Homo sapiens.

This cooperation negotiation has finally entered the closed-door meeting stage.

The core aerospace agencies of the 4 major forces, plus 27 affiliated aerospace agencies, and 53 important aerospace-related companies, had a total of 362 participants.

Bill spoke first: "Everyone, Homo sapiens has recently deployed a large number of satellites in outer space and built a space city. If we don't work together, we may not have our share in the solar system in the future."

"Cooperation can be considered, but how to allocate it? If it is still the same as before, you should play by yourself!" Alexander Piyankovsky, head of Lucia's space department, asked bluntly.

Kong De hurried out to smooth things over: "We really should discuss the specific allocation, but cooperation is better than independent development."

比尔说出自己的分配方案：“我的方案是4：3：2：1。自由联合体4，欧罗巴联合体2，露西亚1，剩下的3给……”

"Hehe, why don't you eat all of it? Then you can play by yourself?" Alexander Piyankovsky stared at Bill and outputted a meal.

Musk shrugged in the audience, turned his head and joked to other business executives: "Look, this is it? Still cooperating?"

The others were silent, obviously their company was not as important as the Space Exploration Company, talking nonsense could cause trouble.

There are gods fighting on the stage, they just watch the show below.

The Quartet fought for more than two hours, but still failed to reach an agreement. Obviously, America's bad record in the past caused the other three parties to have serious doubts about this cooperation.

The scope of cooperation, the investment of capital resources and manpower, the location of the construction of aerospace bases, the distribution of results, and how to manage them.

There are huge differences on these issues.

A mob is a mob.

Chapter 461 Plans and Problems

After three days of wrangling, the four major forces barely reached a cooperation agreement.

According to the Munich Space Cooperation Agreement, the four major forces will establish a group called: Earth United and Cosmic Development Association, referred to as the Earth Alliance Association or Earth Alliance.

The Earth Federation is composed of four major forces, namely the Freedom Federation, the Europa Federation, and Lucia. In addition, it has also absorbed some other members, including Persia, the Kingdom of Sand, the Republic of Pampas, and the Republic of Santiago. They also joined the Earth Federation among.

Of course, the Earth Alliance is just a loose cooperative organization in the aerospace field.

After all, the four core forces of the Earth Alliance have their own ulterior motives, and they can form a reluctantly loose organization. It is already the pressure of Homo sapiens that makes them make some compromises.

They simply would not have been able to cooperate if no Homo sapiens company existed.

Considering the issue of balance, the Earth Alliance itself does not have many mandatory clauses. They are all about discussing cooperation, emergency contact, sharing information, and theoretical cooperation.

As for funds and the like, the Ground Federation only received 5000 million in office funds per year, and there were no other expenses at all.

Musk, who participated in the cooperation negotiation this time, looked at this family-like association, with nothing but speechlessness and a dry smile on his face.

Then Conde von Marcus, who was elected as the president of the first Earth Federation Association, also knew that the Earth Alliance would be almost a decoration if things went on like this, so he hurriedly came up with a proposal.

"Everyone, since the Earth Alliance has been established, for the future of mankind and for the development of the universe, I think the top priority now is to find an efficient way to enter outer space."

Regarding Kongde's words, none of the participants present spoke immediately.

After all, the mouthpiece PPT solution is very simple, but it is not easy to implement a solution that can really be implemented.

Otherwise, among the current major forces on the earth, they would not have been playing with launch vehicles.

And the emergence of the Earth Alliance now is to counter Homo sapiens' advantages in the aerospace field and avoid being locked on the earth by Homo sapiens.

This is also one of the reasons why the four major forces can let go of some grievances and join forces to form the Earth Federation Association.

Once Homo sapiens can enter outer space on a large scale and live in outer space for a long time, the uniqueness of the earth will become less unique.

And once the environment of the earth can no longer restrain Homo sapiens, the consequences will be very serious, because it means that Homo sapiens can abandon the earth at any time, and it also means that Homo sapiens can do whatever it wants on the earth.

The major forces obviously also thought of this.

In order not to be dominated by others, they had to cooperate.

Musk stood up and said, "Gentlemen! SpaceX's reusable launch vehicle is our best choice."

Although Bill also agrees with the technology of Space Exploration Corporation, he still hopes that other companies or research institutions can come up with some new solutions.

After all, the heavy-duty Falcon launch vehicle of the Space Exploration Company has a low-Earth orbit load of only [-] to [-] tons. There is no way to compete with Homo sapiens.

After hearing Musk's words, other companies with ideas quickly stood up and spoke for their companies and technologies.

It's just that the presidents or technical executives of more than a dozen companies have not come up with a constructive plan.

Comte, Bill and others were a little frustrated and disappointed.

Just now.

A space company from Maple Leaf Country, Todt Corporation, its president and CEO, Todd Caroline Roberts, came up to speak.

She projected her company's PPT on the big screen behind her:

"Gentlemen and ladies, I am Roberts, the president of Todt Corporation. Our company has brought a very possible solution. Please look at the big screen behind my body..."

Everyone looked at the PPT picture on the big screen.

"Our company has obtained a patent right of America, which is used to build a free-standing tower structure that can extend 20 meters from the surface of the earth to the sky. The height of this space tower is the Burj Khalifa (currently the world's tallest [-] times that of buildings).

She went on to introduce: "Our design is different from other space elevators. Other space elevator designs are more complicated. For example: other designs require the use of graphene and carbon nanotube materials, while our company's solution does not."

"Ms. Roberts, how do you plan to build a 2-meter building?" Musk asked with a smile.

Roberts was prepared for this, and she explained confidently: "The space tower designed by our company uses expansion materials and flywheels, which provide dynamic stability because the entire space tower is inflated."

"Inflate?"

"Airship airbag?"

Immediately everyone present reacted.

After all, using airships to build hoses is a successful solution of Homo sapiens.

Roberts continued: "Currently, the space elevator designed by our company is limited to a maximum height of 2 meters, which can effectively avoid the complex effects of geostationary orbit, but our company's plan is different from Homo sapiens..."

After listening to Roberts' explanation.

Bill, Comte and others finally understood some aspects of this plan.

The specific operation mode of the space elevator designed by Toth is: astronauts will use the space elevator to ascend to [-] meters. On the launch platform at the top of the space tower, the space plane will be launched into space orbit in a single stage, and then return to space. The platform at the top of the tower refueled and flew again.

According to the designer of this space elevator, Dr. Brandon Quinn, this system can save a lot of fuel and reduce the cost of launching rockets into space by about 30%.

And the space tower also contains self-landing rocket technology.

Roberts was blunt about this, saying that this is a reference to the powerful landing system developed by Space Exploration Corporation, and the barge that landed on the sea is a good example.

But she also boasted about her own landing system: "... due to landing on the space tower platform [-] meters above sea level, it will make space flight more like taking a jet airliner, and the future space elevator can also be used as a tool for space tourism." An important part of it, while also generating wind power and enabling space communications."

Musk frowned: "Isn't this Homo sapiens' space carrier launch technology?"

"Uh..." Roberts was a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, Bill rounded up the situation in time: "Todt's patent was launched in 2015, and the evil Homo sapiens must have copied Todt's inspiration."

The others didn't say anything.

After all, there are no patents in the aerospace field, and everyone copies answers from each other.

After alleviating the embarrassment, Roberts quickly struck while the iron was hot: "Everyone, our company's plan only requires an investment of 50 billion dollars, which is very cost-effective."

However, none of the people who will be there is a genius, and they will not be deceived by the so-called $50 billion investment.

After all, when many companies attract investment, they often like to lower the amount of investment and at the same time increase the effect, which makes people look very cost-effective.

It's just that many times, there will be a project that is halfway through, and then requires continued additional investment.

Musk, who was very upset in his heart, found fault again: "Your airbags should be filled with helium, right? Helium is not cheap now!"

Hearing helium, Bill also frowned.

Liquid helium now retails for $70 a liter.

And according to the design plan of Todt Company, there must be a lot of airbags that need to be used, which is not a small sum.

As for the idea of ​​using hydrogen instead of helium, unless they want to see the space tower turn into a flame tower.

After all, this is a platform where launch vehicles or space planes are often launched. If the hydrogen gas is accidentally ignited by the flame, it will really be over.

Chapter 462 Prediction Service

Alexander, the head of Lucia's space department, did not deny Toth's plan, but put forward his own opinion:

"In fact, a hybrid scheme can be used. The airbag at the bottom uses a mixture of hydrogen and helium, and the top uses pure helium."

Roberts nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, the pure helium airbag only needs to be used on the top."

Bill had a quiet discussion with several NASA technical directors.

In fact, even if all helium is used, it can be done by gritting your teeth.

After all, America is the largest helium producing area in the world, and it is also the area with the most abundant helium reserves. In addition, the Maple Leaf Country and the Kangaroo Country within the free association also have helium storage.

And in Lucia's eastern natural gas producing area, there are also not a few helium resources.

In addition, the Al Thani Kingdom in West Asia also has helium resources in its natural gas fields.

The helium production in these regions basically accounts for 90% of the global production.

Of course, this is without counting the production of Homo sapiens.

Homo sapiens can directly extract helium from underground magma and volcanic underground rock formations. Its helium reserves are very large. If exploited at full capacity, its production capacity is about 7 times that of America.

What's more, Homo sapiens' use of helium is now rarely used in direct refrigeration.

The main reason is that Homo sapiens has developed materials that can produce superconducting effects in an environment of minus [-] degrees Celsius, which has led to a decrease in the demand for liquid helium refrigeration.

Similarly, vacuum airships do not need to use helium.

But Toth has no choice, they can only use the helium airbag solution.

Bill finally made up his mind: "I agree to promote this plan. Since the plan is proposed by a company in Maple Leaf Country, let's invest in the construction in Maple Leaf Country!"

"I object." Alexander stared into Bill's eyes unceremoniously: "The territory of Maple Leaf Country is located at high latitudes. As a launch site, it is very unfavorable for lifting payloads."

And Comte also had his own thoughts: "How about setting it near the equator in South America?"

The Quartet began to wrangle and fight openly and secretly again.

After all, this is a project of tens of billions of dollars, and no one is willing to give up the benefits of it.

……

Li Qingye is currently on his way to the Republic of Suez.

He went there in the Aerospace Fleet.

After completing the previous inspection of the Mada Island branch, he went all the way north and successively inspected the Moon Islands branch, the Horn of Africa branch, and the Red Sea branch.

At this time, he was heading to the Harij Oasis District, a subsidiary of the Suez branch, where there is the Harij Space City invested by the company.

Suddenly Bagheera came to the door and knocked on his office door.

"Come in."

"Sir, there is news from Munich that the four major powers are negotiating locally, and they seem to be preparing for cooperation in the aerospace industry." Bagheera hurriedly reported.

Li Qingye's hand, which was instructing documents, paused for a moment: "Aerospace cooperation? Not bad! It seems that they have made a lot of progress."

"Sir, do we need to take some action?"

Li Qingye waved his hand: "No need."

"There is another thing about the space station. The second batch of astronauts has arrived at the space station and completed their shift change two hours ago. The Meng Haiyang team is returning to Earth on the space transport plane."

"Condolence them for me."

"Yes, sir." Bagheera nodded.

What Li Qingye was looking at right now was the application form for the Pacific Rim Earthquake Early Warning Company established by the Geology Division.

The business of the Rim Pacific Earthquake Early Warning Company is to assess earthquakes and issue early warning reports. The current application is mainly for market development.

Li Qingye dialed Liu Zhifan's number.

After a while, Liu Zhifan's figure was holographically projected in front of him.

"Mr. Chairman! Good afternoon!"

"Zhifan, what do you think about the geological business department's preparation for commercial earthquake prediction?"