NASA had not made any significant achievements in aerospace technology in recent years, and the excuse they provided to the public was a lack of budget, a lack of money. In reality, NASA's budget was still the highest in the world, almost thirty billion US dollars.
NASA received so much money yet constantly claimed to be impoverished, mainly because the funds were not being spent effectively, and a great deal of it was siphoned off by people within the organization.
"We at NASA have so many assets and such a large enterprise that even a lot of money doesn't go very far! In order to maintain our Beautiful Country's space hegemony, NASA has made great sacrifices, and Director Judith seems to misunderstand us!"
Burton shook his head and gesticulated, pointing first at himself and then at Judith, before saying, "Director Judith, we actually share the same goal. You think Jieke Group's Kunpeng Rocket might succeed, right? Then you should definitely join us in voicing our concerns to the Black Palace Congress. After all, a cargo rocket can be modified into an intercontinental missile with just a few changes! Given the Jieke Group's hostility toward our Beautiful Country, if they have intercontinental missiles, how could the gentlemen in Congress sleep peacefully at night!"
Upon hearing Burton's words, Judith's eyes narrowed in concentration as she pondered.
A missile consists of two main parts: a warhead for the combat section and a carrier.
At the inception of rocket development, many rockets were launched using modified missiles.
Cargo rockets and ballistic missiles ultimately share the same goal; cargo rockets are designed to escape the Earth's gravity at high speed and aim to enter space orbit.
Ballistic missiles also need to impart a high velocity to the payload so that it can reach its destination before losing gravitational potential energy and exhausting its fuel.
Since their technologies and requirements are almost identical and highly similar in characteristics, a cargo rocket can be turned into a ballistic missile by replacing the compartment that holds the satellite with a combat warhead.
This combat section can house explosives, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, or a satellite when used as a cargo rocket.
Of course, there are some differences between the two; after all, a ballistic missile eventually has to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, which demands high material quality and precision.
But in general, the technological gap between the two is merely paper-thin.
Anyone proficient in cargo rocket technology would not find it difficult to produce a ballistic missile.
Judith now understood Burton's intention, which was to involve the CIA in amplifying the Jieke Group threat narrative to secure more funds from Congress.
"I agree to this," she said.
With her brows unfurrowed, Judith thought for a few minutes and made her decision.
Emphasizing the Jieke Group's importance to the Beautiful Country would increase the CIA's influence. Advocating the Jieke Group threat theory had always been Judith's stance.
In her view, the Jieke Group was already troublesome enough, and if they acquired ballistic missiles capable of striking the Beautiful Country's homeland directly, the threat posed by the Jieke Group would increase significantly.
"Pleased to cooperate."
A smile immediately appeared on Burton's face; he knew that Judith wouldn't refuse such an opportunity.
"Tomorrow, let's meet with the President together, have a pre-talk with him, and then give a speech in Congress."
Burton had already thought out the strategy. Once Congress heard that the Jieke Group could produce ballistic missiles threatening the homeland, they would surely allocate funding without hesitation.
The two discussed and decided to coordinate with each other the next day.
Having achieved a satisfactory result, Burton took his leave at the appropriate time.
But before leaving, Burton couldn't resist saying to Judith, "As an aerospace professional, I can assure you that the Kunpeng Rocket made by Jieke Group will not succeed. Aerospace is not gambling; there's no chance for overnight success and myth-making without a solid foundation. Without it, building rockets will end up a laughingstock."
Watching Burton leave the office, Judith's mouth twitched as she muttered to herself, "Is he mocking me for being an outsider? But I too hope it's true. Otherwise, if Jieke Group creates a cargo rocket and then develops ballistic missiles, we'll have big trouble."
Considering Jieke Group's powerful gene technology, if they ever developed large-scale lethal gene viruses or biochemical weapons and fitted them onto a ballistic missile's combat section, it would become a nightmarish reality.
Just thinking about such an outcome made Judith shiver. She did not want to witness a biohazard crisis on the Beautiful Country's soil.
The whole world was talking about Jieke Group's Kunpeng Rocket, but Jieke Group itself was calmly proceeding with preparations for the maiden flight.
At Red Sun Rocket Launch Site, trucks and engineers were coming and going, and security levels had been heightened even further.
The towering Kunpeng Rocket stood tall on the launch pad as engineers painstakingly inspected every detail, performed individual tests on instruments and equipment, checked performance, and precisely measured parameters. They conducted a final inspection involving all systems on the rocket, simulated various flight conditions, and verified the technical performance and reliability of the entire rocket system, aiming to eliminate any safety risks as much as possible.
Outside, various monitoring stations were also conducting joint tests. The ground service support departments were working overtime, and the weather support departments were monitoring weather data in real-time using meteorological radars.
As time ticked on, and it came to two days before the launch, a large crowd of tourists had already arrived, driving to the desolate area and setting up tents outside Red Sun Rocket Launch Site.
The launch by Jieke Group was made public not only to the media but also to the public, offering free admission for spectators.
Although there were doubts about whether the Kunpeng Rocket could successfully launch, it was still billed as the strongest rocket in human history, and everyone wanted to witness the grand spectacle of a rocket weighing tens of thousands of tons ascending into the sky. Even if it exploded and disintegrated mid-air, it would be worth the journey!
Finally, on October 15th, the sky was clear.
Media vans entered the launch site, setting up their cameras for a live broadcast of the maiden flight of the rocket claimed to be the strongest in human history.
The visitor area was packed with crowds holding binoculars and cellphones, and the atmosphere was lively.
And the towering 185-meter-tall Kunpeng Rocket, after completing its final check and adjustments, had engineers begin to load it with propellant, making the last preparations for lift-off.