Alumnus Qian Xuesen was selected as “Man of the Year” on authoritative US aviation magazine

2008年01月06日

Jan 6, 2008, the famous magazine Aviation Week&Space Technology selected “Man of 2007”. Qian Xuesen, Shanghai Jiaotong University alumnus, was elected for his outstanding contribution to Chinese aviation undertaking.

Aviation Week&Space Technology believed that the most important event in 2007 was that China proved itself as the third aerospace power in the world. On January 11, 2007, China launched a land-based ballistic missile, destroying the retired meteorological satellite“FY-1-III”in the aerospace 865km from earth surface. This anti-satellite test showed that China had grasped advanced detecting, tracking and precise orbit guidance technologies, breaking the monopoly of Russia and US. On October 24, lunar exploration satellite “Chang’e-1” was successfully launched, indicating that China had become the first developing country which could launch detector to the moon and made significant progress in telemetry, orbit tracing and control, etc.

Qian Xuesen, currently at the age of 97, has laid a solid foundation for the above achievements. Aviation Week&Space Technology said: the reason why we chose Qian Xuesen as “Man of 2007” was not that he participated and guided the programs directly, but was that he played a leading role in Chinese aerospace science and industry. When Qian Xuesen started to establish China’s aviation industry from nothing in 1956, the Chinese scientists knew nothing about rocket propulsion technology.

Quoted from Qian Xuesen’s biography Silk published by Zhang Chunru in 1995, Aviation Week&Space Technology said: “It was Qian Xuesen who initiated and supervised the earliest missile programs in China and the first man-made satellite, missile tracker and control remote sensor in China.”“With his help, systems engineering became a science. He created a full set of management system which could accelerate communications among experts of different levels, and minimize confusion and bureaucracy.”

Under Qian Xuesen’s guidance, China quickly developed from imitating the P-2 sort-range missile of the Soviet Union to independently developing missiles with different ranges and applications. The launch vehicle “Long March-1” which sent the first man-made satellite of China “Dong Fang Hong-1” into the aerospace in 1970 originated from the long-and-medium-range missile “Dong Fang Hong-4”, while the launch vehicle “Long March-3-I” which launched “Chang’e-1”satellite originated from intercontinental missile “Dongfeng-5”.

Luan Enjie, General Director of China’s lunar exploration program, said: “he is the father of aerospace industry. It is hard to imagine what our aerospace industry would be like without him.”

Aviation Week&Space Technology reviewed Qian Xuesen’s experience in the US, indicating deep regrets. It quoted deputy director of US Navy Department Gimbel’s words: “it was the most stupid thing that US ever did to let Qian Xuesen go back to China”.

Qian Xuesen went to the US for further study after finishing his undergraduate study in Shanghai Jiaotong University. During the Second World War, he worked for US military to conduct research on rocket and missile, and helped set up the Jet Propulsion Lab in California Institute of Technology, for which he was regarded as one of the top rocket experts in the US. At the beginning of 1950s when McCarthyism prevailed, Qian Xuesen was accused to be a communist and was arrested. Arrested and abused in US prison, he set up his mind to come back to China and serve his motherland. After difficult negotiations between China and US, he finally came back to China on Oct 8, 1955. He was regarded as a hero in China and became the father of Chinese aviation.