Chapter 1525: let's start

Let us temporarily go back to an important year-1986. This year is the most important year in the history of China's modern science development. Its importance is comparable to the successful development of the "two bombs and one star" that year!
Because it was in March of this year that the leaders of New China, together with top experts and scholars in the field of scientific research, and leaders in various disciplines, jointly formulated the largest scientific research industrialization plan in the history of New China. "National High-Tech Research and Development Program", code-named "863 Program".
This plan was implemented in 1986 and was not replaced by another more ambitious plan until 2016. In other words, the "863 Plan" is a programmatic plan for China's scientific and technological development for 30 years!
As we all know, these 30 years have been the 30 years in which China's economy, technology, culture, education, and people's living standards have taken off rapidly!
Let us remember the following four star-shining names: Wang Daheng, Wang Ganchang, Yang Jiachi, and Chen Fangyun, because these four are the original initiators of the "863 Project"!
After the plan was put forward, after more than 8 months, after fully soliciting opinions from all walks of life, in November 1986, Huaxia formally approved the implementation of the "High-tech Research and Development Plan Outline", and chose to take a look at Huaxia’s future economic and social development. There are 7 major areas of space exploration, biotechnology, information and communication, and 15 themed projects are the focus of breakthroughs. Only in the first year of the plan’s implementation, that is, in 1987, were included in the plan’s scientific research work. There are tens of thousands of people!
As one of the pioneers of the "863 Program", Chen Fangyun, an academician of the China Academy of Sciences, undoubtedly had a certain "first-mover advantage". However, at that time, China had been in line with internationally advanced technologies in the fields of aerospace technology, communications and measurement. The level is very different, there are too many topics to catch up, and it was the so-called "honeymoon period between China and the Western world". As long as it does not involve particularly sensitive technology equipment, as long as it is willing to pay, it is really what China is interested in. , You can sell it to you, and during that time, Huaxia did buy a lot of good things from the Western world. Even the business involving key technology transfer has been done a lot. GPS is a costly system-level Application, the mainstream opinion at the time was-since the U.S. people have already made it, then we can use his?
Therefore, during that period, many of the equipment developed by China Huaxia applied the GPS technology of the United States, including the "Flying Leopard" fighter and the "Khalid" tank invested by Tan Zhenhua himself, and there were also GPS positioning systems on them. In order to facilitate the positioning of the old-fashioned weapon system equipped by Huaxia, the army also specially purchased a batch of handheld GPS positioning terminals to be bundled with these equipment. Even some types of tactical missiles developed during this period used GPS as positioning. One of the means.
It can be seen from this that although the "Double Star Positioning and Communication System" is a purely pre-researched subject, although it is included in the "863 Program", its priority is definitely very low, so there is very little funding support.
How little is it?
This is what Chen Fangyun said: "In June 1989, the "Double Star Rapid Positioning Communication System" held the last technical feasibility demonstration meeting. The meeting discussed and passed the framework and technical requirements of this system, but these are theoretical. Whether it is really feasible in engineering practice requires a series of tests to prove it, but the limited funds for this pre-research project cannot afford to build a new satellite for the test. This caused the project to be unable to continue. In the dilemma of advancing, we later found out that a communications satellite in orbit of the Ministry of Space and Space was exhausted and was about to be scrapped, but it was barely able to work for a period of time, so we hurriedly applied to the superiors for experiments with this satellite, which saved it. This subject."
"How was the result of the experiment?"
"The test satellite is a Dongfanghong-2 A communications satellite. During the continuous test from August to September, the test point set up in Beijing obtained a positioning accuracy of 20-30 meters. This accuracy is not included in the US GPS. The accuracy before SA interference is similar, and the test has achieved certain success."
Tan Zhenhua nodded and said: "The experiment has been successful. This is a good thing. It shows that the theoretical model you established is correct. It also lays the data and theoretical foundation for the future China Global Positioning System. Then, in accordance with China's general scientific research process, In this case, it should be possible to transfer the topic from pre-research to actual project establishment, right?"
Chen Fangyun shook his head and sighed: "If we follow the general process, it should be like this, but we have encountered insurmountable difficulties."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Let me explain this question." Minister Zhang stepped in and explained, "I have a certain responsibility for this difficulty, but I really can't help it."
Tan Zhenhua turned to Minister Zhang, his face full of doubts, in fact, he knew it already.
"Dr. Tan, in your long-term work and study in the United States, you probably have heard some inside stories about the development of the GPS system in the United States." Minister Zhang said: "According to our follow-up observations, it is not counted as the first-generation experimental DNSS, since 1973 Counting from the beginning of the official development of the GPS system in 2016, Americans have continued to invest in this system for nearly 20 years, and satellites have been gradually upgraded to the more advanced BLOCK-A since 1989. The total investment spent by the Americans on this system is as high as 30 billion dollars!"
30 billion dollars!
Even with Tan Zhenhua’s net worth at this time, he can’t help but be astounded when he hears this number. This is the real thing. It is a major project that can only be implemented with the investment of the whole country. With the current China’s national strength, it is not impossible to do it, but once it is done This will definitely lead to a consequence-the countless other projects in the "863 Program" that China urgently need to invest in and development will have to reduce the funds invested.
It can also be seen from this amount of investment that at the height of the Cold War that year, the two poles of the Misu world were able to overwhelm the other.
In fact, from the end of the Cold War until after the Soviet-Russian split, the maintenance of the "GLONASS" system has been a problem. Satellites have a certain service life, because the former Soviet Russia's technologies in many fields are backward. In the United States, their satellites have a shorter service life. The satellites used in the "GLONASS" system have a lifespan of only 3 years, which is one-third of that of the US satellite. However, due to Soviet Russia’s own economic internal and external troubles, they often The inability to perform the replacement normally after the satellite expires, which also leads to the reliability of the "GLONASS" system is very worrying.
Even countries like the former Soviet Union and Russia are so strenuous to bear such a system. It is conceivable that China’s policymakers would hesitate more when faced with such a problem.
But can it work without this system?
The process and results of the Gulf War have been told to the Chinese people, no.
The drastic changes in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the Western world completely removed its mask of warmth and affection for China, and the actual actions that closed the vast majority of cooperation doors told China people, no!
Pinning hopes on others, and placing core technologies related to national defense and national economy and people's livelihood on others is absolutely impossible for China Xia!
Tan Zhenhua took a deep breath, no longer hesitated, and nodded softly: "I understand, let's get started. What do I need to do?"