Future Planning

Looking at the excited and blushing Oberth, Wilhelm couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Decades later, this phrase is still popular: "The future of humanity lies in the vast universe, and we must conquer the entire cosmos." According to the rapid development of human technology, one would expect to be getting closer to this goal. However, when Wilhelm traveled back to the year 2018, he realized that even the "close-at-hand" moon had not been conquered by humans, with only a few landings taking place.

Despite the appearance of advanced spacecraft and interstellar battles in science fiction movies of the future, the reality in 2019 was far from reaching such levels, let alone the 1920s and 1930s.

Wilhelm had once wondered why the countries on Earth couldn't put aside their prejudices and work together to develop outer space. But later, he realized that this was merely a dream. Prejudice and selfishness are weaknesses of human nature, and despite the origin of civilization dating back six thousand years, humanity has not managed to diminish its aggressiveness and various forms of discrimination. It would take a colossal external pressure, like the one depicted in the movie "2012," for humanity to possibly unite (even then, distinctions and distribution of interests would still arise).

Since fate had given him this opportunity, Wilhelm didn't harbor any illusions about unifying the entire globe. However, it was worth a try to integrate the resources of Europe and venture into space.

"But we still need to prepare the technological reserves in advance. Once technology reaches a certain height and new materials appear, we can put our prepared theories into practice. It would be much better than being clueless and starting from scratch in the future."

Oberth was in awe of the young Crown Prince's wisdom. He was knowledgeable, calm, rational, seeking the truth, neither arrogant nor impatient, focusing on both the future and the present. If he were to inherit the throne, he would undoubtedly be a wise ruler.

"Well, we have to start small. I need several types of rocket projectiles, military ones."

"...?" Oberth didn't immediately understand why they had shifted from space rockets to military rocket projectiles. "What kind of rocket projectiles does Your Highness need?"

Wilhelm asked his secretary to bring paper and a pen and quickly sketched the rough designs of the rocket projectiles from his memory. "The first one is a 122mm caliber rocket projectile. It should not exceed 1800mm in length and 60kg in weight, including a warhead weighing from 18kg to 30kg. When equipped with an 18kg warhead, the maximum range should be at least 15 kilometers. Precision is not necessary for this thing; it just needs to hit the general area. We should try to save costs as much as possible." Thinking about the rocket artillery of World War II, the first thing that came to mind was the famous Katyusha from the Soviet Union. However, it's little-known that Germany also developed a similar rocket artillery in 1938. Unfortunately, the meticulous nature of the Germans led the researchers to pursue precision for these rocket projectiles. As a result, the accuracy did not improve much, but the manufacturing costs ended up being eight to nine times higher than those of the Soviet Katyusha. Only the German military would be interested in such a thing.

Oberth once again marveled at Wilhelm's knowledge and took the paper to examine it. It didn't seem too difficult; all the data for the rocket projectiles were already marked. He just needed to figure out the engine and propellant. However, the last sentence puzzled him. "Your Highness, it seems like this weapon lacks precision, and even if it's produced, would the military be interested in procuring it?" Since it's meant for military use, it would surely be used in warfare, and he could immediately tell that this thing wouldn't have much accuracy. There are too many factors that can affect the trajectory once it's launched.

Wilhelm smiled and replied, "While a single projectile may lack precision, what if we launch dozens or even hundreds of them together? The coverage area would be enormous. Would we still need to consider accuracy then?" Rocket artillery's main purpose is "area saturation," targeting a general area rather than a precise point. It is primarily used for the destruction and suppression of clustered and large targets, so it doesn't require that level of precision. Of course, precision-guided rocket projectiles are an exception.

"...," Oberth, not being a weapons expert, couldn't fully understand the potential utility of such rocket projectiles. But since Wilhelm had brought it up, his task was to simply make them.

Then, Wilhelm proceeded to sketch the RPzb43/54, an 88mm "Tank Killer" anti-tank rocket launcher, the Panzerfaust, and aviation rockets used on attack aircraft. Oberth only needed to handle the propulsion devices, while the warheads would be entrusted to more specialized individuals.

The last type of aviation rocket was also based on a product from the original timeline's Soviet Union. In 1930, Soviet rocket expert Nikolai Ivanovich Demyanov's aerodynamic research group developed air-to-air rockets powered by smokeless powder. They didn't require complex mechanical firing mechanisms or the deadweight caused by gun barrels, and they were launched from the groove-shaped rails underneath the aircraft's wings. By the end of 1933, the world saw the first operational air-to-air rocket, the RS-82. It had a diameter of 82mm and a range of up to 5,000 meters, delivering firepower comparable to that of artillery of the same caliber.

The Il-2 attack aircraft could carry 24 of these rockets. Just imagine equipping this weapon on "The Ground-Licking Devil" Rudel. It would undoubtedly increase his combat achievements. Besides the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, there might even be a need to create another medal to honor his merits.

"One more thing." After indulging in his thoughts, Wilhelm continued, "I want a large rocket with a range exceeding 300 kilometers. It should be a self-propelled weapon guided towards its target by a guidance system. The total length should not exceed 15 meters, with a diameter not exceeding 2 meters. It should use ethanol and liquid oxygen as fuel." As far as he knew, Oberth's main interest lay in solid fuels, and he also knew that liquid fuels had high molecular activity and low chemical stability. They needed to be stored at low temperatures, which was quite troublesome. The current technology couldn't produce solid fuels capable of propelling such large rockets. He knew that practical solid rocket engines were only developed by the Soviet Union in 1956. Even with the advancement of technology, he didn't believe solid rocket engines of this scale could be developed within ten years.

Therefore, he didn't want to waste his time on an unattainable goal.

Oberth couldn't help but inhale sharply upon hearing Wilhelm's request for a rocket with a range exceeding 300 kilometers. The previous types seemed manageable with confidence, but he wasn't as sure about this last one. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, "Your Highness, how much time do I have for research and development?"

"Ten years." The V-2 missile in the original timeline took only five years from development to deployment. Now, although he advanced the development timeline, ten years should be more than enough.

"Ten years?" Oberth couldn't help but relax. If he were asked to develop this kind of large rocket in two or three years, even if he had a knife to his throat, he wouldn't have the confidence to accomplish it. With ten years, he felt it would be sufficient. Once this super rocket was successfully built, developing space exploration rockets on that foundation didn't seem like a difficult task either. The Crown Prince indeed had far-reaching plans.

"Dr. Oberth, you can invite like-minded colleagues to join the research. Although the Empire's current economic situation is a bit dire, I will do my best to provide the materials and equipment you need for experiments. Those who contribute to the Empire, not only the researchers themselves but also their families, will enjoy various benefits and privileges. However, I don't need those who lack real skills and only enjoy luxuries. Furthermore, the research department will have the involvement of national security agencies to prevent technology theft by foreign powers."

Of course, Wilhelm couldn't read minds and didn't know that the current Herman Oberth was quickly becoming his die-hard fan. He continued speaking, absorbed in his own thoughts. Although he wasn't a pacifist, like Einstein, Wilhelm explained, "Dr. Oberth, honestly, I am also a proponent of peace. I want the German Empire to develop and become powerful in a peaceful manner. Unfortunately, sometimes we are forced into situations beyond our control. Germany is surrounded by enemies who won't just stand by while we send certain things into space. They might worry that one day those things will come crashing down on their homes."

Oberth smiled and nodded. "Fear stems from ignorance."

"Perhaps they would be curious and try to investigate, or more likely, they would try to seize these achievements for themselves. I have no knowledge of their intentions. My job is to create a stable research environment for you as much as possible. Moreover, embarking on the cosmic journey is an endless abyss. It's impossible to achieve with Germany's financial resources alone. Therefore, we need to integrate the power of Europe at least to make it happen. So, Dr. Oberth, I entrust this important task to you." This person is much better at fooling people than Einstein. Wilhelm sighed inwardly and saw Oberth off, who had a pleased expression on his face.