Chapter 497

The United States and the Soviet Union, which once divided the world, engaged in a Space Race to show off their technology.

The first to take the lead was the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union succeeded in the first manned spaceflight in 1961, and the United States was shocked.

Stimulated by this, the United States announced the famous Apollo Program. At that time, President John F. Kennedy's speech moved the hearts of Americans.

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

And as announced, the United States succeeded in sending humanity to the moon in 1969.

Starting with Neil Armstrong, a total of 12 astronauts stepped on the moon, installed various equipment such as retroreflectors and seismometers on the lunar surface, and collected 385 kilograms of moon rocks and lunar soil and brought them back to Earth.

Afterward, as the Soviet Union collapsed, the Space Race also came to an end. For nearly half a century after the last visit to the moon, humanity did not step on the moon again.

In the 21st century, the need for space development emerged once again. NASA announced the Project Constellation.

This was an unprecedented plan to send a manned spacecraft to the moon again, build a base on the lunar surface, and use it as a base camp for space exploration. The moon's gravity is only one-sixth of the Earth's. The advantage is that if you launch a rocket from the moon, you can reduce the amount of fuel.

14 countries, including the United States, participated in this plan. But in 2010, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the plan was scrapped without anything being implemented.

However, after President Ronald took office, he revived this plan.

"Just as the United States was the first to send a man to the moon in the 20th century, we will be the first to send one in the 21st century!"

This is the Artemis Program.

While the goal of the Apollo program was to send humans to the moon, the Artemis program was an extension of the Constellation plan, which went further to build a manned base on the moon capable of long-term residence and rocket launches, and to create a shuttle connecting the Earth and the moon.

Originally, it should have been implemented by the end of last year.

But due to the Big One, the federal government had to pour all of its available budget into the California restoration project, and the space industry was pushed to the back burner.

As NASA was unable to secure the relevant budget, the implementation of the Artemis program was entrusted to private space companies for the time being.

The company that is most actively participating in this plan is SpaceX.

***

After arriving in Florida, I took a prepared car and moved directly to the launch site.

As the place was what it was, I had to go through a thorough identity check and a search of my belongings before I could go inside. Although it was dawn before the sun came up, Allen Eberhardt and the SpaceX staff were already gathered at the launch site.

I greeted each and every one of them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Amir Roshan, the general manager of this launch."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kang Jin-hoo."

He is an Indian-American, the COO of SpaceX, and also the general manager of the Fat Phoenix development.

Although everyone looked like they hadn't slept properly for several days, their expressions and eyes were overflowing with passion. I had seen this kind of look a few times before from Professor Kim Ho-min and Professor Petrov.

Following the staff's guidance, I was able to get close to the launch pad.

The Fat Phoenix was a scaled-up version of the existing Phoenix rocket, created by Eberhardt to realize his dream of sending humanity to Mars.

The structure of the spaceship was not much different from that of the Apollo program.

Once it leaves the atmosphere, the rocket separates, and the spaceship flies towards the moon. When it reaches the lunar orbit, the command module remains in orbit, and the lunar lander lands on the Sea of Tranquility.

The plan is for the lunar lander, carrying the mined samples, to take off and dock with the command module, and then for the command module to return to Earth.

The key is to be able to handle the weight, as the lunar lander will be carrying a probe and a mining robot.

Allen Eberhardt asked me.

"How does it look in person?"

The Fat Phoenix boasted a majesty greater than that of most buildings.

Its height was 82 meters, its width was 13.6 meters, and its weight was a whopping 1,529 tons. The first stage engine alone had 32, and there were boosters on both sides of the rocket.

The Fat Phoenix had the largest weight of all existing rockets and could carry the largest payload.

I could even feel a reverent beauty from the metal surface, which shone brilliantly in the rising sun. After all, this rocket is truly the culmination of human science.

I gave my honest impression.

"Can this really take off?"

At my words, everyone burst out laughing.

Allen Eberhardt was confident of success.

"It will fly to the moon just fine."

Although he wasn't the first to create an electric car, he was the first to popularize it. And now he is pushing for electric aircraft and a Mars expedition.

The JN Battery will give wings to his plans.

Allen Eberhardt's eyes sparkled like a child's.

"When the JN Battery is commercialized, it will bring about a revolutionary change in the aviation and space industries. Also, with this as a starting point, we will build a base on the moon, and with that as a base camp, humanity will one day advance to Mars."

Both he and I have bet our futures on this.

In a few hours, everything will be decided.

***

Cape Canaveral Space Center, Florida, USA.

A large crowd had gathered to watch the launch of the Fat Phoenix. The crowd was amazed at the immense majesty of the Fat Phoenix.

Rocket launches have now become a common occurrence, to the point where there is talk of private space travel. But the difference between a rocket that goes to the moon and a regular one was like the difference between a subcompact car and a large truck.

All the media outlets in the world came to cover it, and outside the launch site, there were also protests by civic groups opposed to space development.

The media began to broadcast live long before the launch.

CNN reporter Leah Sims said, holding a microphone.

"In 30 minutes, SpaceX's Fat Phoenix is scheduled to launch towards the moon. The Fat Phoenix will fly approximately 237,000 miles, land on the Sea of Tranquility on the lunar surface, mine for Geratinium, and then return to Earth. If it succeeds in the world's first lunar resource mining according to this plan, it will be a huge event that opens a new chapter in space development. As the future of the global economy could be decided by the success of the Fat Phoenix, the whole world is watching this place right now!"

As the launch time approached, the control center became busy.

Allen Eberhardt and the SpaceX staff checked the systems until the very end without letting their guard down.

After it was confirmed that there were no problems, the countdown finally began.

BOOM!

With a roar, flames erupted, and true to its name, the massive Fat Phoenix rocket soared towards space.

People cheered and applauded in unison.

"Wow!"

Allen Eberhardt let out a cry of joy, and Kang Jin-hoo smiled and shook hands with the people around him.

The reporters wrote articles about the successful launch and sent them out as breaking news. But this atmosphere did not last for even a minute.

The people who were watching the flying Fat Phoenix through their telescopes began to murmur in surprise.

"Wait, wait! What's wrong with it?"

"Why is there smoke?"

"Uh oh, something's not right."

The smoke coming from the bottom of the rocket and the violently shaking fuselage were shown on the Jumbotron.

Allen Eberhardt frowned and shouted.

"Damn it! Stop that smoke right now!"

The staff were flustered and didn't know what to do.

"The pressure in the liquid oxygen tank is soaring! The control system is not responding!"

"Then do something!"

A moment later, the rising flames engulfed the entire rocket, and it soon exploded with a roar.

BOOM!

The burning debris fell towards the ground. Everyone was at a loss for words at the unexpected explosion.

The Fat Phoenix, which had been flying towards the moon, had exploded and was falling without even leaving the atmosphere!

The camera captured the sight of Allen Eberhardt shouting and jumping around, and Kang Jin-hoo's hardened expression.

***

A grand mansion in Buckinghamshire.

Grace watched the scene of the Fat Phoenix exploding with Grant.

The JN Battery was Kang Jin-hoo's hidden card to stop the crisis. But that card had disappeared into thin air.

As the rocket exploded, the probe and mining robot on the lunar lander were also shattered.

Since it was an unmanned spacecraft, there were no casualties, but the loss was estimated to be over $1 billion. But the real loss was that the Geratinium mining had ended before it even began.

Even if they rushed to push it again, no one would wait any longer. There were no more means that Kang Jin-hoo could use.

He had succeeded in all his investments and had become the most famous investor in the world and the richest man in the world. But with this one failure, he had lost everything.

It was a pity, but that's what investment is like.

How many investors have bled and fallen in the market? Kang Jin-hoo is just one of them.

They had prepared all future plans.

Rothschild had bought up stock-backed bonds through various channels. As the collapse of the Chinese economy is becoming a reality, Kang Jin-hoo will never be able to repay his debt by the maturity date, and the stock held as collateral will fall into Rothschild's hands.

Even if they got their hands on OTK Company, they had no intention of kicking out Kang Jin-hoo. He would still remain as CEO and serve the interests of Rothschild with his abilities.

Grace turned her head again and looked at Kang Jin-hoo's face on the TV screen.

'What are you thinking right now?'

A smile of relief seemed to appear on Grant's face as he watched TV.

[It's all over.]

Grace Rothschild smiled brightly.

"We've won."

***

The Fat Phoenix exploded. The shattered debris fell to the ground.

All the media's attention was focused on it, and since the launch was being broadcast live, the whole world must have been watching this scene.

Allen Eberhardt was busy trying to grasp the extent of the damage.

"What on earth was the problem?"

A staff member from the integrated control room ran over and stuttered.

"We are currently investigating the exact cause, but it has been confirmed that the pressure in the liquid oxygen tank suddenly soared immediately after launch."

Allen Eberhardt swore violently at the staff member.

"Damn it! So what was the cause!?"

This scene must be going out on the news.

The reporters all pushed their microphones towards me and threw questions.

"What are you going to do now?"

"Were you thinking about the possibility of failure?"

"Do you have another plan?"

"Please say a word!"

SpaceX's launch has failed.

What more needs to be said here?

There was no need to stay at the launch site any longer. I got into the car, avoiding the swarm of reporters.

As soon as the door closed, the car started immediately, and I leaned back in my seat and let out a long sigh. The CNN news was playing on the car's display. The scene of the Fat Phoenix exploding in mid-air was being shown repeatedly.

At that moment, my phone rang. As soon as the call connected, I heard Taek-gyu's shouting voice.

[I'm watching it on the news right now! Is this by any chance Rothschild's doing?]

"I don't know."

It's not that uncommon for a rocket to explode after launch. Since it was a rushed project, there is a possibility that there was an error in the manufacturing process or calculations.

Whatever the cause, the important fact is that the Fat Phoenix has exploded.

Taek-gyu asked in a dejected voice.

[Is it really all over?]

"It's almost over now."

[Did you expect this to happen?]

"No, I didn't know either."

[Then why did you do it?]

I thought of a famous investment maxim.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

***

[Fat Phoenix Explodes 2 Minutes and 9 Seconds After Launch!]

[Structural Defect or Mistake?]

[Cause of Explosion Presumed to be a Problem with Liquid Oxygen Tank Pressure]

[Luis Campbell, President of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety, 'A Human-Made Disaster Due to an Unreasonable Change in the Launch Schedule']

[Rocket Unable to Handle the Weight of the Probe and Mining Robot]

[SpaceX Fails in Lunar Resource Mining!]

[NASA Requests SpaceX to Indefinitely Postpone Launches Until the Cause is Found]

Rocket launch failures were not uncommon. But the explosion of the Fat Phoenix brought about a huge aftermath.

SpaceX's failure meant Kang Jin-hoo's failure!

The disappointment was as great as the expectation. As the fact that it was virtually impossible to mine Geratinium from the moon became known, fear swept through the market.

Stock prices plummeted immediately, and safe assets, including the dollar, jumped.

But less than an hour after the Fat Phoenix exploded, a piece of news that no one had expected shook the world.

[China Launches ICBM!]

[Presumed to have been Launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province!]

[No Notification to Surrounding Countries...]

[US Department of Defense Analyzing Missile Trajectory!]

While the whole world was surprised, the Chinese government released an official statement.

Premier Bo Xiaoyu, who appeared in front of the camera, read the announcement with a determined expression.

"A short while ago, the China National Space Administration successfully completed the launch of Chang'e 8. The destination is the Sea of Tranquility on the moon. We will mine for Geratinium there and bring it back."