Qian Xuesen’s life was a model of serving the country scientifically, and his contributions far exceeded the field of science and technology itself. He not only promoted the leap-forward development of my country’s national defense and science and technology with his outstanding achievements, but also shaped the spiritual benchmark of Chinese scientists with his patriotism, educational philosophy and personality charm. As the award speech for “Touching China” said: “In his heart, country is the most important and family is the least; science is the most important and fame and fortune the least.” Qian Xuesen’s thoughts and practices are still a precious legacy of the scientific community in my country and even the world. Qian Xuesen has practiced his belief of “serving the country with science” throughout his life and has shaped the spiritual benchmark of our country’s scientists. Today, when we witness Chang’e’s moon exploration and Tianwen’s fire exploration, we should not forget this pioneer who measured the starry sky with a slide rule in the Gobi Desert. His story is not only a memory of history, but also a revelation for the future – only by intertwining personal ideals with the destiny of the country can a true “big country and important weapon” be created.<\/p>\n
Qian Xuesen was born in Shanghai on December 11, 1911. <\/p>\n
In 1914, Qian Xuesen’s father Qian Junfu went to Beijing to work in the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China government, and Qian Xuesen moved to Beijing with his parents. <\/p>\n
In September 1917, Qian Xuesen entered the primary school affiliated with the National Beijing Women’s Higher Normal School (today’s Beijing Second Experimental Primary School). <\/p>\n
In September 1920, Qian Xuesen transferred to the National School Affiliated to the National Higher Normal School of Beijing (today\u2019s Beijing No. 1 Experimental Primary School).<\/p>\n
In September 1923, Qian Xuesen entered the Middle School Affiliated to National Beijing Normal University (today\u2019s Middle School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University). <\/p>\n
In September 1929, Qian Xuesen entered the School of Mechanical Engineering of National Chiao Tung University to study railway mechanical engineering. <\/p>\n
In July 1934, Qian Xuesen graduated with first place in the School of Mechanical Engineering of National Chiao Tung University. <\/p>\n
In August 1934, Qian Xuesen went to Nanjing Central University to take part in the selection examination for publicly funded students studying in the United States with Geng Geng Grants. In October of the same year, Qian Xuesen was admitted to the “Grants to Study in the United States” government-funded student majoring in aviation racks.<\/p>\n
In September 1935, Qian Xuesen entered the Department of Aeronautics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study for a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering.<\/p>\n
In October 1936, Qian Xuesen entered the Aeronautics Department of the California Institute of Technology and became a doctoral student of the world-famous aerodynamicist Professor von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n.<\/p>\n
In June 1939, Qian Xuesen completed four doctoral theses including “Research on High-speed Gas Dynamics Problems” and received a doctorate in aeronautics and mathematics from the California Institute of Technology. The research project on high-speed aerodynamics problems completed together with von Karman and the establishment of the “Karman-Qian Approximation” formula made Qian Xuesen a world-renowned aerodynamicist.<\/p>\n
In 1944, the U.S. Department of Defense Scientific Advisory Group was formally established, with von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n as its director. Recommended by von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n, Qian Xuesen resigned from various positions at Caltech and went to Washington to join the Department of Defense’s Scientific Advisory Group.<\/p>\n
In April 1945, the U.S. Department of Defense dispatched a scientific advisory team headed by von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n and including Qian Xuesen to fly to Germany to interrogate Nazi German rocket scientists and inspect the V-2 rocket. After returning to the United States, the scientific advisory team, under the leadership of von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n, wrote a 13-volume investigation report entitled “Towards New Heights” at the end of the year. Qian Xuesen wrote the contents of seven parts in volumes 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 of the report.<\/p>\n
In the summer of 1946, Qian Xuesen followed von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n back to MIT and became an associate professor in the Department of Aeronautics at MIT.<\/p>\n
In February 1947, upon the recommendation of von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n, Qian Xuesen became a full professor at MIT and was the youngest tenured professor at the school at that time.<\/p>\n
In February 1948, Qian Xuesen was elected president of the National Society of Chinese Engineers. <\/p>\n
In September 1949, Qian Xuesen and von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n returned to Caltech together as director of the Guggenheim Jet Propulsion Center and professor of the Department of Aeronautics.<\/p>\n
On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was born amidst the rumble of gun salutes. Qian Xuesen immediately made preparations to return to China and wanted to use his expertise to serve the construction of the motherland. As a result, he withdrew from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Scientific Advisory Group and resigned from his concurrent position as a consultant to the U.S. Naval Ordnance Research Institute.<\/p>\n
In January 1950, Qian Xuesen made a request to DuBridge, then president of the California Institute of Technology, to return to China to visit relatives. But this simple move caused a strong reaction from the US government. Two FBI agents began examining Qian Xuesen, accusing him of being a member of the American Communist Party and claimed to have sufficient evidence to support the accusation. At the same time, Qian Xuesen\u2019s residence in Pasadena, Los Angeles, was surrounded by inspectors from the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, and he was also detained. While in detention, although the United States tried to persuade Qian Xuesen to stay through various threats and temptations, he still firmly stated that he wanted to return to the country. His determination caused the United States to change its strategy and begin to torture him mentally. To break his will, he was deprived of sleep for long periods of time and exposed to bright lights during his imprisonment. Even under such extreme pressure, Qian Xuesen still did not give in. Instead, he fell asleep due to extreme exhaustion under the strong light. When the guards in the prison saw him sleeping, they beat him awake with sticks without hesitation and continued to intensify the torture on him. In the same year, thanks to the efforts of Caltech Dean Dubridge and von K\u00e1rm\u00e1n who rushed back from Europe, Qian Xuesen was released, ending the 15-day detention in the Termino Island Detention Center. However, he is still under house arrest. <\/p>\n
In 1955, Qian Xuesen wrote to Chen Shutong, then vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. In order to deliver this letter smoothly, Qian Xuesen and his wife spent a lot of thought. His wife, Jiang Ying, deliberately imitated a child’s handwriting with her left hand and wrote her sister’s address on the envelope. The couple later used the excuse of visiting the mall to get rid of the FBI agents who were following them. Qian Xuesen stood outside the mall to attract attention, and Jiang Ying took the opportunity to deliver the letter. After Jiang Ying’s sister received the letter in Belgium, she immediately transferred it back to China. Qian Xuesen’s father, Qian Junfu, forwarded it to his old friend Chen Shutong in Beijing, and Chen Shutong then forwarded it to Premier Zhou. The appearance of this letter directly prompted Qian Xuesen and a large number of overseas students and Chinese citizens stranded in the United States to return home.<\/p>\n
The original text of the letter is as follows:<\/p>\n
Mr. Shutongtai: <\/p>\n
We haven\u2019t corresponded since we left in September 1947, but we were moved and admired by the old man\u2019s spirit of serving the people and working hard when we saw it in newspapers and periodicals! Xuesen made a mistake a few years ago and was detained by the US government for five years now. There is not a day, a moment, or a moment when I don’t think about returning to the country to participate in the great climax of construction. However, there are more important and urgent problems waiting to be solved in the world situation, and the situation of Xuesen and others cannot be used to complain. In the past few years, Xuesen has only tried hard to think about knowledge within the possible scope in preparation for returning to the country in the future. <\/p>\n
But now newspapers are talking about the possibility of China and the United States exchanging detainees, and the United States is lying, saying that all Chinese students who are willing to return to the country have been released, and we can’t help but be anxious. Our government must not trust their words. Apart from Xuesen, there are many compatriots who want to return but cannot. Those who know from Xuesen include Guo Yonghuai’s family, but the exact names of the others are unknown. The Americans cannot release these people until they come back. Of course, our government understands that the U.S. government cannot be deceived by its lies. However, we have been waiting for release for a long time, and we are very anxious, lest we miss the opportunity. Please forgive me, sir, and the government! Attached is a section of old news from the New York Times, describing Xuesen\u2019s situation in the United States in the past five years. <\/p>\n
Wish you with infinite hope <\/p>\n
healthy <\/p>\n
Sincerely, Qian Xuesen <\/p>\n
June 15, 1955<\/p>\n
On August 1, 1955, the second Sino-US ambassadorial level talks were held in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the instructions of Premier Zhou Enlai, Chinese representative Wang Bingnan produced a letter from Qian Xuesen to Chen Shutong during the talks, requesting the United States to allow Qian Xuesen to leave the country and return to China.<\/p>\n
On August 4, 1955, Qian Xuesen finally received the news that the US Immigration Service allowed him to return to China. After receiving the notice that they could return to China, Qian Xuesen and his family cried with joy.<\/p>\n
On September 17, 1955, Qian Xuesen and his family took the ship “Cleveland President”, departing from Los Angeles and sailing to Hong Kong. In the process, they not only had to endure the bumps on the sea, but also carefully avoided being discovered by the US authorities. According to Qian Xuesen’s wife, Jiang Ying, recalled: “The journey back to China was dangerous, and the Americans were so bad that they lured us off the ship in Japan, so that if we were shot dead in Japan, it would seem to have nothing to do with the Americans, and they would not have to bear any responsibility.”<\/p>\n
On November 22, 1955, Qian Xuesen officially reported to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The first task he accepted was to visit Northeast China and give lectures. For a whole month, Qian Xuesen, accompanied by Zhu Zhaoxiang, went to Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Lushun, Dalian and other places, visiting the country’s largest steel plants, coal mines, hydropower stations, refineries, chemical plants, machine tool factories, automobile factories and aircraft factories, and visited some universities and research institutes. Northeast China was the most concentrated modern industrial base in China at that time, and it was here that Qian Xuesen learned about my country’s industrial foundation, technological level and other basic national conditions.<\/p>\n
On November 25, 1955, Qian Xuesen visited Harbin Military Engineering Institute. General Chen Geng, then the director of Harbin Military Industry, flew from Beijing to Harbin to accompany the visit. Chen Geng accompanied Qian Xuesen from the auditorium to the playground to the laboratory, and from the Department of Air Force Engineering to the Department of Naval Engineering to the Department of Artillery Engineering, seeing all over Harbin Military Industry. At the dinner that day, Chen Geng grabbed the topic and went straight to the point, asking Qian Xuesen about his “mission”. Qian Xuesen detailed this conversation in his memories in 1997: After dinner, General Chen Geng asked me, could the Chinese develop missiles? I was holding in my anger at that time, why can\u2019t the Chinese do it? Therefore, my answer is very simple. I said that if foreigners can do it, why can\u2019t Chinese people do it? Are the Chinese shorter than them? General Chen Geng was very happy after hearing this and said, “Great, I want you to say this!” So it can be seen that he has been thinking about this matter for a long time in his mind.<\/p>\n
On January 16, 1956, Vice Premier Chen Yi personally signed and approved the “Report on the Establishment of the Institute of Mechanics” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Subsequently, the Chinese Academy of Sciences officially issued a document appointing Qian Xuesen as the director of the Institute of Mechanics.<\/p>\n
On February 1, 1956, Chairman Mao Zedong held a grand banquet for members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Chairman Mao Zedong invited Qian Xuesen to sit next to him and have a cordial conversation.<\/p>\n
On February 17, 1956, in accordance with the opinions of Premier Zhou Enlai, Qian Xuesen submitted the “Opinion Letter on Establishing my country’s Defense Aviation Industry” to the State Council, systematically putting forward suggestions for the development of my country’s aerospace technology, formulating important implementation plans for the development of China’s rocket and missile technology, and becoming the foundation of China’s missile industry.<\/p>\n
In 1956, Qian Xuesen was appointed to establish my country\u2019s first rocket and missile research institute, the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense. On October 8, the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense was officially established.<\/p>\n
On November 16, 1956, Premier Zhou Enlai signed a letter of appointment, appointing Qian Xuesen as the director of the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, and later also served as the director of the first branch of the academy (now the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology).<\/p>\n
In 1957, Qian Xuesen visited the Soviet Union as a member of the Chinese government industrial delegation, assisted in the signing of the Sino-Soviet defense new technology agreement, and communicated with Soviet missile experts.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of 1958, Qian Xuesen solemnly submitted an application to join the party to the party organization.<\/p>\n
In 1958, Qian Xuesen participated in the establishment of the University of Science and Technology of China and served as director of the Department of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering. <\/p>\n
In October 1958, Qian Xuesen was appointed as a member of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission of the Ministry of National Defense.<\/p>\n
On January 5, 1959, the General Party Branch of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences informed Qian Xuesen: “Today, I was notified by the Party Committee of the Institute that you have been accepted as a probationary member of the Communist Party of China. The preparatory period is one year, from October 16, 1958 to October 16, 1959.” <\/p>\n
On February 19, 1960, my country’s first liquid sounding rocket designed under the guidance of Qian Xuesen was successfully launched.<\/p>\n
At 9:02 on November 5, 1960, Qian Xuesen assisted Nie Rongzhen in successfully organizing the launch test of my country’s first short-range surface-to-surface missile “Dongfeng No. 1”.<\/p>\n
In 1962, the Science and Technology Committee of the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense was established, with Qian Xuesen as director. In the same year, “Lectures on Physical Mechanics” was published.<\/p>\n
In 1964, Qian Xuesen, as the top technical person in charge of the launch site, together with the on-site commander Zhang Aiping, successfully organized and commanded the flight test of my country’s first improved medium and short-range surface-to-surface missile “Dongfeng 2”.<\/p>\n
In 1965, Qian Xuesen served as deputy minister of the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry and presided over the formulation of the “Rocket Technology Year (1965-1972) Development Plan.”<\/p>\n
In 1966, Qian Xuesen, as the chief technical director, assisted Nie Rongzhen in successfully organizing and implementing my country’s first “two-bomb” combined test of missiles and atomic bombs.<\/p>\n
In February 1968, the Fifth Research Institute of the People’s Liberation Army (today’s China Academy of Space Technology) was formally established. Qian Xuesen served as the first director and was fully responsible for the development of artificial earth satellites and space scientific research.<\/p>\n
In January 1969, Qian Xuesen was elected as a representative of the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China and an alternate member of the Ninth Central Committee. Since then, he has been elected as a representative of the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, an alternate member of the 10th, 11th and 12th Central Committee, and a special invited representative of the 16th and 17th National Congress.<\/p>\n
In April 1970, Qian Xuesen took the lead in successfully organizing and implementing the launch mission of my country’s first artificial earth satellite, “Dongfanghong-1”.<\/p>\n
In June 1970, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China appointed Qian Xuesen as deputy director of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. <\/p>\n
In 1970, the “Counterattack No. 1” model missile flight test organized and led by Qian Xuesen was successful.<\/p>\n
In March 1971, Qian Xuesen organized and completed the “Shijian-1” satellite launch test, obtaining my country’s space environment detection data for the first time, and accumulated experience for my country’s development of application satellites and communication satellites.<\/p>\n
In September 1973, Qian Xuesen first proposed the concept of establishing a missile aerospace measurement and control network. After that, the organization launched the construction project of the ocean survey ship base.<\/p>\n
In May 1980, he participated in organizing and leading the first full flight test of my country’s intercontinental missile.<\/p>\n
In October 1982, he participated in organizing and leading my country’s first submarine-launched carrier rocket flight test.<\/p>\n
In April 1984, he participated in the organization and leadership of my country\u2019s first geostationary orbit experimental communication satellite launch mission.<\/p>\n
In July 1986, Qian Xuesen, as the first winner, won the 1985 National Science and Technology Progress Award special prize together with Tu Shou’e, Yao Tongbin, Hao Fukian, Liang Sili, Zhuang Fenggan and others.<\/p>\n
In July 1988, Qian Xuesen was hired as a senior adviser to the Science and Technology Committee of the National Defense Science, Technology and Industry Commission. In the same year, “On Systems Engineering” (enhanced edition) and “On Human Body Science” were published.<\/p>\n
In 1993, Qian Xuesen actively advocated the establishment of the China Science and Technology Development Foundation’s Sand Industry Development Fund to support theoretical research on the sand industry, support sand industry entities, and cultivate sand industry professionals. <\/p>\n
In June 1994, at the first academician conference of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Qian Xuesen was elected as the first batch of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.<\/p>\n
In June 1998, at the Ninth Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Fourth Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Qian Xuesen was awarded the titles of “Senior Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences” and “Senior Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering”.<\/p>\n
In 1999, Qian Xuesen received the “Two Bombs and One Satellite Meritorious Service Medal” issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission.<\/p>\n
In 2001, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering jointly held a naming ceremony for the “Qian Xuesen Star”. After review and approval by the International Minor Planet Center and the International Asteroid Nomenclature Committee, the asteroid with international number 3763 discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was officially named “Qian Xuesen”. <\/p>\n
In 2003, the “Shenzhou 5” manned spacecraft successfully launched Yang Liwei into space and returned safely. my country’s first manned space flight was a complete success. Qian Xuesen happily wrote with trembling hands: “Warm congratulations on the successful launch of Shenzhou 5 and pay tribute to the new generation of astronauts!” <\/p>\n
In 2005, Qian Xuesen raised the famous “Qian Xuesen Question: Why can’t our schools cultivate outstanding scientific and technological innovation talents?” to Premier Wen Jiabao who came to visit him. <\/p>\n
\u200cAt 8:6 on October 31, 2009, Qian Xuesen passed away in Beijing due to illness at the age of 98, completing his magnificent life.<\/p>\n
Although Qian Xuesen has left us, he has left a rich spiritual legacy to future generations. This legacy is not only a monument to history, but also a beacon that illuminates the future. With the feat of “returning to the country in five years and completing two bombs in ten years”, he wrote the epic of “serving the country with science”; with the foresight of “system engineering”, he foresaw the coordinated evolution of science and technology and society; with the persistence of the “six no’s” principle, he defined the spiritual height of scientists. His name has long transcended the personal category and has become a spiritual symbol of national self-reliance and scientific and technological self-reliance. He used his life to prove that personal achievements can shine eternally only when they are integrated into the destiny of the nation. Pay tribute to people\u2019s scientist Qian Xuesen!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Qian Xuesen’s life was a model of serving the country scientifically, and his contributions far exceeded the field of science and technology itself. He not only promoted the leap-forward development of my country’s national defense and science and technology with his outstanding achievements, but also shaped the spiritual benchmark of Chinese scientists with his patriotism, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25366"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25366\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}