Zhu Jingyuan and Qi Yanhuai discussed Ningbo because there is a missile testing base there belonging to the Ordnance Department.
The missile test base is placed here because Zhoushan County under Ningbo Prefecture has the largest naval port in the Ming Dynasty.
Due to the direct attention of Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Zhongliang, Ming's missile research was aimed at the navy from the beginning.
After the military missiles are tested on the ground, they will be installed on warships for testing immediately.
Therefore, the missile specifications designed by the Ming Dynasty Ordnance Department are still focused on the scale that ships can carry.
For the time being, there are no particularly large intercontinental strategic missiles specifically designed.
Because the territory of Ming Dynasty is much larger than any nuclear power in the previous life.
Two-thirds of the world's land is already under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
The remaining one-third of the land, part of which is in the west of Mozhou, is directly adjacent to the Ming Dynasty's Mozhou land.
The other part is the mainland of the European and American countries.
The Ming Dynasty owned Crete, Tunisia in North Mexico, and the land on the northwest coast of the Caspian Sea.
In these places, the Ming Dynasty's missile range only needs to reach 3,000 kilometers to cover the entire mainland of the European and Western countries.
This will fall into the category of medium-range ballistic missiles in later generations.
Zhu Jingyuan planned to design it directly from the beginning to a scale that could be installed on a battleship.
Although the scale is one level lower than that of a space launch vehicle, the technologies of both parties are still connected.
In the process of designing large launch vehicles, small and medium-sized rockets used for verification purposes are sufficient for this task.
By adding some facilities to the missile test base, it can be used directly as an experimental base for rocket launches.
In the past, the largest space launch center in the United States, Cape Canaveral was next to Patrick Air Force Base.
If there is no special discussion on the construction of a new launch base, Daming’s subsequent rocket experiments will still be in Ningbo and Zhoushan.
Qi Yanhuai raised the issue of location selection for the construction of a launch base. He obviously hopes to build another dedicated rocket launch base.
And the goal is very clear, that is, we want to build as close to the equator as possible.
Zhu Jingyuan understood his idea. It would indeed be more labor-saving to launch most satellites on the equator.
However, Zhu Jingyuan did not make a decision immediately, and first asked someone to bring a world map.
Recall the locations of several important launch bases in previous lives, and compare their locations and latitudes with the map.
Be prepared to refer to the direct experience of major countries in previous lives.
The most important rocket launch base in the United States is Cape Canaveral, Florida.
That's the southernmost point of the continental United States.
If my memory is correct, the local latitude should be between 28 and 29 degrees.
Zhu Jingyuan looked at the Beiyinzhou area on the world map and confirmed that his memory was correct based on the 30th parallel north latitude that passed through the Florida Peninsula.
Then there is the Xichang Satellite Launch Base in China, which is very close to Cape Canaveral and is also around 28 degrees.
The Wenchang Satellite Base at the southern end of China has a latitude between 19 and 20 degrees.
Ningbo, Zhejiang, which I have considered, is probably on the 30th parallel north latitude, which is a little higher latitude than Cape Canaveral and Xichang.
If I insist on placing the space base in Ningbo and Zhoushan, it will be close to Cape Canaveral in terms of latitude.
The conditions at the Baikonur launch site at 45 degrees north latitude in Lucia are much better.
Moreover, the current and future capital of the Ming Dynasty is Yingtianfu, and Ningbo can be said to be under the nose of Yingtianfu.
Management is convenient and straightforward enough.
In this way, Ningbo's comprehensive conditions are better than Cape Canaveral.
But Zhu Jingyuan also wanted to evaluate how much better the more ideal Equator would be compared to Ningbo.
So Zhu Jingyuan picked up a pen and paper and simply calculated the linear speed of the earth's rotation in several alternative places.
The formula is very simple. Take the cosine of the local latitude, multiply it by the circumference of the Earth at the equator, and divide it by the time of day.
The linear speeds in Ningbo, Xichang and Cape Canaveral are all around 408 meters per second.
The local linear speed of the earth's rotation in Wenchang is 438 meters per second.
The linear velocity at the equator is 465 meters per second.
The linear velocity of the earth's rotation can be regarded as the initial acceleration of the rocket launch.
The greater the initial acceleration provided by the Earth, the less fuel the rocket consumes to send the satellite to the same speed and altitude.
The launch site in Wenchang can save 30 meters per second in acceleration compared to Xichang.
The equator saves sixty meters of acceleration per second compared to Ningbo.
Zhu Jingyuan vaguely remembered that it was mentioned in some news he had seen in his previous life.
It is said that the payload of the rocket launched from Wenchang can be increased by more than 7% compared to the rocket launched from Xichang.
The geostationary transfer orbit payload of the Long March 5 rocket is 14 tons, and 7% of the weight is close to one ton.
Based on the unit price of one kilogram of geostationary transfer orbit load of 150,000 yuan, the revenue of one ton of load is 150 million yuan.
If the data in this news report is true, the difference in payload of the same rocket may exceed 15% if the launch site is chosen at the equator or Ningbo.
If we still calculate based on the 14-ton payload of the Long March 5, the profit gap of one Long March 5 will widen to 300 million.
The total cost of one shot and five shots is about 700 million.
Although Zhu Jingyuan has become emperor, he manages countless resources and money.
But I am still a little concerned about the proportion of this data.
At the same time, Zhu Jingyuan also knew that if satellites were to be launched into geosynchronous orbit, the equatorial region would have greater advantages.
Not only does it save effort, but it also saves time and the process is simpler.
The orbital data of artificial satellites orbiting the earth has two most important basic parameters.
One is the angle between the satellite's orbit and the equator, also known as the orbital inclination.
One is the distance between the satellite's orbit and the ground, also known as the orbital altitude.
If the satellite's predetermined orbital inclination is greater than or equal to the latitude of the rocket launch site, the rocket can reach it directly.
If the orbital inclination is smaller than the latitude, the rocket or satellite must specifically change its orbit to reduce the inclination.
There will be one more control and adjustment link in the entire satellite launch process.
The lower the latitude of the launch site, the greater the orbital inclination range that can be directly delivered.
The latitude of the equator is zero, less than all inclinations...
Therefore, if the launch site is built exactly on the equator, it can theoretically reduce one operation link as a whole.
In the previous life, the French Guiana Space Center in Nanyinzhou had a local latitude of only five degrees.
Geostationary transfer orbits with an inclination of more than five degrees from the equator can be delivered directly at a very reasonable cost.
And the whole journey only takes less than half an hour.
The Baikonur launch site in Lucia is located at 45 degrees north latitude.
For most satellites, Lucia must first be sent to a synchronous transfer orbit with an inclination greater than 45 degrees.
Then use the engine to reduce the inclination angle and transfer to the target's synchronous transfer orbit.
If it were to be sent to an orbit parallel to the equator, the whole process would take almost seven hours...
The rocket is shut down most of the time, and its power is mainly used to fly out of the atmosphere and adjust its orbit.
The purpose of such multiple ignitions is of course to save fuel, but it also puts higher pressure on the communication and control systems.
In comparison, one is a single-line direct route, while the other requires four stops...
Of course, Baikonur can also be sent directly to Baikonur.
That is to say, continue to turn on the engine and adjust the orbit angle while flying outward. The effect is similar to drifting.
The result is reduced capacity, soaring shipping costs that are harder to control.
If Ming Dynasty's main rocket launch base is placed in Ningbo, the conditions will definitely be much better than Baikonur.
An inclination angle of at least thirty degrees can meet most satellite needs.
But compared to the ideal equatorial region, there will definitely be a clear gap.
Just how much is the difference?
Some people in the Qintian Prison may have done research before, but they were not officially conducted.
They are all informal, and no large-scale experiments have been done, and there may not even be large-scale calculations.
We still need to let them study it formally and make a decision before it's too late.
Zhu Jingyuan had this idea in his mind, so he raised his head and told Niu Jian beside him:
"Call people from the Ministry of Construction and the Royal Engineering Company to come over."
The administrative area of Yingtianfu New Town is specially planned, and the distance between the main departments is not too far.
Zhu Jingyuan's initial request was to arrive within three minutes of each other.
Of course, three minutes refers to the time on the road.
It also takes time for the person involved to prepare things and go downstairs.
So about five minutes later, people from the Ministry of Construction and Royal Engineering arrived.
Several ministers and stewards saluted Zhu Jingyuan and said hello:
"I will see you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Jingyuan waved his hand very casually:
"Everyone, take a seat. Please stop for a moment. When the meeting is almost over, there will be a job for you."
Then Zhu Jingyuan looked at Qi Yanhuai:
“Let’s first consider the location of this base that is most suitable for launching geosynchronous orbit satellites.
“As for the false moon used for longitudinal orbits, it should be said that it is a false moon for polar orbits, and a false moon for reverse orbits.
"The most suitable base location should be opposite to the synchronous orbit.
“So we should choose a place with the lowest latitude as possible, right?
"Mr. Qi has also considered this aspect, right?"
Qi Yanhuai immediately raised his hands and said:
"Your Majesty is wise, I and my colleagues have indeed discussed it.
"Let the false moon pass through the same point on the earth every day to facilitate continuous observation of the same place.
“The height of the sun must be the same wherever the false moon passes, so that we can continuously observe the situation on the ground and form a ground picture with the same illumination.
“It is necessary to have the false moon pass over the poles, and the angle between the orbit and the equator is slightly more than a right angle.
"In this way, when observing from the ground, the false moon will move retrograde at a certain angle from east to west every day when it appears.
“It goes retrograde exactly 360 degrees for one week throughout the year.
“Since the false moon is going retrograde, we cannot let the false moon follow the earth from west to east.
“During the deployment of the false moon, the power provided by the rocket must be used to offset the eastward deflection force brought from the ground.
“The higher the latitude, the slower the earth moves, and the less speed the rocket needs to offset.
"So from this perspective, the most ideal launch point is the pole, which can be regarded as relatively stationary.
"However, compared with the equatorial regions, the polar environment is more harsh, making it almost difficult for humans to survive.
“So we have to settle for the next best thing and choose a place as close to the pole as possible with as warm a climate as possible.
“I think the most suitable place is the islands in the southern part of Laga Province (Alaska) in the northwest of Beiyinzhou.
“Due to the influence of the tributaries of the North Bright Ocean Warm Current, there are still islands with an average low temperature of minus two or three degrees below zero in the coldest month in winter and an average daytime high temperature of two or three degrees above zero in places where the local latitude is close to 60 degrees.
“There is also a vast ocean in the south of the area, which is also convenient for observation and rocket landing.
“The disadvantage is that it’s still very far away from home.
“It is also nearly 5,000 kilometers away from Hokkaido and nearly 8,000 kilometers away from Yingtian Mansion.
“If you want to consider launching locally, the surrounding environment must be suitable.
“We can only choose between Nurgandusi and Kuwu Island, the northern part of the Xianbei Wasteland where trains arrive, and the southern part of the Kuril Islands in the northeastern part of Hokkaido.
“Both Nurgandusi and Kuwu Island are close to the sea, but the local seaports are frozen for a long time in winter.
“The northern part of the Xianbei Wasteland is closer to the Arctic, and the further north is desolate and uninhabited, but the local environment is also very harsh, and rail transportation will also limit the size of the rocket.
“There is ocean to the north and south of the Thousand Islands, but the local latitude is only 40 degrees.
"My suggestion is to choose Latvia or the Thousand Islands."
When Zhu Jingyuan listened to Qi Yanhuai's analysis, many things came to mind.
To the north of Lucia itself, there is a very famous rocket launch site, the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
It is located in the northernmost province of Lucia's core area, Arkhangelsk Oblast. Novaya Zemlya, where Big Ivan was originally tested, falls under the jurisdiction of this province.
The launch base has reached 63 degrees north latitude.
This is a secret launch base that was built in 1957, but its existence was not officially recognized until 1983.
The reason is that Red Lucia's rocket and satellite orbit data are inconsistent with European and American calculations.
It is the most important experimental and launch base in Lucia.
The Lajia Province proposed by Qi Yanhuai was the Alaska of Zhu Jingyuan's previous life.
The Americans built a launch base in Alaska.
Located in the eastern part of the Aleutian Peninsula, south of the Alaskan mainland, is an island called Kodiak.
The name of the launch center seems to be "Pacific Space Center."
It's just that Zhu Jingyuan didn't seem to have used it a few times in his memory, and it was completely different from Lucia's Plesetsk base.
Maybe it's because Alaska is too close to their long-time nemesis Lucia.
The place where the United States launches sun-synchronous satellites is Vandenberg Air Force Base at the southern tip of California on the West Coast.
The status of Vandenberg Air Force Base corresponds to Plesetsk in Lucia.
It was originally a place where the United States tested ballistic missiles.
The latitude of Vandenberg seems to have reached 34 degrees north latitude.
It's only six degrees different from Cape Canaveral in the southeast.
The reason why Americans chose this place may just be that it has the ocean to the south.
While Zhu Jingyuan was thinking about it in his mind, he also patrolled the map in the direction proposed by Qi Yanhuai.
According to the standards of having the latitude as high as possible and the climate being as warm as possible.
The place with the best conditions seems to be Iceland.
The latitude here is seven or eight degrees higher than Kodiak, and the north is already close to the Arctic Circle.
But the temperature should be better on Kodiak Island.
Because the North Atlantic Warm Current is stronger than the Alaska Warm Current.
Moreover, there are oceans to the north and south of Iceland, making it easy to deploy ships for observation and for rockets to fall.
Although the climate in northern Norway is similar to that of Iceland, it is also deeper into the Arctic Circle, with a latitude close to 70 degrees, and the average winter low temperature in coastal areas is not particularly low.
However, the south of Norway is inland from western Thailand, and the north reaches the Arctic Ocean, making it inconvenient to observe on both sides.
However, both Norway and Iceland are too far away from the mainland of the Ming Dynasty and are not under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty.
But Kodiak Island is not much worse than Iceland.
As for those places in the northern Xianbei Wasteland, just think about it and you will know how terrible winter is.
Zhu Jingyuan thought about this for a while and looked at the people from the Ministry of Construction and the Royal Engineering Company next to him:
"You all should know what's going on, and I'll tell you now what you're going to do.
“The Ministry of Construction and the Royal Engineering Company respectively cooperated with Qin Tianjian to make a relatively formal project site selection plan.
"According to the requirements of Qin Tian Jian Lie, arrange several groups of manpower to conduct on-site exploration in the Ningbo Zhoushan area, the vicinity of the mouth around the Lion City, the eastern area of Mindan Island, the eastern area of Mozhou, the southern islands of LAC Province, and the southern areas of the Thousand Islands Islands. and summarize the situation.
"The Qintian Supervisor will organize manpower to sort out your current theories about the false moon, and work with the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Ordnance to make a formal and complete comparison and verification.
"We should study as much as possible the differences in geographical environments between different regions, the advantages and disadvantages of rocket launches, the benefits that latitude differences can bring, etc., as much as possible.
"Then we will meet again and decide where to build the launch site based on your exploration and calculation results."
