. Beside it was the bilingual art text—"Starrail Express" (Note: This is a fictional name to avoid confusion with existing companies).
"Approved by the highest decision-making body, and jointly funded by the Dragon Kingdom Aerospace Science and Technology Group, 'Deep Space Technology' company, and other related enterprises, 'Starrail Express' is established today." The Minister announced unhurriedly, "This company will operate independently, providing commercial, standardized, and regular low-Earth orbit cargo transport services to all legal users worldwide. We call it the 'space bus' program."
A burst of dense shutter sounds and whispers erupted in the audience. Many people quickly recorded and checked on their terminals.
The Minister did not pause, cutting straight to the core: "'space bus' will use the 'vermilion bird-1' reusable launch vehicle and its improved models, which our country has fully mastered and successfully verified multiple times, ensuring extremely high reliability and frequency. Initially, we will open three regular routes: Jiuquan to a standard scientific orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers with a 42-degree inclination; Wenchang to the commonly used orbit for earth observation/communication satellites at an altitude of 500 kilometers with a 28-degree inclination; and Taiyuan to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 1200 kilometers with a 97-degree inclination."
As each route was mentioned, a corresponding dynamic light belt appeared on the screen, winding from the Dragon Kingdom launch site into the starry sky and finally forming a closed loop, with the launch window frequency marked beside it: 4-6 flights per month.
"The key is," the Minister raised his voice slightly, his eyes burning like torches, "we are committed to making space transportation predictable, plannable, and—affordable."
A clear price comparison table popped up on the big screen: Service Type: Regular Flight, orbit Type: 400km LEO, Starrail Express Quote: 9,600 Dragon Yuan/kg, International Market Reference Average: ~80,000 Dragon Yuan/kg, Price Comparison: ~12%. Service Type: Regular Flight, orbit Type: 500km LEO, Starrail Express Quote: 10,200 Dragon Yuan/kg, International Market Reference Average: ~85,000 Dragon Yuan/kg, Price Comparison: ~12%. Service Type: Regular Flight, orbit Type: 1200km SSO, Starrail Express Quote: 13,500 Dragon Yuan/kg, International Market Reference Average: ~110,000 Dragon Yuan/kg, Price Comparison: ~12.3%. Service Type: Express/Custom, orbit Type: Negotiable, Starrail Express Quote: Negotiable, International Market Reference Average: Negotiable, Price Comparison: -.
That "approximately 12%" marked in bold red font sounded like a silent thunderclap, exploding in the venue and in front of countless remote screens.
There was a moment of dead silence, followed by a roar far more intense than any before! Reporters almost stood up, and uncontrollable exclamations came from the remotely connected images.
"12%?! Mr. Minister, are you sure this price is not wrong? This is less than one-eighth of the quote for the Imperial Alliance's 'God of War' series rockets!" A foreign media reporter was almost shouting.
"Does this price include insurance and basic orbit entry verification services? Are there any hidden clauses or political strings attached?" Another reporter followed up closely.
"With such a low price, how does your country ensure its sustainability? Does it imply huge government subsidies? Does this violate the principle of fair trade?" The reporter from the Federation asked with a sharp tone.
The Minister pressed his hands down slightly, signaling for quiet. His face still carried that steady, faint smile. "The price is accurate and has been strictly calculated internally. This price includes standard third-party launch insurance, as well as basic telemetry and confirmation services for orbit entry. As for sustainability..."
He turned slightly to the side, signaling for a well-produced animation to play on the screen. In the image, the 'vermilion bird-1' rocket launched, the first stage was recovered, underwent a highly automated inspection and maintenance process, and was erected on the launch pad again... The whole process was compact and smooth, and the cycle was significantly compressed.
"'vermilion bird-1' rocket's first-stage reuse technology has matured, and the record for reuse times is constantly being refreshed. By optimizing inspection processes, applying advanced materials, and using intelligent maintenance systems, we have significantly reduced the marginal cost of a single launch." The Minister explained, "The concept of 'space bus' is similar to civil aviation passenger transport. By having high-frequency, standardized flights, we dilute fixed costs and further optimize the supply chain through large-scale operations. This is the natural result of combining technological progress with business model innovation, in line with market laws. All operations will follow international law and market principles, transparent and open, without any improper subsidies or discriminatory clauses."
He paused for a moment, his tone turning more serious: "Space is the common territory of all mankind. Lowering the cost of entry, allowing more countries, institutions, enterprises, and even individuals to participate in space exploration and utilization, and sharing the dividends of space economic development is the consistent position of the Dragon Kingdom and the original intention of the 'space bus' program. We believe that openness, cooperation, and inclusiveness are the correct direction for the space age."
As soon as he finished speaking, the official website of the Ministry of Commerce and the booking platform for 'Starrail Express' went online simultaneously. Almost instantly, the platform backend showed that inquiries and intent orders from all over the world were pouring in like a tide. Many aerospace agencies of small and medium-sized countries, university CubeSat project teams, and emerging space startups were eagerly asking for specific details and the earliest available launch windows.
Meanwhile, at the 'Chasing Light' headquarters, in a windowless tactical analysis room.
Lin Shen, Zhao Zetao, and several representatives from the military and aerospace departments were watching the live broadcast of the press conference via encrypted lines, while simultaneously monitoring the movements of major global intelligence agencies, aerospace forums, and expert commentary.
"The reaction is intense." Zhao Zetao stared at the data streams and public opinion analysis scrolling on the split screen, "Mainstream media in the Imperial Alliance and the Federation are issuing questioning reports at the first opportunity, emphasizing 'technical risks', 'dumping suspicions', and 'potential to disrupt the existing space order'. But in the private sector, especially in the commercial and scientific fields... the heat is explosive. The unofficial inquiries we received in the fifteen minutes after the press conference started exceeded the total for the entire last year."
A middle-aged soldier with stars on his epaulets curled his lips in a cold, hard arc: "Vincent wants to build a 'space iron curtain' with high costs and the principle of first occupation, blocking most players out and letting their alliance monopolize development. Our move is equivalent to directly cutting a 'dog hole' in this iron curtain at a price so low that people cannot refuse."
"It's not just a 'dog hole'." Another representative from the aerospace system adjusted his glasses and analyzed, "This is establishing a new logistics standard. Once 'space bus' forms a stable and reliable operational capability, the pricing power of the global low-Earth orbit launch market will completely change hands. The Imperial Alliance's 'God of War' series, except for political missions by themselves or their staunch allies, will have no competitiveness in the commercial market. The cost pressure on their lunar development plan will increase sharply."
Lin Shen's gaze did not leave the main screen, which was replaying the close-up of the shocked audience when the Minister said "12%". "Public opinion wars and legal wars will come soon. They will accuse us of dumping, threaten sanctions, and may even cause trouble in space traffic management and frequency coordination."
"As expected." The Old General's voice came from the encrypted communication. He was not physically in the room, but was always online, "The Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and our legal team have already prepared multiple response plans. The key is that the progress of 'vermilion bird-2' must be accelerated. 'space bus' can open up the situation with 'vermilion bird-1', but to truly establish an unshakable advantage, and even... pave the way for the further future, we must rely on the cost cliff and capacity leap brought by 'vermilion bird-2'."
Lin Shen nodded and projected another internal briefing onto the table. "The three core subsystems of 'vermilion bird-2' have been fully launched. The integration test bench for the fission battery array and thrusters has begun construction; the first batch of experimental plates of 'Panshi-Carbon Crystal' will undergo thermodynamic and structural testing next week; the design of the control computer prototype based on 'mystic light-1' has been frozen and entered the tape-out stage. However..."
He switched the screen to show a summary report from internal security audits. "As we expected, external concerns have escalated. In the past 72 hours, attempts to probe the network systems of 'Chasing Light' headquarters and related R&D institutions have increased by 470%. The methods are more covert, and some even have the characteristics of high-level AI automated attacks. They are mainly focused on material technology and energy system details."
Zhao Zetao snorted coldly: "The Star Continent Consortium is said to be furious because of some 'undisclosed composite material process defect'. It seems they got the 'gift' we 'accidentally' let out. But this won't make them give up; it will only make them more crazily want to obtain the real technology."
The Old General's voice carried a chill: "Protect the core technology and personnel. When necessary, take more proactive defense measures. Comrade Lin Shen, 'vermilion bird-2' and 'space bus' are the overt lines, and they must be fast. But there is another hidden line, and its priority must also be high."
Everyone's eyes focused on Lin Shen again.
Lin Shen operated the terminal to bring up a top-secret plan, with only two words on the cover—"Moon Palace".
"Based on the continuous analysis of the anomalous area at the lunar south pole by 'Nuwa', as well as some... historical data fragments obtained from non-public channels, we have reason to believe that the value of this area may far exceed Helium-3 resources. The goal of the 'Moon Palace' plan is to conduct at least one covert, high-resolution close-range exploration of the target hollow area before the Imperial Alliance's 'Zeus Station' is substantively established and effective monitoring is formed, including possible surface-penetrating scanning or micro-lander sampling."
An expert in charge of deep space exploration frowned: "The difficulty is extreme. First is how to arrive covertly. Any launch of our lunar probes is difficult to completely avoid the global monitoring network. Second, the south pole region has complex terrain and harsh lighting conditions, which places extremely high requirements on landing accuracy and probe survival capabilities. Third, if there really is a non-natural structure there, how to explore it without alerting the... 'things' that might exist?"
"That's why it needs 'space bus' as a smokescreen." Lin Shen said calmly, "When everyone's eyes are focused on the commercial feast of cheap cargo transport in low-Earth orbit, we will use a scheduled launch mission of 'vermilion bird-1' to send the 'Moon Palace' probe up as a 'secondary payload' or 'technology verification module'. After entering lunar orbit, the probe will separate from the main payload and autonomously change orbit to enter the south polar orbit. As for landing and exploration technology..."
He showed a few concept images. "We can use the lightweight, high-strength material derived from 'Panshi-Carbon Crystal' to build the probe structure, combined with the high-precision landing navigation algorithm (simplified version) developed for 'vermilion bird-2', and the special protection experience for electronic equipment in extreme environments obtained from the 'Deep Blue' project's low-temperature experiments. The probe will be equipped with a miniaturized, low-power active penetrating radar and a material composition analyzer. Mission goal: obtain structural data of the ice layer and shallow surface layer above the hollow, as well as composition information of possible emanations from inside the hollow. Do not attempt to enter, do not attempt to make direct contact."
"Even so, the risk is still very high." The expert admitted, "Once discovered by the Imperial Alliance's lunar orbital surveillance system, it may trigger a serious diplomatic or even military crisis. They will think we are stealing their 'resource exploration data'."
"Therefore, timing and camouflage are crucial." The Old General made the final decision, "The 'Moon Palace' plan is classified as top secret, and the scope of knowledge is limited to this room. Comrade Lin Shen, you are responsible for leading the technical feasibility verification and coming up with specific plans and risk contingency plans as soon as possible. 'space bus' will be officially operational tomorrow to attract firepower. 'vermilion bird-2' will sprint with full force. And 'Moon Palace'... is a hidden piece we must place, for the truth that may exist and is far more important than Helium-3."
The meeting ended, and everyone left, walking in a hurry, burdened with different levels but equally urgent tasks.
Lin Shen was the last to leave the analysis room. The corridor was empty, with only the uniform white light from the energy-saving lamps. He leaned against a cold alloy wall, closed his eyes, and rubbed his brow.
The price war and public opinion war on the surface, the technical theft and anti-theft in the dark, and the deeper secret exploration pointing to unknown lunar ruins... The pressure of fighting on three or even four fronts surged like invisible tides.
But in his mind, the image of the technology tree light screen clearly emerged. Under the [Aerospace Technology] trunk, those two branches were glowing slightly, as if responding to the call of reality. And deeper inside, some more hazy branches related to [Interstellar Navigation] and [Civilization Contact] also seemed to have imperceptible disturbances due to the launch of the 'Moon Palace' plan.
Opening his eyes, his pupils were filled with calm, water-like determination.
He stepped towards his laboratory. There, countless data needed to be analyzed, countless designs needed to be optimized, and countless problems were waiting to be overcome.
No matter how the iron curtain falls, no matter what is hidden in the deep space, humanity's steps towards the stars should not and will not be blocked by any force.
And what he has to do is to forge the most solid, fastest, and most intelligent 'Starrail' for these steps.