The Cloud Ascend Project, a long-term aero-space plane initiative planned by the aerospace bureau.

It is specifically made up of two stages: the lower one is a large aircraft capable of taking off from the ground, flying to altitudes above 30,000 meters into near-space using turbo-ramjet engines.

Mounted on its back is a small space plane, similar to the H1, but with a bigger takeoff weight of around 30 tons.

When the combined aircraft reaches the edge of the atmosphere, the small space plane detaches and ignites, using its own power to fly to low Earth orbit to carry out space missions.

Both large and small aircraft are able to return intact to the airport and can be reused for subsequent tasks after maintenance and refueling.

It’s not bad that the aerospace bureau collectively calls this system an aero-space plane, indeed the actual outcome is similar.

The kind of aero-space plane in science fiction movies that flies from the ground all the way into space is still too difficult, and for the aerospace bureau, the investment does not justify the results, PASS.

So far, the aerospace bureau’s low-cost approach to space is just this, hoping to get the Cloud Ascend system sorted between 2025 and 2030 would be considered a blessing.

Rocket recovery strategies have also been considered and discussed; there are plenty of plans and ideas, but ultimately it was deemed unnecessary, as the difficulty is too great to achieve. Besides, with China’s price levels, the cost of launching expendable rockets is actually not high and is acceptable to all, unlike America and the European Space Agency which could easily spend upwards of a billion US dollars per launch.

Now, the successful recovery of New Yuan 1B has essentially slapped the aerospace bureau in the face, at least from their point of view:

A private space enterprise has completed rocket recovery with ease, nowhere near as complicated as we thought!

It is a denial of the bureau’s previous strategies and decisions, but the aerospace bureau will definitely not stubbornly refuse to work on rocket recovery, and will surely start developing their own recovery technology immediately.

Heads of several affiliated research institutes have been summoned to Beijing for a meeting, as the aerospace bureau will re-evaluate New Yuan Aeronautics’ propulsion system and its own future direction.

On the internet, New Yuan Aeronautics’ fame finally skyrocketed.

Footage of the entire process of New Yuan 1B’s rocket recovery was edited and shared everywhere, topping the trending charts for days on end.

Most people don’t understand the technology, but when they see someone catching a rocket falling from the sky and landing it safely on the ground, they can vividly perceive the immense difficulty and the extremity of the technological prowess involved.

At the end of 2014, 4G networks had not fully spread, but the internet was already mature, with many high-quality forums still thriving and a higher proportion of netizens being well-educated.

In an era when it was popular to be publicly knowledgeable yet self-deprecatory, unwilling to acknowledge one’s own efforts, New Yuan Aeronautics went against the current and earned a great deal of praise.

Even Lin Ju saw the phrase "Light of Humanity," which was originally used to commend the American Aerospace Bureau and later given to Sky Fork, now being used to laud New Yuan.

Even the usually busy mockers had quieted down, either offering dry congratulations or playing dead.

The first successful vertical recovery of a manned rocket in human history had unquestionably been achieved by New Yuan Aeronautics.

Of course, greater affirmation came from the officials.

On the evening of the successful recovery, CCAV broke into its regular news broadcast to announce the successful retrieval of New Yuan 1B and briefly showed a few images.

By the next evening, a CCTV reporter had visited the New Yuan Factory, filmed a large amount of material, and requested interviews with Guo Shen and Lin Ju.

Now, Lin Ju had suddenly become a legendary figure, a young miracle worker who turned a tractor factory into a rising star in the aerospace field.

Backed by the isolated corridor and glass of the workshops, Lin stood here for an interview with the reporters.

Reporter: "Mr. Lin, our interview will be reviewed before it airs, and this interview is rather straightforward. You can relax a bit. Shall we start now?"

Lin Ju: "Thank you, I’m ready."

Reporter: "You once studied in America for a year. Is that also related to your reason for founding an aerospace company?"

Lin Ju: "It’s been my dream since I was a child. At first, I wanted to become an astronaut. It was when I grew up and went to America that I found out individuals could also enter the aerospace field. Moreover, with China opening up its aerospace market, I finally decided to go for it."

Reporter: "We’ve noticed that New Yuan Aeronautics has a high level of technological expertise, which has repeatedly created miracles, and it has become the first company in the world to accomplish the vertical recovery of a rocket’s first stage. What are your thoughts on this?"

Lin Ju: "I’m not an aerospace expert, but with my belief, I found like-minded partners. Many of them are outstanding talents who have worked abroad in the aerospace field, and we returned to our motherland for a common ideal.

And China has a huge reserve of talents, which allowed us to form a vibrant technical team, and that is how we continuously innovate."

Reporter: "New Yuan Aeronautics has successively achieved the country’s first privately-owned rocket to reach orbit and the first successful recovery of a rocket within three months, both previously thought to be impossible projects. Does this mean that the rest of New Yuan Aeronautics’ major plans are also likely to be fulfilled?"

Lin Ju: "When it comes to making PPTs... conducting scientific research, we are serious. Including the long-term plans for the Moon and Mars—all are existent and have been rigorously demonstrated. Moreover, I can reveal a little secret here."

Reporter: "Oh? What kind of secret is that?"

Lin Ju: "The next step for New Yuan Aeronautics’ propulsion is the manned spaceflight program. Our brand new manned spacecraft is being developed at full speed, and it will have its maiden flight within 7 to 9 months.

Currently, three astronauts have begun training, including two non-professional scientific researchers."

Reporter: "..."

"Mr. Lin, is this true?"

The reporter was clearly skeptical, hinting to Lin Ju that if he was bluffing, she would have it edited out, as it was to be broadcast on CCTV.

Lin Ju: "Absolutely positive. This is indeed our next plan."

...

"... The next step for New Yuan Aeronautics’ propulsion is manned spaceflight..."

The news aired Lin Ju’s interview, where he appeared young and confident. When he spoke, he already gave off a convincing vibe.

This feeling stemmed from New Yuan’s multiple successes and also came from the foundation of others being shocked twice in a row, already possessing the ability to hoodwink investors.

But the aerospace Big Shots weren’t there to watch that. They casually turned off the TV and turned their attention back to the people sitting around the long table.

Wherever their gaze landed, people lowered their heads as though they were children who had done something wrong, even though they were all elderly with gray hair.

"Speak up, all of you. Technically, none of you are less knowledgeable than I am. From your perspective, why is it that our analysis results in a dead end, yet they have found a successful path in no time?

I’m not looking to blame anyone or finding someone to take the responsibility; let’s just have a proper discussion about rocket recovery technology!"

The table was banged loudly, forcing everyone to speak in turn, especially those who had previously insisted that rocket recovery was impossible, who now had to grit their teeth and overturn their own opinions bit by bit.

The benefits of reusable rockets were clear. Since it’s doable, there’s no reason for the aerospace bureau not to follow suit.